1Saul was consenting to and actively approving his killing. On that day a great persecution arose against the assembly in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria — except the apostles. [8:2] Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. [8:3] But Saul was ravaging the assembly, entering house after house, dragging off both men and women and committing them to prison.
ACT 8:1-3
Saul Persecutes the Church
In the world it was spoken into
In the aftermath of Stephen’s execution, Saul’s active approval of the killing signaled his alignment with the Jewish authorities who viewed the early Christian movement as a threat to Jewish religious and social order. The persecution that erupted in Jerusalem forced the , a gathering of believers often meeting in homes, to scatter. Saul’s violent actions against the church—entering houses and arresting both men and women—were unprecedented in their brutality. In the 1st-century Jewish context, such house-to-house raids disrupted the private, familial nature of early Christian gatherings, which included women as active participants, a practice that stood out in a patriarchal society. Saul’s actions also reflected the broader Roman tolerance of Jewish internal policing, as long as it maintained public order. The devout men who buried Stephen and mourned him likely represented a segment of Jews who, while not Christians, disapproved of such extreme measures.
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How other translations render this
ACT 8:1
- KJV
- And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
- BSB
- And Saul was there, giving approval to Stephenʼs death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
- Koinōnos
- Saul was consenting to and actively approving his killing. On that day a great persecution arose against the assembly in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria — except the apostles.
ACT 8:2
- KJV
- And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
- BSB
- God-fearing men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him.
- Koinōnos
- Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him.
ACT 8:3
- KJV
- As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
- BSB
- But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
- Koinōnos
- But Saul was ravaging the assembly, entering house after house, dragging off both men and women and committing them to prison.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
ACT 8:1
- consenting:The word translated 'consenting' here implies not just agreement, but active approval and participation in the decision or action, often with a sense of shared pleasure or satisfaction.
- killing:The term used here for 'killing' specifically refers to a violent taking away of life, often with a sense of destruction or execution, rather than a general death.
- church:The word translated 'church' originally referred to a summoned assembly or gathering of citizens for a specific purpose, not necessarily a religious body or building.
ACT 8:3
- was destroying:The word translated 'was destroying' carries a strong sense of ravaging, devastating, or treating outrageously, often with violent and abusive intent, like a wild animal tearing apart its prey.