Great Persecution

The disciples we meet in Acts 8 are experiencing great persecution. They escape threat, not merely to preserve their lives, but to continue their ministries.

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Acts 8:1-8

Stephen has just been stoned for His proclamation of Christ
We find a man named Saul approved of his execution
He is the first martyr of the church
And persecution of Christians in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria would continue
This is where we find ourselves in today’s passage of scripture

It is a passage that may start us thinking about how we would react in such circumstances
Leaders in our church violently attacked
Brothers and sisters under threat of prison – or worse
Any and all believers in Christ targeted by authorities

These are difficult, but quite common threats to God’s people throughout history
We can learn from their example in the eight verses we’ll address today

How exactly did they cope with “Great Persecution?”
Which is our theme of the day from Acts 8:1-8

The final scene in Acts 7 is Stephen’s stoning
We find one of the men responsible in the first verse of chapter eight
Not long after the birth of Christ’s church, His followers are under threat

Let’s read our entire passage of the day for context
Then take a closer look at each verse…

Acts 8:1-8

1 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.

2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.

6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.

8 And there was great joy in that city.

Saul “made havock of the church”
But the work of the church continued
Preaching continued
Christ’s disciples carried out His will
And cities experienced “great joy” thanks to the power of the Holy Spirit

Let’s take a look at each verse…

Acts 8:1

There is some important context about Saul here
Which will help us have a proper view of him as the book continues
He is neck-deep in the persecution at Jerusalem
And will take the persecution on the road in coming days

So, the disciples do as we might expect: they scatter
And we assume they scatter out of fear and for safety at first glance
But learn a few verses later they have other motivations too

The story of Stephen carries on in the next verse…

Acts 8:2

2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

Men who had reverence for God buried Stephen
They mourned greatly
He was one of the church’s first deacons
A person of great integrity and full of the Holy Ghost

And he died unjustly
Only because he told the truth and made a stand for Christ

But he angered those who hated Jesus
Those who held to tradition above Bible truth
And they killed him

The hatred for Christ and His followers continued…

Acts 8:3

3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

This phrase “he made havock” means to “treat shamefully or with injury, to ravage, devastate, ruin”
He went from house to house
Dragging out both men and women
Throwing them into prison

Keep in mind, this is not for any criminal activity
But for what they believed
For the Savior they embraced

And again, we’re told they scattered…

Acts 8:4

4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

They didn’t just scatter to find safety
They didn’t keep a low profile
They didn’t censor themselves

Rather, they continued their great commission ministry
Preaching in the name of Jesus
The name that got them in trouble from whence they fled

This is the life of a true disciple of Christ in times of persecution
Escaping threat, not simply to preserve life, but to continue ministry

Philip continued his ministry too…

Acts 8:5

5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.

He continued preaching Christ, despite the threat
And many heard him and saw what God empowered him to do…

Acts 8:6-7

6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.

Philips words were given extra weight because of the miracles
God prepared him to carry out this miracles at this time
To reach those God intended for him to reach

Many were delivered from demons
And even more were healed from their diseases
And their disabilities

They gave heed to Philip’s words
God was blessing his ministry
And the city of Samaria was altered for the better…

Acts 8:8

8 And there was great joy in that city.

As with any people (any city) that embraces Christ
Joy arrived immediately after
He brings great joy

In this passage we learn, among other things, that persecution is meant to stop the church
But it often mobilizes the church and her people
It moves us to new cities to proclaim His saving power and great grace

That is certainly what happened in Acts 8
And it made a monumental difference in lives

We don’t know what our future holds
But we must commit to ongoing ministry
No matter the obstacles

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