But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into every house and dragged both men and women off to prison.As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.But Saul laid waste the church, entering into every house, and dragging men and women committed them to prison.
3 sermons cite this verse
… The conversion of an utterly committed opponent of Christianity. Acts chapter 8, verse 3, right across the page in my Bible, says, But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. And then chapter 9, verses 1 and 2, Luke says that not only was he threatening, he was breathing out threats. Why do you think Luke says it that way? Breathing threats. It's like persecution is the air that this man breathed. He's just breathing threats. He hates Christians. He is totally committed to opposing and eradicating this religion and murders. Breathing out threats and murders. Now, why? Why was Paul so zealously, radically, breathingly against Christianity? And I think the reason is, and this comes out of his later epistles, that he understood it better than many of us do. Namely, that since it preached salvation by faith, apart from any meritorious works of the law, his whole life was garbage. That's what he says in Philippians 3. …
… Let's look at our Bibles. Acts 8 verse 1 to 4. Backdrop of the story now. New Living Translation is what I'm reading from. Saul was one of the witnesses. And this of course is a witness to the death of Stephen. And he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. A great wave of persecution began that day sweeping over the church in Jerusalem and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning. But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison. But the believers who were scattered preached the good news about Jesus wherever they went. All right, we'll stop there. Let's set the scene. So Stephen's been martyred and the church is spreading out fast and in a way Saul of Tarsus, even before he was converted, was helping the work of the kingdom of God. …
… throughout jerusalem but it's stuck there at the end of chapter seven what happens if Stephen is stoned in Acts chapter 8 verse 1 through 4 says the gospel was scattered and went throughout Judea and Samaria fulfilling what had been said here in Acts chapter 1 Acts chapter 8 9 and 10 the gospel goes throughout Judea and Samaria you get to the end of chapter 9 especially it talks about how the gospel was strengthened in churches and it grew throughout Judea and Samaria and then you come to chapter 10 verse 34 and Peter says now I realize that God does not show favoritism, and he desires to show his gospel, his grace, his love, and his mercy to all peoples, regardless of race, regardless of where they are. And that unleashes the early church in Acts chapter 11 through 28 to go to the ends of the earth. Acts chapter 11, verse 19 through 21 gives us a picture of the church at Antioch as they began to take the gospel to the Gentiles, to the people who were not like them. And when they did that, the Bible says the Lord's hand was with them and used them throughout the rest of this book to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. From Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, to the ends of the earth, both and. …