Gospel Outreach International

Have you ever wondered how God works through difficult circumstances to accomplish His purposes? This passage gives us a powerful glimpse into how persecution, though painful, became the catalyst for the spread of the early church beyond Jerusalem. Despite Jesus’s clear command to be witnesses “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8), the early believers had remained concentrated in Jerusalem until persecution scattered them across the region

And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Acts 8:1

• The passage describes the intense persecution that began against the church in Jerusalem following Stephen’s martyrdom
• Saul (later Paul) was in “hearty agreement” with Stephen’s execution and actively ravaged the church
• The persecution caused believers to scatter throughout Judea and Samaria, fulfilling Jesus’s command in Acts 1:8
• Strangely, the apostles remained in Jerusalem despite the persecution
• Devout men showed courage by properly burying Stephen and mourning him publicly
• The persecution, while painful, ultimately served to spread the gospel beyond Jerusalem
• This pattern of the church growing through persecution would continue throughout history

But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. Acts 8:3

Isn’t it fascinating how God works? Even in this early chapter of church history, we see Jesus’s divine strategy unfolding in unexpected ways. Through Saul’s persecution—the very man who would later become the apostle Paul—God scattered the believers like seeds across the region. What appeared to be a tragedy became the mechanism for fulfilling Christ’s command to take the gospel beyond Jerusalem. While we might wonder why the apostles stayed behind or why it took persecution to motivate believers to spread out, we can take comfort in knowing that Jesus continues to build His church even through the most difficult circumstances. As we face our own challenges today, let’s remember that God can use even painful situations to advance His kingdom purposes.

Bible References

• Acts 8:1-3
• Acts 8:1-3
• Acts 1:8
• Matthew 28:18-20