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The apostles, however, remained in Jerusalem to form the government and counsel of the church
at Jerusalem. They remain as many of their congregation leave the city for safer, more peaceful
places to preach the gospel.

8:1 church, ecclesia (ek-klay-see-ah); Used in secular Greek for an assembly of citizens
and in the Septuagint for the congregation of Israel. The NT uses the word in the former
sense in 19:32, 39, 41, and in the latter sense in 7:38 and Hebrews 2:12. The dominant
use in the NT is to describe an assembly or company of Christians in the following ways:
1) the whole body of Christians; 2) a local church constituting a company of Christians
gathering for worship, sharing, and teaching; 3) churches in a district. Other related terms
are: “spiritual house,” “chosen race,” and “God’s people.” (Compare “ecclesiastic” and
“ecclesiastical.) The survival of the Christian church against all its opponents is assured in
Jesus’ words from Matthew 16:18, “On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of
Hades shall not prevail against it.”

Act 8:2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

Just as the young, devout men had buried Ananias and Sapphira in chapter 5, they now bury one
of their own who had become a renowned teacher in the city of Jerusalem. The process is
repeated. The young men who had buried the bodies of Ananias and Sapphira became the
deacons in chapter 6 as the church began to grow. As those first deacons (which included
Stephen) enter the ministry, new young and devout men are being raised up under them.
Act 8:3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men
and women committed them to prison.

Saul is a very committed and zealous man for the religion of the Jews. He believes what he is
doing against the church is for God. At this point, Saul is Christianity’s greatest adversary. Later
he will refer to himself as the worst sinner who ever lived (1 Timothy 1:15).

Religion is the greatest enemy of the gospel. The religious person is the most difficult to win and
the least receptive to the gospel of grace. Religious people are too consumed in their own human
good and arrogance to believe they need a savior (Isaiah 64:6; Titus 3:5).

THE CHURCH IS SCATTERED

Act 8:4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

Therefore they that were scattered abroad (diaspeiro) went every where preaching the word.
The Greek word for “scattered” means “to throw out as seed” (see James 1:1). These believers
are not thrown away nor do they run away in fear. They dispersed to escape the persecution,
but they are not silent about the Lord Jesus. For the Jews to believe they have gained a great
victory over the Christians is as futile as believing they could get rid of seed by throwing it away
on good soil.