Brothers and sisters, you imitated the members of the synagogues in Judea that believe in Christ Jesus. You suffered from your own people the same things they suffered from the Jews,
And you imitated both us and the Lord Jesus, because even in the midst of terrible suffering, you welcomed our message with the joy that the Holy Spirit gives.
But each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them. Stay as you were when God chose you. That’s the rule I tell people to follow in all the churches.
Some of the believers who’d been scattered by the attacks that started after Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, spreading the word among Jews.
Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. The church respected and obeyed the Lord and was encouraged by the Holy Spirit, and it grew even larger.
Saul had agreed that Stephen should die. On that day an attack began against the church in Jerusalem. The believers, except for the apostles, were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
But the Jewish leaders stirred up some important Gentile women who attended the synagogue. They also stirred up some men who were leaders in the city. They got all these people to oppose and attack Paul and Barnabas, and they threw the two men out of that area. But
Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over to their side. They threw stones at Paul and then dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead.