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.
When Stephen was killed for telling other people about you, I stood there to show that I agreed he should die. I even guarded the coats of those who were killing him.’
dragged him out of the city, and threw stones at him to kill him. The people who’d brought false charges against Stephen took off their coats and placed them at the feet of a young man named Saul.
Gamaliel convinced the leaders. They called in the apostles and had them whipped. They ordered them not to speak in Jesus’ name, and then they let them go.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. Then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest point on earth.”
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.
Remember what I told you: ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If people have hated me and tried to hurt me, they will do the same to you. If they have obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours too.
By faith Moses left Egypt. He knew this would make Pharaoh angry, but he wasn’t afraid. He didn’t let anything stop him, because he saw the God who can’t be seen.
In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers. Among them were Barnabas, Simeon (also called Niger), Lucius from Cyrene, and Manaen, who’d been brought up with Herod, the ruler of Galilee. Saul was among them too.
Moses was with the Israelites in the desert, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our people of long ago. He received living words to pass on to us.
I’m sending you prophets, wise people, and teachers. You’ll kill some of them by nailing them to a cross. You’ll whip others in your synagogues and chase them from town to town.
“You’re the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It’s not good for anything anymore. It has to be thrown out onto the street.
That’s just what I was doing in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests, I put many of the Lord’s people in prison. When they were brought to trial, I cast my vote to have them killed.
They know that God’s commands are right, and that people who do wrong things like this deserve to die. But they continue to do those things anyway, and they even approve of others who do them.