Acts 8:2

"Saul was consenting to his death. A great persecution arose against the assembly which was in Jerusalem in that day. They were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles."

Key Reflection

Saul's consent to Stephen's death signaled his approval of the stoning, reflecting the broader Jewish sentiment against Christians at that time. This persecution was not just a local event but spread throughout Judea and Samaria, affecting many believers, except for the apostles who remained in Jerusalem, underscoring their pivotal role amidst the turmoil.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Verse 2. And devout men. Religious men. The word used here does not imply of necessity that they were Christians. There might have been Jews who did not approve the popular tumult, and the murder of Stephen, and who gave him a decent burial. Joseph of Arimathaea, and Nicodemus, both Jews, thus gave to the Lord Jesus a decent burial, Joh 19:38,39. Carried Stephen. The word translated carried means, properly, to collect, as fruits, etc. Then it is applied to all the preparations necessary for fitting a dead body for burial--as collecting, or confining it by bandages, with spices, etc. And made great lamentation. This was usual among the Jews at a funeral. See Barnes "Mt 9:23".

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