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Acts 8:1-8 The disciples being dispersed by reason of a great

persecution at Jerusalem, a church is planted by

Philip in Samaria.

Acts 8:9-13 Simon the sorcerer is baptized, with many others.

Acts 8:14-17 Peter and John are sent thither, who by prayer and

imposition of hands give the Holy Ghost.

Acts 8:18-25 Simon offereth money for the like power, is sharply

reproved by Peter for his wickedness and hypocrisy,

and admonished to repent: the apostles return to

Jerusalem, having preached the word.

Acts 8:26-40 Philip is sent by an angel to convert and baptize an

Ethiopian eunuch.

Consenting unto his death; well pleased with it, (as the word implies), and did approve it in thought, word, and deed, Acts 22:4,20; which is here noted in the beginning of the narrative concerning this great apostle, that we might consider oiov ex oiou, what a great change the grace of God did make; which was by him, and is by us the more to be acknowledged and magnified.

A great persecution against the church; not, as heretofore, against the apostles only; but now it was against the whole church.

All scattered abroad; the multitude of believers, at least as many as could flee; which was allowed, or rather commanded, Matthew 10:23, when they were persecuted in one city, to flee unto another; especially such as were teachers amongst them (besides the apostles) were forced to remove from Jerusalem, and by this means did publish the gospel in all places whither they came; so that what was intended for the hinderance, God did overrule towards the furtherance, of the gospel; as he did afterwards, Philippians 1:12, and still does, and ever will do.

Except the apostles; who were commanded to stay at Jerusalem, Acts 1:4; there they were to make their beginning, Luke 24:47, and from thence to proceed unto other parts, Isaiah 2:3; and whilst God had any work for them to do at Jerusalem, they knew that God could and would defend and maintain them in the midst of their enemies, as he had done the bush in the fire, Exodus 3:3.

VIII.

(1) And Saul was consenting unto his death.—The word seems carefully chosen to convey the fact that he did not himself take part in stoning, but contented himself with guiding and directing the murder. He “kept the garments” of the witnesses who flung the stones (Acts 22:20). The statement came, we can scarcely doubt, from St. Paul’s own lips, and in his use of the same word in the passage just referred to, and in Romans 1:32, we may see an indication that he had learnt to see that his guilt in so doing was greater, and not less, than that of the actual murderers.

There was a great persecution against the church.—It is clear that this involved much suffering, imprisonment, as in Acts 8:3, perhaps the spoiling of men’s goods, the being made “a gazing stock by reproaches and afflictions” (Hebrews 10:33-34). In St. James’s description of the sufferings of the brethren (James 2:6-7), we may see at once the measure of the violence of the persecution, and the prominence in it (though Saul, the Pharisee, was for the time the chief leader) of the priesthood and the rich Sadducean aristocracy.

Throughout the regions of Judæa and Samaria.—Jerusalem was naturally the chief scene of the persecution, and the neighbouring towns, Hebron, and Gaza, and Lydda, and Joppa, became places of refuge. It was probably to this influx of believers in Christ that we may trace the existence of Christian communities in the two latter cities. (See Notes on Acts 9:32; Acts 9:36.) The choice of Samaria was, perhaps, suggested by the hatred of that people to the Jews. Those who were fleeing from a persecution set on foot by the priests and rulers of Jerusalem were almost ipso facto sure of a welcome in Neapolis and other cities. But the choice of this as a place of refuge indicated that the barriers of the old antipathy were already in part broken down. What seemed the pressure of circumstances was leading indirectly to the fulfilment of our Lord’s commands, that the disciples should be witnesses in Samaria as well as in Judæa (Acts 1:8). It seems probable, as already suggested (see Note on Acts 7:16), that there was some point of contact between the Seven, of whom Stephen was the chief, and that region.

Except the apostles.—The sequel of the history suggests two reasons for their remaining. (1) The Twelve had learnt the lesson which their Master had taught them, “that the hireling fleeth because he is an hireling” (John 10:13), and would not desert their post. A tradition is recorded by Clement of Alexandria (Strom. vi. 5, § 43) and Eusebius (Hist. v. 13), that the Lord had commanded the Apostles to remain for twelve years in Jerusalem lest any should say “We have not heard,” and after that date to go forth into the world. (2) The persecution which was now raging seems to have been directed specially against those who taught with Stephen, that the “customs” on which the Pharisees laid so much stress should pass away. The Apostles had not as yet proclaimed that truth; had, perhaps, not as yet been led to it. They were conspicuous as worshippers in the Temple, kept themselves from all that was common and unclean (Acts 10:14), held aloof from fellowship with the Gentiles (Acts 10:28). They may well have been protected by the favour and reverence with which the great body of the people still looked on them, and so have been less exposed than the Seven had been to the violence of the storm. It was probable, in the nature of the case, that the Hellenistic disciples, who had been represented by Stephen, should suffer more than others. It was from them that the next great step in the expansion of the Church in due course came.

Acts 8:1. And Saul was consenting unto his death] i.e. approving of all that was done. We have the same word, Luke 11:48, “Ye allow (i.e. praise and approve of) the deeds of your fathers.” St Paul says of himself (Acts 22:20), “When the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed I also was standing by and consenting unto his death.”

Acts 8:1-4. Persecution after Stephen’s Death

1. And at that time there was a great persecution] Better, And there arose on that day, &c. The persecution was in immediate succession to the death of Stephen. Having once proceeded to such a length, the rage of the people turned upon the whole Christian body.

against the church which was at Jerusalem] i.e. the congregation which had grown up since the day of Pentecost.

and they were all scattered abroad] Thus the rage of their enemies brought about the dispersion which Christ had foretold (Acts 1:8). By the word all we need not understand every member of the Christian body, but only those who had been most active and so were in special danger from the persecution. We find (Acts 8:3) that there were many left, both men and women, in the city, whom Saul seized upon as “disciples of the Lord” and carried to prison. Perhaps Ananias who visited Paul at Damascus (Acts 9:19; Acts 9:25) may have been among those now scattered abroad, but see Acts 9:2 note.

throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria] According to the order of extension indicated by Jesus. The teaching of the Apostles must have been with great power to break through the long-standing prejudices of their Jewish converts against the Samaritans.

except the apostles] Jerusalem would of necessity be looked upon as the headquarters of the Christian band. Thither all the wanderers would refer for guidance and help. The twelve therefore must remain at their post, in spite of all the persecution.

Death (ἀναιρέσει)

Lit., taking off. See on Luke 23:32.

Was consenting (ην συνευδοκων). Periphrastic imperfect of συνευδοκεω, a late double compound (συν, ευ, δοκεω) that well describes Saul's pleasure in the death (αναιρεσις, taking off, only here in the N.T., though old word) of Stephen. For the verb see on Luke 23:32. Paul himself will later confess that he felt so (Acts 22:20), coolly applauding the murder of Stephen, a heinous sin (Romans 1:32). It is a gruesome picture. Chapter 7 should have ended here. On that day (εν εκεινη τη ημερα). On that definite day, that same day as in Acts 2:41. A great persecution (διωγμος μεγας). It was at first persecution from the Sadducees, but this attack on Stephen was from the Pharisees so that both parties are now united in a general persecution that deserves the adjective "great." See on Matthew 13:21 for the old word διωγμος from διωκω, to chase, hunt, pursue, persecute. Were all scattered abroad (παντες διεσπαρησαν). Second aorist passive indicative of διασπειρω, to scatter like grain, to disperse, old word, in the N.T. only in Acts 8:1; Acts 8:4; Acts 11:19. Except the apostles (πλην των αποστολων). Preposition πλην (adverb from πλεον, more) with the ablative often in Luke. It remains a bit of a puzzle why the Pharisees spared the apostles. Was it due to the advice of Gamaliel in Acts 5:34-40? Or was it the courage of the apostles? Or was it a combination of both with the popularity of the apostles in addition?

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Acts 8:1. Σαῦλος δὲ κ.τ.λ., R.V. joins these words to the conclusion of the previous chapter, and thus brings them into a close and fitting connection with Acts 7:58. So too Wendt, Blass, Nösgen, Zöckler.—ἦν συνευδοκῶν: for this characteristic Lucan use of the imperfect of the substantive verb with a participle, see chap. Acts 1:10. The formula here indicates the lasting and enduring nature of Saul’s “consent”. The verb συνευδοκέω is peculiar to St. Luke and St. Paul, and is used by the former in his Gospel as well as in Acts, cf. Luke 11:48, Acts 22:20 (by St. Paul himself with reference to his share in the murder of St. Stephen), Romans 1:32, 1 Corinthians 7:12-13. The word is also found in 1Ma 1:57 (Acts 4:28), 2Ma 11:24; 2Ma 11:35, signifying entire approval; it is also twice used by St. Clement, Cor[213], xxxv. 6; xliv. 3: “consent” does not express the force of the word—“was approving of his death” (Rendall).—ἀναιρέσει: used only here in N.T. (on St. Luke’s favourite word ἀναιρέω, see Friedrich, Das Lucasevangelium, p. 22); both verb and noun were frequent in medical language (Hobart, Zahn), see below on Acts 9:29, but the noun in LXX, Numbers 11:15, Jdt 15:4, 2Ma 5:13, and in classical Greek, e.g., Xen., Hell., vi., 3, 5.—ἐγένετο δὲ: another characteristic formula in St. Luke, Friedrich, u. s., p. 13; here introduces a new section of the history.—ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ: (R.V. “on that day” (A.V. “at that time”), cf. Acts 2:41; the persecution broke out at once, “on that very day” (so Wendt, Rendall, Hort, Hackett, Felten, Zöckler, Holtzmann), the signal for it being given by the tumultuous stoning of the first martyr (but see on the other hand Alford, in loco). Weiss draws attention to the emphatic position of ἐκείνῃ before τῇ ἡμέρᾳ.—ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τὴν ἐν Ἱ.: hitherto as, e.g., Acts 5:11, the Church has been thought of as one, because limited in fact to the one city Jerusalem, but here we have a hint that soon there would be new Ecclesiæ in the one Ecclesia, as it spread throughout the Holy Land (Hort, Ecclesia, pp. 53–56, 227, and Ramsay, St. Paul, etc., pp. 41, 127, 377).—πάντες τε: “ridiculum est hoc mathematica ratione accipere” (Blass)—it is evident from Acts 8:3 that there were some left for Saul to persecute. In Acts 9:26 we have mention of a company of disciples in Jerusalem, but there is no reason to suppose (Schnecken-burger, Zeller, Overbeck) that Luke has made a mistake in the passage before us, for there is nothing in the text against the supposition that some at least of those who had fled returned again later.—διεσπάρησαν: only in St. Luke in N.T., here and in Acts 8:4, and in Acts 11:19. This use of the word is quite classical, and frequent in LXX, e.g., Genesis 9:19, Leviticus 26:33, 1Ma 11:47. Feine remarks that even Holtzmann allows that the spread of Christianity throughout Judæa and Samaria may be regarded as historical.—χώρας: here rendered “regions”: Blass takes the word as almost = κώμας, and see also Plummer on Luke 21:21, ἐν ταῖς χώραις “in the country,” R.V. The word is characteristic of St. Luke, being used in his Gospel nine times, and in Acts eight; it is used thrice by St. Matthew and by St. John, four times by St. Mark, but elsewhere in N.T. only once, Jam 5:4. It is found frequently in LXX and in 1, 2, 3 Macc.—τῆς Ἰουδαίας καὶ Σαμαρείας: thus the historian makes another step in the fulfilment of the Lord’s command, Acts 1:8, and see also Ramsay, St. Paul, etc., p. 41. St. Chrysostom remarks ὅτι οἰκουομίας ὁ διωγμὸς ἦν, since the persecution became the means of spreading the Gospel, and thus early the blood of the martyrs became the seed of the Church.—πλὴν τῶν ἀποστόλων—πλήν: characteristic of St. Luke, sometimes as an adverb, sometimes as a preposition with genitive as here and in Acts 15:28, Acts 27:22; elsewhere it is only found once as a preposition with genitive, in Mark 12:32, although very frequent in LXX. The word occurs at least thirteen times in the Gospel, four times in Acts, in St. Matthew five times, in St. Mark once, and in John 8:10; see Friedrich, Das Lucasevangelium, pp. 16, 91. This mention of the Apostles seems unlikely to Schneckenburger. Schleiermacher, and others, but, as Wendt points out, it is quite consistent with the greater steadfastness of men who felt themselves to be πρωταγωνισταί, as Œcumenius calls them, in that which concerned their Lord. Their position too may well have been more secure than that of the Hellenists, who were identified with Stephen, as they were held in favour by the people, Acts 5:13, and as regular attendants at the temple services would not have been exposed to the same charges as those directed against the proto-martyr. There was, too, a tradition (very old and well attested according to Harnack, Chronologie, i., 243) to the effect that the Apostles were commanded by Christ not to depart from Jerusalem for twelve years, so that none should say that he had not heard the message, Euseb., H. E., v., 18, 14; nor is there anything inconsistent with this tradition in the visit of St. Peter and St. John to Samaria, since this and other journeys are simply missionary excursions, from which the Apostles always returned to Jerusalem (Harnack). The passage in Clem. Alex., Strom., vi., 5, 43, limited the Apostles’ preaching for the time specified not to Jerusalem, but to Israel.—Σαμαρείας: our Lord had recognised the barrier between the Samaritan and the Jew, Matthew 10:5; but now in obedience to His command (Acts 1:8) both Samaritan and Jew were admitted to the Church, for although the Apostles had not originated this preaching they very plainly endorsed it, Acts 8:14 ff. (cf. Hort, Judaistic Christianity, p. 54). Possibly the very fact that Philip and others were flying from the persecution of the Jewish hierarchy would have secured their welcome in the Samaritan towns.

[213] Corinth, Corinthian or Corinthians.

Acts 8:1. The observation Σαῦλος … αὐτοῦ[216] forms the significant transition to the further narrative of the persecution which is annexed.

ἦν συνευδοκῶν] he was jointly assenting, in concert, namely, with the originators and promoters of the ἀναίρεσις; comp. Luke 11:48, and on Romans 1:32. On ἈΝΑΊΡΕΣΙς, in the sense of caedes, supplicium, comp. Numbers 11:15; Jdt 15:4; 2Ma 5:13; Herodian. ii. 6. 1, iii. 2. 10. Here, also, the continuance and duration are more strongly denoted by ἦν with the participle than by the mere finite tense.

ἘΝ ἘΚΕΊΝῌ Τῇ ἩΜΈΡᾼ] is not, as is usually quite arbitrarily done, to be explained indefinitely illo tempore, but (comp. Acts 2:41): on that day, when Stephen was stoned, the persecution arose, for the outbreak of which this tumultuary stoning served as signal.

τὴν ἐν Ἱεροσ.] added, because now the dispersion (comp. Acts 11:19) set in.

ΠΆΝΤΕς] a hyperbolical expression of the popular mode of narration, Matthew 3:5; Mark 3:33, al. At the same time, however, the general expression τὴν ἐκκλησίαν does not permit us to limit ΠΆΝΤΕς especially to the Hellenistic part of the church (Baur, I. p. 46, ed. 2; comp. de Wette). But if the hyperbolical πάντες is not to be used against the historical character of the narrative (Schneckenburger, Zeller), neither are we to read withal between the lines that the church had been formally assembled and broken up, but that to dispersion into the regions of Judaea and Samaria (which is yet so clearly affirmed of the πάντες!), a great part of those broken up, including the apostles, had not allowed themselves to be induced (so Baumgarten).

Κ. ΣΑΜΑΡΕΊΑς] This country only is here mentioned as introductory to the history which follows, Acts 8:5 ff. For a wider dispersion, see Acts 11:19.

πλὴν τῶν ἀποστ.] This is explained (in opposition to Schleiermacher, Schneckenburger, and others, who consider these statements improbable) by the greater stedfastness of the apostles, who were resolved as yet, and in the absence of more special divine intimation, to remain at the centre of the theocracy, which, in their view at this time, was also the centre of the new theocracy.[217] They knew themselves to be the appointed upholders and πρωταγωνισταί (Oecumenius) of the cause of their Lord.

[216] Observe the climax of the three statements concerning Saul, Acts 7:59, Acts 8:1; Acts 8:3; also how the second and third are inserted antithetically, and how all three are evidently intended to prepare the way for the subsequent importance of the man.

[217] Quite inappropriately, pressing that πάντες, Zeller, p. 153, in opposition to this inquires: “Wherefore was this necessary, if all their followers were dispersed?”