Propelled by Persecution

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

Acts 8:1

Kabul is overrun and the Taliban are in control of Afghanistan. Bad news for the nation and especially of the many Afghans around the world, and within the country who have turned to Christ in recent years.

This is the second of my reflections on the death of Stephen, the first martyr of the Christian movement.

On the same day that Stephen was killed a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, so severe that people fled in all directions throughout Judea and Samaria and as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch (Acts 11:19) where they found refuge among relatives and fellow believers. Some settled permanently. The Twelve remained in Jerusalem for now, they had already shown they were willing to withstand the attempts to silence them.

Saul of Tarsus led the attack with the intent to destroy the movement. The word for “destroy” is a word used in the Greek Old Testament for a wild beast tearing at raw flesh. He would have regarded the idea of a crucified Messiah as blasphemy. Christians met in homes, so he went from house to house breaking up the churches and arresting and jailing both men and women, some were killed (Acts 22:4; 26:10). Notice the escalation, previously the authorities had targeted the movement’s leaders, now Saul is going after the whole church.

The scattering of the believers added momentum, everywhere they went they proclaimed the word. This is a pattern in Acts, persecution doesn’t stop the advance of the word but enhances it as Jesus’ disciples move to new locations where the gospel has not yet been proclaimed.

Persecution leads to gospel growth, not because a mission plan is approved and put into action by the leaders of the church, but because ordinary believers take the opportunities given to them to preach the apostolic message wherever they go.

David Peterson

Philip escaped to Samaria, about two or three days journey north of Jerusalem. A region where Jesus already had followers (John 4). He proclaimed the Messiah, and like Jesus and the apostles, performed signs and wonders and cast out demons. Jews regarded Samaritans as half-breed heretics. Yet Jesus included them in his mandate to reach Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth.

Philip is representative of many ordinary believers on the run from persecution proclaiming the Word everywhere they went, as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch (Acts 11:19). Philip’s mission to Samaria was not planned or authorized by the apostles. On the run from Jerusalem, Philip took it upon himself to obey Christ’s command and proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, the message about Jesus. God turned persecution into an opportunity for advance and Philip took it.

For the first time the gospel has gone outside the boundaries of the Jewish people, as Jesus intended. The initiator of this breakthrough was God himself and his means was the death of the first Christian martyr and the violent opposition of Saul of Tarsus. God propelled Philip out of Jerusalem into enemy territory and Philip obeyed Jesus’ command to go to the Samaritans. This was not the plan or initiative of the apostles in Jerusalem. The Spirit doesn’t wait for the apostles to be ready before the mission to Samaria can begin. They have to catch up to it. They got on board and supported and extended the work throughout Samaria.

Neither Philip, Peter or John settled down as missionaries in Samaria. We can assume they established local churches and returned, or sent others, to strengthen the disciples and identify leaders. The new churches in Samaria became active in reaching their people. For later Luke tells us that, “the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers” (Acts 9:31).

Stephen opened the door with his vision of God who cannot be contained within Judaism. Philip walked through that door and now through Peter and John the mission to Samaria is embraced by the whole church. Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth—this is God’s agenda.

Previously: Stephen the First to Die