The Word This Week
Acts 8:1...
The spread of the Gospel of JesusChrist to other regions began with a degree of persecution which caused many of the first believers to flee Jerusalem for their lives - or to at least to escape imprisonment.
It is interesting to note this persecution came at the hands of a fanatical zealot for traditional Judaism named Saul, who was from Tarsus of Celicia.
It is thought Saul, (who we know later became Paul, the apostle,) in all likelihood may have attended the Synagogue of the Freedmen - and they became so enraged by the witness of Stephen they conducted him to the Sanhedrin to be put to death on the testimony of false witnesses.
(Then as now the ends justified the means when it came to legal proceedings involving the Gospel of Jesus Christ.)
Saul seemed to understand something must be done to stop the rapid spread of the newly-emerging church, and his method of stamping it out before it could take hold was to be authorized to have believers dragged from their homes and either imprisoned or killed.
(It is very ironic these who fled Jerusalem under the persecution of Saul of Tarsus then began to live the Gospel in those regions among the Gentiles where they fled. Some of these Gentiles were the ones Paul the Apostle later ministered to.)
We read here of the spread of the Gospel to Samaria, of all places!
One of the other deacons appointed to serve the needs of the Hellenist widows was Philip, who went down to Samaria preaching God's Word.
When the apostles at Jerusalem heard about this, Peter and John were sent there to help with this wildfire of faith being spread among the Samaritans. There was a highly-regarded sorcerer there named Simon who had also believed.
When Peter and John arrived they discovered these new believers had not yet learned of the baptism with the Holy Spirit. They took care of that remaining need immediately.
Pastor Bill
The spread of the Gospel of JesusChrist to other regions began with a degree of persecution which caused many of the first believers to flee Jerusalem for their lives - or to at least to escape imprisonment.
It is interesting to note this persecution came at the hands of a fanatical zealot for traditional Judaism named Saul, who was from Tarsus of Celicia.
It is thought Saul, (who we know later became Paul, the apostle,) in all likelihood may have attended the Synagogue of the Freedmen - and they became so enraged by the witness of Stephen they conducted him to the Sanhedrin to be put to death on the testimony of false witnesses.
(Then as now the ends justified the means when it came to legal proceedings involving the Gospel of Jesus Christ.)
Saul seemed to understand something must be done to stop the rapid spread of the newly-emerging church, and his method of stamping it out before it could take hold was to be authorized to have believers dragged from their homes and either imprisoned or killed.
(It is very ironic these who fled Jerusalem under the persecution of Saul of Tarsus then began to live the Gospel in those regions among the Gentiles where they fled. Some of these Gentiles were the ones Paul the Apostle later ministered to.)
We read here of the spread of the Gospel to Samaria, of all places!
One of the other deacons appointed to serve the needs of the Hellenist widows was Philip, who went down to Samaria preaching God's Word.
When the apostles at Jerusalem heard about this, Peter and John were sent there to help with this wildfire of faith being spread among the Samaritans. There was a highly-regarded sorcerer there named Simon who had also believed.
When Peter and John arrived they discovered these new believers had not yet learned of the baptism with the Holy Spirit. They took care of that remaining need immediately.
Pastor Bill