Saul Ravages the Church

8 And ^(A)Saul ^(B)approved of his execution.

And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and ^(C)they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

⁵⁸ Then ^(A)they cast him out of the city and ^(B)stoned him. And ^(C)the witnesses laid down their garments ^(D)at the feet of a young man named Saul.

²⁰ And when the blood of Stephen ^(A)your witness was being shed, ^(B)I myself was standing by and ^(C)approving and ^(D)watching over the garments of those who killed him.’

⁴⁰ and ^(A)when they had called in the apostles, ^(B)they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

³³ When they heard this, they ^(A)were enraged and wanted to kill them.

⁸ But you will receive ^(A)power ^(B)when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and ^(C)you will be ^(D)my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and ^(E)Samaria, and ^(F)to the end of the earth.”

The Church in Antioch

^19 (A)Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. ²⁰ But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists^[a] also, ^(B)preaching the Lord Jesus. ²¹ And ^(C)the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed ^(D)turned to the Lord. ²² The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

³¹ So ^(A)the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And ^(B)walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, ^(C)it multiplied.

¹⁴ Now when ^(A)the apostles at Jerusalem heard that ^(B)Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John,