8 And Saul^(A) approved of their killing him.

The Church Persecuted and Scattered

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered^(B) throughout Judea and Samaria.^{(C) 2} Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. ³ But Saul^(D) began to destroy the church.^(E) Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

³ and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.^(A)

³ “I am a Jew,^(A) born in Tarsus^(B) of Cilicia,^(C) but brought up in this city. I studied under^(D) Gamaliel^(E) and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors.^(F) I was just as zealous^(G) for God as any of you are today. ⁴ I persecuted^(H) the followers of this Way^(I) to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,^(J)

⁹ “I too was convinced^(A) that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose^(B) the name of Jesus of Nazareth.^(C)