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.

⁴ He fell to the ground and heard a voice^(A) say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

⁵ “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. ⁶ “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”^(B)

²³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.^(A) My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.^(B)

¹² Very truly I tell you, whoever believes^(A) in me will do the works I have been doing,^(B) and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,^(A) baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,^{(B) 20} and teaching^(C) them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you^(D) always, to the very end of the age.”^(E)