Bible Strands
Acts 8:3
But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Luke narrates this account about Saul immediately after the burial of Stephen and the mourning of the believers, at the moment the church begins to scatter.
The words — ἐλυμαίνετο (elumaineto) translates literally as "was destroying," and ἐκκλησίαν (ekklēsin) denotes the "church," describing a targeted campaign against the community.
The thread — The same pattern of persecution appears in Paul’s own later references in 1 Timothy 1:13, 1 Corinthians 15:9, and Galatians 1:13.
Why it lands — The text requires readers to observe that organized violence against believers is immediately followed by the very spread of the message it seeks to suppress.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
Cross-references
- 1 Timothy 1:13 I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.
- 1 Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles and am unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
- Galatians 1:13 For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how severely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.
- Philippians 3:6 as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to righteousness in the law, faultless.
- Acts 7:58 They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
- Acts 9:21 All who heard him were astounded and asked, “Isn’t this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem on those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”
- Acts 22:19 ‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You.
- Acts 9:1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord. He approached the high priest
- Acts 22:3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel in strict conformity to the law of our fathers. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.
- Acts 26:9 So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.