Albert Barnes Commentary Acts 8

CHAPTER VIII

And Saul was consenting, etc. He was pleased with Stephen's death and approved it. . This part of the verse should have been connected with the previous chapter.

At that time. This was immediately following the death of Stephen. The persecution arose on account of Stephen (Acts 11:19). The tumult did not subside when Stephen was killed; their anger continued to be aroused against all Christians.

They had become so embittered by the zeal and success of the apostles, and by their frequent charges of murder in putting the Son of God to death, that they resolved at once to put an end to their progress and success. This was the first persecution against Christians—the first in a series that ended only when the religion they wished to destroy was fully established on the ruins of both Judaism and Paganism.

The Church. This refers to the community of Christians which was now organized into a church. The church at Jerusalem was the first to be formed.

All scattered. This means the great majority of Christians.

The regions of Judea, etc. See the notes on Matthew 2:22.

Except the apostles. Probably, the other Christians fled from fear. Why the apostles, who were particularly in danger, did not also flee is not stated by the historian. However, having been more fully instructed than the others, and having been taught their duty by the example and teaching of the Saviour, they resolved, it seems, to remain and brave the fury of the persecutors.

For them to have fled then would have exposed them, as leaders and founders of the new religion, to the charge of timidity and weakness. They therefore resolved to remain in the midst of their persecutors, and a merciful Providence watched over them and defended them from harm. The dispersion extended not only to Judea and Samaria, but those who fled also carried the gospel to Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch (Acts 11:19).

There was a reason why this was permitted. The early converts were Jews. They had strong feelings of attachment to the city of Jerusalem, to the temple, and to the land of their fathers. Yet it was the design of the Lord Jesus that the gospel should be preached everywhere. To accomplish this, he allowed a persecution to rage; and they were scattered abroad and carried his gospel to other cities and lands. Good thus came out of evil, and the first persecution resulted, as all others have done, in advancing the cause that was intended to be destroyed.

And devout men. Religious men. The word used here does not imply of necessity that they were Christians. There might have been Jews who did not approve the popular tumult, and the murder of Stephen, and who gave him a decent burial. Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, both Jews, thus gave to the Lord Jesus a decent burial (John 19:38–39).

Carried Stephen. The word translated carried means, properly, to collect, as fruits, etc. Then it is applied to all the preparations necessary for fitting a dead body for burial—as collecting, or confining it by bandages, with spices, etc.

And made great lamentation. This was usual among the Jews at a funeral. See the notes on Matthew 9:23.

As for Saul. But Saul. He had no concern in the pious attentions shown to Stephen, but engaged with zeal in the work of persecution.

He made havoc. elumaineto. This word is commonly applied to wild beasts, such as lions and wolves, and denotes the devastations they commit. Saul raged against the church like a wild beast—a strong expression, denoting the zeal and fury with which he engaged in persecution.

Entering into every house. This was to search for those suspected of being Christians.

Haling. This means dragging or compelling them.

Committed them to prison. The Sanhedrin did not have the power to put them to death (John 18:31), but they did have power to imprison; and they resolved, it seems, to exercise this power to the utmost. Paul frequently refers to his zeal in persecuting the church (Acts 26:10–11; Galatians 1:13).

It may be remarked here that there never was a persecution commenced with more promising prospects for the persecutors. Saul, the principal agent, was young, zealous, learned, and clothed with power. He showed afterwards that he had talents suited for any station, and a zeal that did not tire from any exertion and was not daunted by any obstacle. With these abilities, he embarked on his work.

Christians were few and feeble. They were scattered and unarmed. They were unprotected by any civil power and were therefore exposed to the full blaze and rage of persecution. That the church was not destroyed was due to the protection of God—a protection that not only secured its existence but also extended its influence and power far and wide across the earth through this very persecution.

"Haling" means "dragging forth."

Went everywhere. That is, they traveled through the various regions where they were scattered. In all places to which they came, they preached the word.

Preaching the word. In Greek, this is Evangelizing, meaning announcing the good news of the message of mercy, or the word of God. It is not the usual word that is translated as preach, but simply means announcing the good news of salvation.

There is no evidence, nor is there any probability, that all these persons were ordained to preach. They were clearly common Christians who were scattered by the persecution. The meaning is that they communicated to others in conversation, wherever they met them—and probably in the synagogues, where all Jews had a right to speak—the good news that the Messiah had come.

It is not said that they set themselves up as public teachers, or that they administered baptism, or that they founded churches; instead, they proclaimed everywhere the news that a Savior had come. Their hearts were full of it. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks; and they made the truth known to all whom they met. We may learn from this:

1. That persecution tends to promote the very thing it aims to destroy.
2. That one of the best means to make Christians active and zealous is to persecute them.
3. That it is right for all Christians to make known the Paths of the gospel. When the heart is full, the lips will speak; and there is no more impropriety in their speaking of redemption than of anything else.
4. It should be the great object of all Christians to make the Savior known everywhere. By their lives, conversation, and pious exhortations and entreaties, they should beseech dying sinners to be reconciled to God. And especially should this be done when they are traveling. Christians, when away from home, seem almost to imagine that they lay aside the obligations of religion. But the example of Christ and his early disciples has taught us that this is precisely the time to attempt to do good.

Then Philip. One of the seven deacons (Acts 6:5). He is afterwards called the Evangelist (Acts 21:8).

The city of Samaria. This does not mean a city whose name was Samaria, for no such city existed at that time. Samaria was a region (Matthew 2:22).

The ancient city of Samaria, the capital of that region, had been destroyed by Hyrcanus so completely as to leave no vestige of it remaining. Josephus says he "took away the very marks that there had ever been such a city there" (Antiquities, Book 13, Chapter 10, Section 3).

Herod the Great afterwards built a city on this site and called it Sebaste (that is, Augusta) in honor of the emperor Augustus (Josephus, Antiquities, Book 15, Chapter 8, Section 5).

Perhaps this city is intended, as being the principal city of Samaria, or possibly Sychar, another city where the gospel had been preached before by the Savior himself (John 4).

And preached Christ. He preached that the Messiah had come and made known his doctrines. The same truths had been stated before in Samaria by the Savior himself (John 4), and this was doubtless one of the reasons why they so gladly now received the word of God.

The field had been prepared by the Lord Jesus, and he had said that it was white for the harvest (John 4:35). Into that field Philip now entered and was signally blessed. His coming was attended with a remarkable revival of religion.

The word translated preach here is not that which is used in the previous verse. This word denotes to proclaim as a crier and is commonly employed to denote the preaching of the gospel, so called (Mark 5:20; Mark 7:36; Luke 8:39; Matthew 24:14; Acts 10:42; Romans 10:15; 1 Corinthians 9:27; 1 Corinthians 15:12; 2 Timothy 4:2).

It has been argued that because Philip is said thus to have preached to the Samaritans, therefore all deacons have a right to preach, or that they are, under the New Testament economy, an order of ministers. But this is by no means clear. For:

1. It is not evident, nor can it be shown, that the other deacons (Acts 6) ever preached. There is no record of their doing so, and the narrative would lead us to suppose that they did not.
2. They were appointed for a very different purpose (Acts 6:1–5), and it is fair to suppose that, as deacons, they confined themselves to the design of their appointment.
3. It is not said that Philip preached in virtue of his being a deacon. From anything in this place, it would seem that he preached as the other Christians did—wherever he was.
4. But elsewhere an express distinction is made between Philip and the others. A new appellation is given him, and he is expressly called the Evangelist (Acts 21:8). From this, it seems that he preached not because he was a deacon but because he had received a special appointment to this business as an evangelist.
5. This same office, or rank of Christian teachers, is expressly recognized elsewhere (Ephesians 4:11). All these considerations show that there is not in the sacred Scriptures an order of ministers appointed to preach as deacons.