Acts 7:46-8:13
You who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it.
Stephen said "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Lord, do not hold this sin against them" When he had said this, he fell asleep. He said the similar words as Jesus did.
Great persecution broke out against the Church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. Crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said.
Simon the sorcerer himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
Why?
The present generation has rejected the Messiah himself. Stephen's answer to the charges about the destruction of the Temple. A permanent building to 'house' God was never more than second-best.
The prosecuting witnesses, by law, had to cast the first stones though in other respects this was little more than a lynching私刑. The 'young man' Saul was probably in his 30s. He appears here for the first time, sharing the responsibility for Stephen's death.
The attack seems to have concentrated on Stephen's fellow-Hellenists(Greek-speaking Jews), leaving the apostles free to remain in Jerusalem.
This attack let many Jesus followers break out to other cities and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.
How?
Great signs and miracles attract people's attention, but more important is the gospel which lead us free from the sin, and have the eternal life. It is needed before people heard the gospel.
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