Acts 8:3

But Saul laid waste the church, entering into every house, and dragging men and women committed them to prison.

'LAID WASTE'-3075. lumainomai loo-mah'-ee-nom-ahee; middle voice from. probably derivative of 3089 (meaning filth); properly, to soil, i.e. (figuratively) insult (maltreat): -make havock of.

-'began to devastate' (TCNT). 'expresses. brutal and sadistic cruelty' (Stott p. 145). In classical Greek, this word is used of personal outrage, or the ruin and devastation caused by an army.

Point to Note:

Other passages give us the inward mental reasonings of this persecutor: (a) He was zealous for the ancestral traditions (Galatians 1:13). (b) 'Drastic action was called for; these people, he thought, were not merely misguided enthusiasts whose sincerity in embracing error might merit. measure of pity; they were deliberate impostors.' (Bruce p. 175). He was convinced that this new movement must be destroyed (Galatians 1:13; Acts 26:9).

'ENTERING INTO EVERY HOUSE'-A house-to-house search for believers.

'DRAGGING MEN AND WOMEN COMMITTED THEM TO PRISON'-(Acts 26:10). He did all of this with the authority and consent of the chief priests. Here we see the thoroughness, relentlessness and violent nature of this persecution. Some of the women mentioned in Luke 8:2 and Acts 1:14 may be included in the above category.

'TO PRISON'-'In the first century world, men were put in prison to await trial. The ancients did not give prison sentences, as courts today do. In those days, when the trial was completed, the prisoner was either freed, beaten and freed, or executed.' (Reese p. 316) Later on we learn that some of those arrested and imprisoned, were put to death (Acts 26:10).

Points to Note:

If we ask, 'Where are the Roman authorities, while all this is going on?' Boles notes, that in A.D. 37 (near this time of persecution), the emperor Tiberius died and Caligula succeeded him. And as. result there was. time when there was no Roman governor in Judea. Thus is looks like that whatever window of latitude the Jewish rulers had, they tried to destroy the church before any outside inference stopped them.

McGarvey notes that the death of Stephen had prepared Christians for this wave of persecution:

'Thus far, amid many tears, some stripes, and much affliction, they had found satisfaction in his service; but before Stephen's death it was not known by experience how their new faith would sustain them in. dying hour...He had died praying for his murderers, and committing his spirit to the Son of man..No man at the present day can tell how great was the strength and consolation which came to all when the death of the first who died was so triumphant. It was. fitting and most providential preparation for the fiery ordeal through which the whole body of the believers was immediately compelled to pass.' (p. 135)

At this point, from. human perspective we might expect the history of the Church to end. But the next verse reveals. completely different outcome.