These small group Bible studies of Acts 8 contain commentary, discussion questions, and practical application. Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small group.
Acts 8 Bible Study – Persecution Grows the Church
Outline
I. Saul persecutes the church (1-3)
II. Philip preaches in Samaria (4-8)
I. Saul persecutes the church (1-3)
Discussion Questions
• Why do you think Luke specifically singles out Saul here as approving of Stephen’s execution and persecuting the church?
• How might God have used this persecution to help the church fulfill the Great Commission?
• What other historical periods of persecution have resulted in the spread of the gospel?
• How did Jesus prepare his disciples for the persecution that they would face?
• What is the worst persecution you have ever faced?
• How could you prepare for potentially facing worse persecution in the future?
Cross-References
2 Timothy 3:12 – Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
Matthew 5:10 – Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. Saul approved of his execution and ravaged the church –
Luke specifically singled out and mentioned Saul by name as one of those approving of stoning Stephen. In fact, Saul is the only one mentioned by name out of the entire mob and council who had him put to death.
Luke did this because he already knew the end of the story. Saul would be confronted by Jesus, repent, and become the greatest missionary the world has ever seen. Knowing Saul’s “origin story” makes his life transformation and service to Christ that much more powerful.
That one-hundred-eighty-degree life change teaches us several lessons.
• God can save even the most hardened and hostile soul.
• People who hate Christ are not beyond redemption. We should not give up on them, but instead keep praying for them.
• Stephen’s preaching did plant a seed in Saul. He was not saved only because of that, but it was one factor. We don’t know when the seeds that we plant will grow, but God will water them in due time.
• The Bible does not sugarcoat its heroes or make them appear to be perfect figures. Instead, it often highlights their sins. This gives more credibility to the reliability of the Scriptures. It shows that these books were not sponsored propaganda.
• God is gracious. He is merciful. He forgives. God’s grace covered Saul and his involvement in this horrible injustice of killing Stephen. His grace can cover you too.
Paul himself talked about this transformation several times in his epistles.
1 Timothy 1:12-16 – I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.
Reflect – How did Paul’s transformation encourage you? How has your life been transformed since coming to Christ?
Application – Do not fall into a “Woe is me” attitude where you keep dwelling on a past sin and believe that God will not forgive you. Our God is a forgiving God. He does see the heart and is not interested in fake repentance. But if you truly repent, He will cleanse you. You should then learn a lesson from your failure and move on, depending on God to give you victory the next time.
Philippians 3:13 – Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.
Don’t dwell on past failures. Don’t get stuck being complacent because of past victories. Push forward to what God has for you next.
2. Persecution scattered the church –
At first glance, persecution seems to hurt the church. It often acts to scatter believers. It tends to cause the church to hide and go underground. Sometimes it separates leaders from church members. Persecution is painful and causes great inconvenience.
If given the choice, few believers would choose persecution. This is one reason God is God and we are not. He often chooses for the church to go through persecution. That is because He knows that persecution is beneficial for the church.
Reflect – How does persecution benefit the church?
Here are several ways that persecution strengthens the church.
• Persecution sifts the chaff from the wheat. Without the “weeds” of unbelievers negatively influencing the church, the wheat is more healthy and fruitful. There are few nominal Christians during intense persecution.
• Persecution often causes more rapid reproduction. Large churches split into smaller ones, increasing their point of contact with the world around them. Two smaller circles with the same total diameter as one larger circle will have a larger edge. Four groups of ten people will likely interact with more people outside of their circle than one group of forty.
• Persecution often fast-tracks leadership development. For example, if one church splits into four, you need four preachers instead of one. It opens up more job vacancies for the believers to volunteer and serve. Serving then brings about growth.
• Persecution creates a clear division between the kingdom of this world and God’s kingdom. During persecution, believers are less likely to compromise with the world. Why would they be a friend of the world that hates them (1 John 2:15)?
• Persecution teaches believers to depend on God. When everything is smooth, we may be tempted to trust in ourselves. We think we can control our future. Persecution reminds us that we are not sovereign. God is. The only way through is hope and faith in God. It highlights our weaknesses while drawing us closer to Jesus. Those who are persecuted likely pray more.
• Persecution brings about many amazing testimonies. The world sees the power of faith in action. Examples of believers who willingly are martyred for faith in Christ often penetrate into the hardest hearts and soften the soil for the gospel.
• Persecution often unifies the church. It draws believers closer together as it highlights their common bond and perhaps their common “enemy.”
• Persecution shifts believers’ focus from earthly things to heavenly things. It causes the loss of security, career, and wealth. That in turn changes our perspective and helps us refocus our hope on God. When we do this, we grow more.
Reflect – What is the worst persecution you have faced? How did it help you to grow spiritually?
Jesus prepared the disciples for facing persecution. He told them ahead so that they would not be surprised.
John 15:20-21 – Remember the word that I said to you: A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.
Application – We should not be surprised if we face persecution. It is to be expected from a world that is hostile to God. The best way to prepare is to have a close walk with God and a strong foundation. In the parable of the sower, Jesus mentioned that the seed sprouting from the rocky soil faded quickly in times of trial because it had no root. That means that if we want to stand strong in the face of opposition, we need a strong root.
Reflect – How can you strengthen your roots?
3. Lamentation was made over Stephen –
Stephen was the first martyr after Christ’s death. Before this, the apostles had faced some persecution. But the church was growing. The gospel was being preached. Thousands of souls were turning to Christ.
Here is the first major “defeat” the early church faced. It was a poignant reminder that not everything was roses. Stephen was also evidently very popular and well-liked.
His death brought about great lament. Believers took it hard.
Although it was a sad thing, physical death is not a thing Christians fear.
Paul would later write this verse to encourage those who had believing loved ones pass away.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 – But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.
We do not grieve as those who have no hope. If you have lost a loved one who believed in Jesus, take comfort in the fact that they are safe with Him.
The fragility of life and the promise of eternity should motivate us to preach the gospel while we can because those who die without Christ do not have this hope. Their lamentations are not temporary but eternal.
II. Philip preaches in Samaria (4-8)
Discussion Questions
• In what passage do we first see Philip mentioned?
• What did the Jews think of the Samaritans?
• Why would a Jew voluntarily go to Samaria to preach the gospel?
• How did Jesus change His disciples’ thinking about the Samaritans?
• What people groups are like the “Samaritans” of our day?
• What are some practical ways we can reach out to social outcasts or marginalized groups today?
• What message did Philip preach?
• What kinds of signs was Philip doing? How did this lend credence to the message he preached?
Cross-References
Isaiah 55:8-9 – For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
John 4:9 – For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
Luke 4:18 – The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. Those who were scattered preached the word –
Jesus had commanded the disciples to “Go.” But were they going? Before Acts 8, there is no record of them going anywhere. All of their ministry and the events through Acts 7, occur in Jerusalem.
Perhaps they were getting too comfortable there. Perhaps they needed a bit of a prod.
God gave them just that. Satan and the Jewish leaders intended for this persecution to squash the church. It was their hope to discourage believers and force them to follow their commands not to preach about Jesus any more (Acts 4:18).
But God is the master chess player. He had another plan in mind. His goal was to get His people moving. As they moved, they would take the gospel with them to new areas, disciple new believers, train new leaders, and plant new churches.
Acts 8:4 – Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.
2. Philip intentionally went to preach in Samaria –
Acts 8:5 – Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ.
Jews looked down on the Samaritans and did not want to have any dealings with them, much less pass through their land.
Samaritans were the hated enemies of the Jews. Hundreds of years before, the people in this area had formed the Northern Kingdom. This kingdom was conquered (because of its spiritual failings) and exiled. The people who lived there during this time were a mixed breed, part Israelite, part other pagan nations. They had asked to help the Jews build part of the temple hundreds of years before and were rejected. This fueled the bad blood. They were considered ethnically and morally inferior, outcasts.
Yet Jesus had gone there to preach (John 4). It was the first place He directly stated that He was the Messiah. In addition, He used parables such as the Good Samaritan to show that God cared not about the manmade walls built up between the Jews and Samaritans.
Before His ascension, He commanded the disciples to be His witnesses. The third place He named was Samaria.
Acts 1:8 – But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Philip learned these lessons from Jesus. Instead of showing prejudice, bias, and hate, he showed love. He rightly concluded that the kingdom of God was open to all.
Galatians 3:28-29 – There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
Application – Let us show kindness by reaching out and sharing the gospel with outcasts and sinners.
Sharing the gospel does not mean condoning a sinful lifestyle. We should not be avoiding hated people but sharing Christ with them and asking them to repent. All of the below people need Jesus.
• Prostitutes
• Prisoners
• Illegal immigrants
• Homosexuals
• Transgenders
• Drug addicts
• Adulterers
Reflect – Is there a group of sinners or outcasts you can reach out to? Who and how?
3. Philip proclaimed Christ –
The message that Philip proclaimed was not complicated. He certainly was not there to lecture the Samaritans about Jewish traditions. He was there to preach to them about Christ. The word “Christ” means “Messiah.”
It was in Samaria to the woman at the well, that Jesus first proclaimed He was the Messiah.
John 4:25-26 – The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”
Through Jesus’ preaching there, Samaritans would have been familiar with Him. They had some pieces of the puzzle. But Philip filled in the gaps. He certainly shared with them about Jesus’ resurrection.
From this passage, we are reminded that we are called to preach and that when we do, we should focus on Christ.
This was also Paul’s mission.
1 Corinthians 1:23 – But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles.
Reflect – Do you proclaim the gospel of Christ or something else?
Some people proclaim different gospels.
• The gospel of speaking in tongues.
• The gospel of Calvinism
• The gospel of the pre-trib rapture
• The prosperity gospel
Some of these agendas can be very bad. The prosperity gospel is wrecking the church in many places, especially Africa.
Other times, these agendas can move the focus off of Christ. Not all of the above list is bad. I lean toward belief in a pre-trib rapture. However, we should not elevate secondary doctrines over the fundamental truths of salvation in Christ.
I met someone at an underground church in Asia. His first question to me was, “Are you a Calvinist?” I wanted to get to know his name first! Other times, I have seen people bombard social media groups with pro-Calvinist attacks.
I do agree with a number of Calvin’s teachings, though not all. However, should we not look to Scripture? Should we not be first of all Christ-followers?
There are also people who turn every single conversation into, “You should speak in tongues. It is God’s solution to unlock His power in your life and free you from sin.”
If every conversation is that and not Christ, is that not another gospel?
Galatians 1:8 – But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.
Philip and Paul focused on Christ. We should too. Don’t be “that person” who has an axe to grind on some doctrine and brings it up to convince others in every single conversation. Are you trying to sin some debate or are you trying to win people to Christ?
4. Philip did signs –
The apostles were not the only ones who did signs. Stephen and Philip both did as well. God worked through various individuals. It was the same Holy Spirit working through Philip, Stephen, and Peter.
5. The response was very positive –
Acts 8:6 – And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did.
Acts 8:8 – So there was much joy in that city.
Where Christ is preached and the Spirit is working, people are saved. His Word never returns void (Isaiah 55:10-11).
Reflect – How can you better depend on the Holy Spirit when you preach?
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