And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
Acts 8:1 (ESV)
Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
Acts 11:19-21 (ESV)
The first six chapters of Acts picture the church growing tremendously, but centered in Jerusalem. Jews from all over the world had come to Jerusalem for Pentecost. And it seems that many of those who came to faith in Jesus stayed in Jerusalem as a part of that early church. It was an exciting time.
But then, at the end of chapter seven, Stephen was martyred. And chapter eight opened with a great persecution breaking out against the church. The church was scattered. Believers fled the persecution, many of them returning to their homelands.
But rather than destroy the church and hinder the Jesus movement, the persecution backfired. It resulted in the gospel spreading out from Jerusalem to the rest of the world. It was like trying to put out a fire by stomping on it. Rather than being put out, the fire spread.
The believers who were scattered took the gospel message with them wherever they went. Many of those who were scattered shared the gospel with other Jews. But in at least one place, they also shared it with the Gentiles. And there, in Antioch, a great number of people, both Jews and Gentiles, believed. And from Antioch, the gospel spread out over much of the Roman world.
The thought of persecution for our faith does not appeal to most of us. However, persecution is a tool that God can use to advance His kingdom. Be faithful to Him, even when it is hard, and see what He can do.
