On that day, there broke out a severe persecution of the church in Jerusalem, and all were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him. 3 Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the church; entering house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over for imprisonment.
4 Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. 5Thus Philip went down to [the] city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them. 6 With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing. 7 For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice, came out of many possessed people, and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured. 8 There was great joy in that city.
Following the martyrdom of Stephen, a “severe persecution” breaks out against the Church in Jerusalem, scattering many believers throughout Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:1b). What seems like a human defeat, the scattering of a fledgling community, is revealed to be part of God’s providential design. As in the Old Testament, where God used exile to purify and redirect His people (cf. Jer. 24:5-7), the early Church is being pushed outward for mission. The persecution becomes the means by which the Gospel begins to extend beyond Jerusalem, in fulfillment of Jesus’ words in Acts 1:8: “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Among those scattered is Philip, one of the seven chosen in Acts 6:1-7. He goes to Samaria—a region traditionally despised by Jews because of its mixed ancestry and blended worship practices following the Assyrian conquest (cf. 2 Kings 17:24-41; John 4:9)—and proclaims Christ there. His preaching is accompanied by miraculous signs: unclean spirits are expelled, and the paralyzed are healed (Acts 8:6-7). These wonders confirm his message (cf. Mark 16:20) and echo Jesus’ own ministry of healing and liberation. The response is profound: “There was great joy in that city” (v. 8), a joy rooted in the power of the Gospel to restore both individuals and communities.
The wonders performed by Stephen, Philip, and the apostles were not meant to draw attention to themselves, but to confirm the truth of the Gospel they proclaimed (cf. Mark 16:20; Heb. 2:3-4). These signs were fitting in the Church’s beginning, when the message was new and needed visible confirmation. While they are rarer today, it is not because God is less powerful, but because the message of salvation in Christ has already been firmly established. Though human expectations often look for the extraordinary, God chooses to work through ordinary means—quiet, steady, and faithful grace that transforms hearts over time.
This passage exemplifies how the Church’s suffering participates in the mystery of Christ’s own Passion and Resurrection. Out of apparent loss comes expansion and new life, just as from the Cross came the Resurrection. The Church's mission does not cease in trial but finds new strength through it, animated by the Spirit who brings order out of disorder and joy out of affliction (cf. Rom. 8:28). This reality continues in Christian life today: opposition can become opportunity, and hardship often precedes growth in faith.
Almighty God, when trials scatter our plans and shake our peace, remind us that nothing can hinder the work of Your Spirit. Let the witness of the early Church inspire us to proclaim Christ with joy, even in adversity. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
O Lord, guide every heart that longs for Your presence
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: The Pentateuch. Four Courts Press, 2017
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
Comments