The murder of Stephen was just the beginning of a much larger wave of persecution that the early church was forced to endure. (One of the ring leaders
of this backlash was a man named Saul of Tarsus who we will cover extensively later on in our study of Acts.) Interestingly, this week’s passage almost immediately focuses on the positive benefits of the persecution rather than its negative effects. In response to the persecution, the early church was scattered across the region and went about preaching the Word. Contrary to what many believe, scripture clearly teaches that persecution and suffering are good and useful elements in the lives of believers.