Acts 7:54–8:5
54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furiousy and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit,z looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.a 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven openb and the Son of Manc standing at the right hand of God.”
57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the cityd and began to stone him.e Meanwhile, the witnessesf laid their coatsg at the feet of a young man named Saul.h
59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”i 60 Then he fell on his kneesj and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”k When he had said this, he fell asleep.l
8 And Saulm approved of their killing him.
The Church Persecuted and Scattered
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scatteredn throughout Judea and Samaria.o 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saulp began to destroy the church.q Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
4 Those who had been scatteredr preached the word wherever they went.s 5 Philipt went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there.