Focused Passage

Acts 8:1-8

The Scattered Church Carries Christ Beyond Jerusalem

Persecution scatters the church beyond Jerusalem, Philip proclaims Christ in Samaria, false spiritual ambition is exposed, and the gospel reaches an Ethiopian official through Scripture fulfilled in Jesus.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1 And Saul was there, giving approval to Stephen’s death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

2 God-fearing men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him.

3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.

4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.

5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them.

6 The crowds all paid close attention to Philip’s message and to the signs they saw him perform.

7 With loud shrieks, unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, and many of the paralyzed and lame were healed.

8 So there was great joy in that city.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

And δὲ G1161 Conjunction Saul Σαῦλος G4569 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular was there ἦν G1510 Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular giving approval συνευδοκῶν G4909 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular to τῇ G3588 Article - Dative Feminine Singular [Stephen’s] αὐτοῦ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular death ἀναιρέσει G336 Noun - Dative Feminine Singular - δὲ G1161 Conjunction On ἐν G1722 Preposition that ἐκείνῃ G1565 Demonstrative Pronoun - Dative Feminine Singular - τῇ G3588 Article - Dative Feminine Singular day ἡμέρᾳ G2250 Noun - Dative Feminine Singular a great μέγας G3173 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular persecution διωγμὸς G1375 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular broke out Ἐγένετο G1096 Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular against ἐπὶ G1909 Preposition the τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular church ἐκκλησίαν G1577 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular - τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular in ἐν G1722 Preposition Jerusalem Ἱεροσολύμοις G2414 Noun - Dative Neuter Plural and δὲ G1161 Conjunction all πάντες G3956 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural except πλὴν G4133 Preposition the τῶν G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Plural apostles ἀποστόλων G652 Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural were scattered διεσπάρησαν G1289 Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural throughout κατὰ G2596 Preposition . . . τὰς G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Plural . . . χώρας G5561 Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural - τῆς G3588 Article - Genitive Feminine Singular Judea Ἰουδαίας G2449 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction Samaria Σαμαρείας G4540 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Verse 2

Original words

- δὲ G1161 Conjunction God-fearing εὐλαβεῖς G2126 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural men ἄνδρες G435 Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural buried συνεκόμισαν G4792 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural - τὸν G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Singular Stephen Στέφανον G4736 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction vvv ἐποίησαν G4160 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural vvv μέγαν G3173 Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular mourned deeply κοπετὸν G2870 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular over ἐπ’ G1909 Preposition him αὐτῷ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Verse 3

Original words

But δὲ G1161 Conjunction Saul Σαῦλος G4569 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular began to destroy ἐλυμαίνετο G3075 Verb - Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular the τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular church ἐκκλησίαν G1577 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular Going εἰσπορευόμενος G1531 Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular from house to house κατὰ G2596 Preposition . . . τοὺς G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Plural . . . οἴκους G3624 Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural - τε G5037 Conjunction he dragged off σύρων G4951 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular men ἄνδρας G435 Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural and καὶ G2532 Conjunction women γυναῖκας G1135 Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural [and] put [them] παρεδίδου G3860 Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular in εἰς G1519 Preposition prison φυλακήν G5438 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Verse 4

Original words

- οὖν G3767 Conjunction - μὲν G3303 Particle Those who Οἱ G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Plural had been scattered διασπαρέντες G1289 Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural preached εὐαγγελιζόμενοι G2097 Verb - Present Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine Plural the τὸν G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Singular word λόγον G3056 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular wherever they went διῆλθον G1330 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Verse 5

Original words

- δὲ G1161 Conjunction Philip Φίλιππος G5376 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular went down κατελθὼν G2718 Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular to εἰς G1519 Preposition - τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular [a] city πόλιν G4172 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular - τῆς G3588 Article - Genitive Feminine Singular [in] Samaria Σαμαρείας G4540 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular [and] proclaimed ἐκήρυσσεν G2784 Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular the τὸν G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Singular Christ Χριστόν G5547 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular to them αὐτοῖς G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Verse 6

Original words

- δὲ G1161 Conjunction The οἱ G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Plural crowds ὄχλοι G3793 Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural all ὁμοθυμαδὸν G3661 Adverb paid close attention προσεῖχον G4337 Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural - τοῖς G3588 Article - Dative Neuter Plural vvv ἐν G1722 Preposition . . . τῷ G3588 Article - Dative Neuter Singular vvv ὑπὸ G5259 Preposition vvv τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Singular to Philip’s Φιλίππου G5376 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular message λεγομένοις G3004 Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Dative Neuter Plural . . . ἀκούειν G191 Verb - Present Infinitive Active . . . αὐτοὺς G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural and καὶ G2532 Conjunction to the τὰ G3588 Article - Accusative Neuter Plural signs σημεῖα G4592 Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural they saw βλέπειν G991 Verb - Present Infinitive Active - G3739 Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural him perform ἐποίει G4160 Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Verse 7

Original words

- γὰρ G1063 Conjunction vvv βοῶντα G994 Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Neuter Plural vvv μεγάλῃ G3173 Adjective - Dative Feminine Singular With loud shrieks φωνῇ G5456 Noun - Dative Feminine Singular unclean ἀκάθαρτα G169 Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural spirits πνεύματα G4151 Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural came out of ἐξήρχοντο G1831 Verb - Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Plural many πολλοὶ G4183 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural who τῶν G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Plural were possessed ἐχόντων G2192 Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Plural and δὲ G1161 Conjunction many πολλοὶ G4183 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural [of the] paralyzed παραλελυμένοι G3886 Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural and καὶ G2532 Conjunction lame χωλοὶ G5560 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural were healed ἐθεραπεύθησαν G2323 Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural
Verse 8

Original words

So δὲ G1161 Conjunction there was ἐγένετο G1096 Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular great πολλὴ G4183 Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular joy χαρὰ G5479 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular in ἐν G1722 Preposition that ἐκείνῃ G1565 Demonstrative Pronoun - Dative Feminine Singular - τῇ G3588 Article - Dative Feminine Singular city πόλει G4172 Noun - Dative Feminine Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.