This short section sets the stage for Philip's ministry by giving us its cause.
8:1b Stephen's execution ignited the first popular persecution of Christian Jews.348Since Stephen was a Hellenistic Jew, the Hellenistic Jewish Christians were probably the main targets of this antagonism. The unbelieving Jews living in Jerusalem turned against the believing Jews. This hostility resulted in many of the believers leaving Jerusalem for more secure places of residence. They took the gospel seed with them and planted churches in all Judea (cf. 1 Thess. 2:14) as well as in Samaria.349This persecution was hard on the Christians, but it was good for the church since it resulted in widening evangelization. The apostles probably stayed in Jerusalem because they believed their presence there was essential regardless of the danger. Moreover the persecution seems to have been against Hellenistic Jews particularly, and the Twelve were Hebrews.
8:2 The "devout men"who buried Stephen were probably God-fearing Jews like Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus who buried Jesus (Luke 23:50-53). There were undoubtedly many Jews in Jerusalem who were still sympathetic with the Christians (cf. 6:7). Some of them evidently gave Stephen a burial suitable to his importance. The Mishnah considered open lamentation for someone who had suffered death by stoning as inappropriate.350Luke's notation that people made loud lamentation for Stephen may, therefore, be evidence that there were many Jews who regarded Stephen's stoning as extremely unfortunate.
8:3 The Greek word translated "ravaging"(lumainomai) occurs only here in the New Testament. The Septuagint translators used it in Psalm 80:13 to describe wild boars destroying a vineyard. This is how Saul began behaving.351He was a leader of the persecution in Jerusalem (9:1-2, 29; 22:4-5; 26:11). Evidently Stephen's execution fueled Paul's hatred for the Christians and resulted in his increasing antagonism toward them. He not only went from house to house arresting Christians (cf. 2:46; 5:42) but also carried his purges into the synagogues (cf. 6:9) and tried to force believers to blaspheme there (22:19; 26:11).
