The persecution of the Church catalyzes the spread of the Good News to the larger Roman world. Luke reports that following the martyrdom of Stephen all of the Christians except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Philip (one of the men chosen to serve as deacons in Acts
The persecution of the Church, foretold by Jesus, begins in earnest with the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7. What did Stephen say that so infuriated the Sanhedrin? And why was the persecution of the Church and the blood of the martyrs part of God’s plan? Luke tells us in