Scriptures

New Living Translation (NLT)

Acts 7
⁵⁷ Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him
⁵⁸ and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.
⁵⁹ As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
⁶⁰ He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.
Acts 8
¹ Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria.
² (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.)
³ But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.
⁴ But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.
⁵ Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah.
⁶ Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did.
⁷ Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed.