And Saul approved of his execution. And there
arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they
were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the
apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But
Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off
men and women and committed them to prison. Now those who were scattered went
about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and
proclaimed to them the Christ. And the crowds with one accord paid attention to
what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he
did. For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who
had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much
joy in that city.
(Acts 8:1–8 ESV).
If we look closely at the early church
in the book of Acts, we can see this principle in action. Jesus spent most of
his teaching ministry among his own (Jewish) people, but he gave many hints
that the good news of the kingdom is intended for all nations. The focus of
missions started in Jerusalem. And when believers in Christ were scattered
because of persecution, they “preached the word wherever they went.”
Jesus had promised that his followers
would witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts
1:8). And in our passage today we see an example of how the preaching of the
gospel spread from Jerusalem into Judea and Samaria.
As the good news of Jesus spread, it
crossed ethnic boundaries. And within a few years missionaries like the apostle
Paul and others spread the word of God’s salvation in Christ throughout the
Roman Empire and beyond. Today the fastest growing parts of the church are in
places like Africa, Asia, and Central America. Jesus’ promise is still
unfolding today! We should be committed to that kind of inclusivity wherever God
has paced us.
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