As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.
Parallel translations
- WEB But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into every house, and dragged both men and women off to prison.
- KJV As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
- BSB But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
- NASB But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house; and he would drag away men and women and put them in prison.
- NLT 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.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Saul violently ravaged the church, imprisoning men and women alike. His zealous persecution shows the depth of his opposition before his conversion.
Overview
Saul went house to house, dragging believers to prison, displaying intense hostility to the church (Acts 9:1-2; 22:4). This portrait of his violence makes his later transformation by grace all the more remarkable. The fierce persecutor would become the church's foremost missionary and a vessel of God's mercy.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- 1 Tim 1:13although I was before a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent. However, I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
- 1 Cor 15:9For I am the least of the apostles, who is not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the assembly of God.
- Gal 1:13For you have heard of my way of living in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly of God, and ravaged it.
- Phil 3:6concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.
- Acts 22:19I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in you.
- Acts 9:21All who heard him were amazed, and said, “Isn’t this he who in Jerusalem made havoc of those who called on this name? And he had come here intending to bring them bound before the chief priests!”
- Acts 7:58They threw him out of the city, and stoned him. The witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
- Acts 22:3–4“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict tradition of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are today.
- Acts 9:1–13But Saul, still breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,
- Jas 2:6But you have dishonored the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you, and personally drag you before the courts?
- Acts 26:9–11“I myself most certainly thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
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Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 8:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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