Quotes About Persecution

Then someone came in and announced, “Look, the men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people!”

At that point, the captain went with the officers and brought the apostles—but not by force, for fear the people would stone them.

They brought them in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, where the high priest interrogated them.

“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us responsible for this manís blood.”

When the Council members heard this, they were enraged, and they resolved to put the apostles to death.

At this, they yielded to Gamaliel. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them.

The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.

Then they prompted some men to say, “We heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.”

So they stirred up the people, elders, and scribes and confronted Stephen. They seized him and brought him before the Sanhedrin,

where they presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law.

Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”

Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers—

On hearing this, the members of the Sanhedrin were enraged, and they gnashed their teeth at him.

At this they covered their ears, cried out in a loud voice, and rushed together at him.

They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

And Saul was there, giving approval to Stephenís death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord. He approached the high priest

and requested letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?”

“Who are You, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” He replied.

But Ananias answered, “Lord, many people have told me about this man and all the harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.

And now he is here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on Your name.”

All who heard him were astounded and asked, “Isnít this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem on those who call on this name? And hasnít he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”