Stephen was killed by an angry mob that threw rocks at him until he died (7:59). Saul broke into Christians’ homes, dragging them off to prison (8:3). These events, which happened some 2000 years ago, could have been pulled from today’s headlines in many parts of the world. In Iran, for example, it is illegal for anyone to convert from Islam to Christianity. Secret house churches in Iran are often infiltrated by government spies, and those who are discovered holding Christian worship services are thrown into prison – sometimes after being flogged. As recently as 2018, four Christians were sent to prison for 10 years.

But ironically, all this brutality and violence has only served to demonstrate the utter failure of the Islamic state and thus has led to an explosion in the Christian faith. Over the last 20 years, the number of Iranian Muslims who have embraced Christ has increased from less than 10,000 to over 800,000 – that’s the fastest-growing evangelical church in the world.

In the same way, even though Saul and the rest of the religious leaders were able to kill Stephen and drive most of the Christians out of Jerusalem, as they scattered through the rest of Judea and Samaria they carried the good news of Jesus Christ with them (8:4). As a result, there was a great revival that broke out among the Samaritans, even though they were despised by the Jews as impure, mixing as they did Jewish and pagan religious practices.

So, as the “cancel culture” spreads in America, rejecting Christian morality and ethics in the name of absolute individual autonomy, we need not fear or despair. For in spite of all their vicious violence, all that the ancient enemies of God’s people were able to do was to accomplish God’s will – for hadn’t Jesus told His disciples to be witnesses to Him in Judea and Samaria, as well as to the ends of the earth (1:8)?

Just so, God is still in control, even when brutal Communist regimes tear down Christian houses of worship or when the Turkish government throws an EPC pastor into prison for two years. And God is using all these things to demonstrate both the bankruptcy of His opponents as well as the Christlike faith and perseverance of His servants. For it was in forgiving those who stoned him to death that Stephen most clearly displayed the character of Christ to the unbelievers around him (7:60, compare Luke 23:34).

Acts 7:54-8:8 (ESV)

54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him.
55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him.
58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

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.
2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him.
3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.
5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ.
6 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.
7 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.
8 So there was much joy in that city.