And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
A chilling start to the story and conversion of Saul. He did not just watch, he approved the murder. And then he road the wave of the sentiment and started his work kidnapping and torturing believers and destroying the church. The Bible actually says “destroying the church”. The shocking truth of this verse is offset by the grace that is coming down the road through God’s sovereign plans.