TOPICAL BIBLE
Persecution
543 references in this topic.
Acts 4:19But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God.Acts 4:20For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”Acts 4:27In fact, this is the very city where Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed.Acts 5:18and arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.Acts 5:19But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out, saying,Acts 5:20“Go, stand in the temple courts and tell the people the full message of this new life.”Acts 5:21At daybreak the apostles entered the temple courts as they had been told and began to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles.Acts 5:22But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they returned with the report:Acts 5:23“We found the jail securely locked, with the guards posted at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”Acts 5:24When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this account, they were perplexed as to what was happening.Acts 5:25Then someone came in and announced, “Look, the men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people!”Acts 5:26At that point, the captain went with the officers and brought the apostles—but not by force, for fear the people would stone them.Acts 5:27They brought them in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, where the high priest interrogated them.Acts 5:28“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 man’s blood.”Acts 5:29But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men.Acts 5:30The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree.Acts 5:31God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior, in order to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.Acts 5:32We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”Acts 5:33When the Council members heard this, they were enraged, and they resolved to put the apostles to death.Acts 5:34But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a short time.Acts 5:35“Men of Israel,” he said, “consider carefully what you are about to do to these men.Acts 5:36Some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing.Acts 5:37After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and drew away people after him. He too perished, and all his followers were scattered.Acts 5:38So in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone. Let them go! For if their purpose or endeavor is of human origin, it will fail.Acts 5:39But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.”Acts 5:40At 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.Acts 5:41The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.Acts 5:42Every day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.Acts 6:9But resistance arose from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and men from the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. They disputed with Stephen,Acts 6:10but they could not stand up to his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.Acts 6:11Then they prompted some men to say, “We heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.”Acts 6:12So they stirred up the people, elders, and scribes and confronted Stephen. They seized him and brought him before the Sanhedrin,Acts 6:13where they presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law.Acts 6:14For we have heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.”Acts 6:15All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.Acts 7:52Which 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—Acts 8:1And Saul was there, giving approval to Stephen’s 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.Acts 8:4Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.Acts 9:1Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord. He approached the high priestActs 9:2and 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.Acts 9:3As Saul drew near to Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.Acts 9:4He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?”Acts 9:5“Who are You, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” He replied.Acts 9:6“Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”Acts 9:7The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless. They heard the voice but did not see anyone.Acts 9:8Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could not see a thing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.Acts 9:9For three days he was without sight, and he did not eat or drink anything.Acts 9:10In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Here I am, Lord,” he answered.Acts 9:11“Get up!” the Lord told him. “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.Acts 9:12In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”Acts 9:13But Ananias answered, “Lord, many people have told me about this man and all the harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.Acts 9:14And now he is here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on Your name.”Acts 11:19Meanwhile those scattered by the persecution that began with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the message only to Jews.Acts 11:20But some of them, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks as well, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus.Acts 11:21The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.Acts 12:1About that time, King Herod reached out to harm some who belonged to the church.Acts 12:2He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.Acts 12:3And seeing that this pleased the Jews, Herod proceeded to seize Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.Acts 12:4He arrested him and put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out to the people after the Passover.Acts 12:5So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him.