Image © Lifeway Collection Goodsalt.com Saul of Tarsus first appears in Acts as one involved in the stoning of Stephen ( Acts 7:58 ) and then in connection with the more wide-scale persecution that broke out in Jerusalem ( Acts 8:1-5 ) . Peter, Stephen, Philip, and Paul play a significant role in the book of Acts because they were involved in events that led to the spread of the Christian faith beyond the Jewish world. Stephen is of particular significance because his preaching and martyrdom appear to have had a profound influence on Saul of Tarsus. Stephen himself was a Greek-speaking Jew, and one of the original seven deacons ( Acts 6:3-6 ) . According to Acts, a group of Greek-speaking Jews who had come to live in Jerusalem ( Acts 6:9 ) entered into a dispute with Stephen over the content of his preaching about Jesus
Read more at the source: Sunday: Persecutor of Christians
