Thematic Bible: In persecuting stephen

Saul approved of his being put to death. On that very day a great persecution broke out against the Church which was in Jerusalem; and its members, with the exception of the Apostles, were all scattered over the districts of Judea and Samaria. Some religious men buried Stephen, with loud lamentations for him. But Saul began to devastate the Church; he entered house after house, dragged out men and women alike, and threw them into prison.

But some members of the Synagogue known as that of Libertines, Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and Visitors from Cilicia and Roman Asia, were roused to action and began disputing with Stephen; Yet they were quite unable to withstand the wisdom and the inspiration with which he spoke. Then they induced some men to assert that they had heard Stephen saying blasphemous things against Moses, and against God; read more.
And they stirred up the people, as well as the Councillors and the Teachers of the Law, and set upon Stephen, and arrested him, and brought him before the High Council. There they produced witnesses who gave false evidence. "This man," they said, "is incessantly saying things against this Holy Place and the Law; Indeed, we have heard him declare that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this Place, and change the customs handed down to us by Moses." The eyes of all the members of the Council were riveted upon Stephen, and they saw his face looking like the face of an angel.

At this, with a loud shout, they stopped their ears and all rushed upon him, forced him outside the city, And began to stone him, the witnesses laying their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen, while he cried to the Lord: "Lord Jesus! receive my spirit!"