Acts 7:54-8:4 Review Stephen was stoned to death, but he faced death faithfully. (7:54-60) The council’s initial response: Stephen’s response: The council’s following response: Stephen’s response: The church was scattered beyond Jerusalem, but they faithfully proclaimed the word where they were scattered. (8:1-4) Saul’s initial response: The church’s response: Saul’s following response: The church’s response: What do we see going on in this section of Acts? the progressing opposition to the witness of Jesus Christ and his witnesses (and the surprising aggression by those who where “near” and should have known) the clear continuity between the witnesses and their witness and even with Jesus Christ himself the contrasting responses to the witness and witnesses of Jesus Christ by the same people group, resulting in repentance and faith (2:37) and resulting in rejection and violence (7:54) the faithfulness of the witnesses in the face of death which demonstrate that God’s plan, rather than being thwarted actually advances