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Acts 11:19
Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.

Acts 14:2-7
But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren…

Matthew 10:23
But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.

preached the word
Despite the adversity they faced, the scattered believers continued to proclaim the Gospel. This phrase highlights the resilience and commitment of early Christians to their mission. The "word" refers to the message of Jesus Christ, His death, and resurrection, which is central to Christian faith. This preaching aligns with the Great Commission inMatthew 28:19-20, where Jesus instructed His followers to make disciples of all nations. The act of preaching amidst persecution demonstrates the transformative power of the Gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit in empowering believers.

wherever they went
This indicates the geographical spread of the Gospel message. The early Christians did not limit their preaching to familiar or comfortable areas but took the message to new regions and cultures. This phrase underscores the universal nature of the Gospel, breaking cultural and ethnic barriers. It also reflects the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, such asIsaiah 49:6, which speaks of salvation reaching "to the ends of the earth." The movement of these believers laid the groundwork for the establishment of churches in various parts of the Roman Empire, as seen in the subsequent missionary journeys of Paul and others.

Persecution following Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 8:1: “On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria”) forced ordinary believers to leave their homes.

• What looked like chaos was God’s providence in motion, turning Satan’s attack into a missionary movement, echoing Joseph’s testimony inGenesis 50:20.

• The scattering fulfilled Jesus’ promise inActs 1:8 that His witnesses would move beyond Jerusalem.

•Acts 11:19 shows the wide reach of this dispersion—Phoenicia, Cyprus, Antioch—demonstrating that no earthly pressure can silence gospel momentum.

Those scattered believers “preached the word,” not quietly nursed their wounds.

• “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly” (Acts 4:31).

• The task was not limited to apostles; everyday men and women carried the message, foreshadowing the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9).

•2 Timothy 4:2 urges, “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season,” a charge these refugees embodied.

• Like the Thessalonians whose testimony “resound[ed] … everywhere” (1 Thessalonians 1:8), they let hardship amplify, not stifle, their witness.

The gospel mushroomed along every path they traveled.

• Philip reached Samaria next (Acts 8:5), bridging an age-old ethnic divide and proving the gospel’s universal reach.

• Their obedience anticipated the Great Commission mandate to make disciples “of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

•Acts 13:49 later reports, “the word of the Lord spread through the whole region,” a direct outworking of this early scattering.

• Geography no longer limited ministry; every marketplace, home, and road became a pulpit.

Acts 8:4 shows God turning persecution into propulsion. Displaced believers, filled with the Spirit, carried the unchanging word into new territories, fulfilling Christ’s strategy to reach the ends of the earth. Hardship scattered them, obedience steadied them, and the gospel advanced unhindered.

Preaching the word.--Better,preaching the glad tidings of the word.