Acts 8:3

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

But Saul was trying to destroy the church; entering one house after another, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • 1 Cor 15:9 : 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
  • Gal 1:13 : 13 For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I was savagely persecuting the church of God and trying to destroy it.
  • Phil 3:6 : 6 In my zeal for God I persecuted the church. According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless.
  • 1 Tim 1:13 : 13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I was treated with mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief,
  • Acts 7:58 : 58 When they had driven him out of the city, they began to stone him, and the witnesses laid their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul.
  • Acts 9:21 : 21 All who heard him were amazed and were saying,“Is this not the man who in Jerusalem was ravaging those who call on this name, and who had come here to bring them as prisoners to the chief priests?”
  • Acts 22:19 : 19 I replied,‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat those in the various synagogues who believed in you.
  • Acts 26:9-9 : 9 Of course, I myself was convinced that it was necessary to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus the Nazarene. 10 And that is what I did in Jerusalem: Not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons by the authority I received from the chief priests, but I also cast my vote against them when they were sentenced to death. 11 I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to force them to blaspheme. Because I was so furiously enraged at them, I went to persecute them even in foreign cities.
  • Acts 22:3-4 : 3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated with strictness under Gamaliel according to the law of our ancestors, and was zealous for God just as all of you are today. 4 I persecuted this Way even to the point of death, tying up both men and women and putting them in prison,
  • Acts 9:1-9 : 1 The Conversion of Saul Meanwhile Saul, still breathing out threats to murder the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest 2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he was going along, approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 So he said,“Who are you, Lord?” He replied,“I am Jesus whom you are persecuting! 6 But stand up and enter the city and you will be told what you must do.” 7 (Now the men who were traveling with him stood there speechless, because they heard the voice but saw no one.) 8 So Saul got up from the ground, but although his eyes were open, he could see nothing. Leading him by the hand, his companions brought him into Damascus. 9 For three days he could not see, and he neither ate nor drank anything. 10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision,“Ananias,” and he replied,“Here I am, Lord.” 11 Then the Lord told him,“Get up and go to the street called‘Straight,’ and at Judas’ house look for a man from Tarsus named Saul. For he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and place his hands on him so that he may see again.” 13 But Ananias replied,“Lord, I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem,
  • Jas 2:6 : 6 But you have dishonored the poor! Are not the rich oppressing you and dragging you into the courts?

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Acts 8:1-2
    2 verses
    79%

    1And Saul agreed completely with killing him. Saul Begins to Persecute the ChurchNow on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were forced to scatter throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.

    2Some devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him.

  • Acts 8:4
    78%

    4Philip Preaches in Samaria Now those who had been forced to scatter went around proclaiming the good news of the word.

  • Acts 9:1-4
    4 verses
    78%

    1The Conversion of Saul Meanwhile Saul, still breathing out threats to murder the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest

    2and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

    3As he was going along, approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.

    4He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

  • Acts 22:4-7
    4 verses
    76%

    4I persecuted this Way even to the point of death, tying up both men and women and putting them in prison,

    5as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. From them I also received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way to make arrests there and bring the prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.

    6As I was en route and near Damascus, about noon a very bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around me.

    7Then I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me,‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’

  • Acts 9:21-24
    4 verses
    75%

    21All who heard him were amazed and were saying,“Is this not the man who in Jerusalem was ravaging those who call on this name, and who had come here to bring them as prisoners to the chief priests?”

    22But Saul became more and more capable, and was causing consternation among the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.

    23Saul’s Escape from Damascus Now after some days had passed, the Jews plotted together to kill him,

    24but Saul learned of their plot against him. They were also watching the city gates day and night so that they could kill him.

  • Acts 26:10-12
    3 verses
    74%

    10And that is what I did in Jerusalem: Not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons by the authority I received from the chief priests, but I also cast my vote against them when they were sentenced to death.

    11I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to force them to blaspheme. Because I was so furiously enraged at them, I went to persecute them even in foreign cities.

    12“While doing this very thing, as I was going to Damascus with authority and complete power from the chief priests,

  • Gal 1:13
    73%

    13For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I was savagely persecuting the church of God and trying to destroy it.

  • Acts 22:19-20
    2 verses
    71%

    19I replied,‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat those in the various synagogues who believed in you.

    20And when the blood of your witness Stephen was shed, I myself was standing nearby, approving, and guarding the cloaks of those who were killing him.’

  • Acts 7:57-58
    2 verses
    71%

    57But they covered their ears, shouting out with a loud voice, and rushed at him with one intent.

    58When they had driven him out of the city, they began to stone him, and the witnesses laid their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul.

  • Gal 1:23
    71%

    23They were only hearing,“The one who once persecuted us is now proclaiming the good news of the faith he once tried to destroy.”

  • Acts 9:11
    70%

    11Then the Lord told him,“Get up and go to the street called‘Straight,’ and at Judas’ house look for a man from Tarsus named Saul. For he is praying,

  • Acts 9:8
    69%

    8So Saul got up from the ground, but although his eyes were open, he could see nothing. Leading him by the hand, his companions brought him into Damascus.

  • 1 Sam 15:8
    68%

    8He captured King Agag of the Amalekites alive, but he executed all Agag’s people with the sword.

  • Acts 13:50
    68%

    50But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high social standing and the prominent men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out of their region.

  • Acts 26:21
    68%

    21For this reason the Jews, after they seized me while I was in the temple courts, were trying to kill me.

  • Acts 16:23
    68%

    23After they had beaten them severely, they threw them into prison and commanded the jailer to guard them securely.

  • Acts 26:14
    68%

    14When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic,‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? You are hurting yourself by kicking against the goads.’

  • Acts 12:1
    67%

    1James is Killed and Peter Imprisoned About that time King Herod laid hands on some from the church to harm them.

  • Luke 9:6
    67%

    6Then they departed and went throughout the villages, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.

  • Acts 9:13-14
    2 verses
    67%

    13But Ananias replied,“Lord, I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem,

    14and here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison all who call on your name!”

  • Acts 5:11
    67%

    11Great fear gripped the whole church and all who heard about these things.

  • Acts 5:18
    67%

    18They laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail.

  • Acts 21:30
    67%

    30The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple courts, and immediately the doors were shut.

  • 1 Sam 23:8
    67%

    8So Saul mustered all his army to go down to Keilah and besiege David and his men.

  • Acts 9:26-27
    2 verses
    67%

    26Saul Returns to Jerusalem When he arrived in Jerusalem, he attempted to associate with the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, because they did not believe that he was a disciple.

    27But Barnabas took Saul, brought him to the apostles, and related to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.

  • Phil 3:6
    67%

    6In my zeal for God I persecuted the church. According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless.

  • Acts 5:21
    67%

    21When they heard this, they entered the temple courts at daybreak and began teaching. Now when the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they summoned the Sanhedrin– that is, the whole high council of the Israelites– and sent to the jail to have the apostles brought before them.

  • Acts 6:12
    67%

    12They incited the people, the elders, and the experts in the law; then they approached Stephen, seized him, and brought him before the council.

  • Acts 9:30-31
    2 verses
    67%

    30When the brothers found out about this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.

    31Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria experienced peace and thus was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, the church increased in numbers.

  • 1 Sam 14:48
    67%

    48He fought bravely, striking down the Amalekites and delivering Israel from the hand of its enemies.

  • Acts 14:5-6
    2 verses
    66%

    5When both the Gentiles and the Jews(together with their rulers) made an attempt to mistreat them and stone them,

    6Paul and Barnabas learned about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding region.

  • Acts 11:25
    66%

    25Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to look for Saul,