Acts 8:3

3 Saul, however, was ravaging the church, and he would enter house after house, drag off men and women, and put them in prison.

Acts 8:3 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 8:3

As for Saul, he made havoc of the church
Did evil to the saints, destroyed them that called upon the name of Christ, ( Acts 9:13 Acts 9:21 ) and persecuted and wasted the church of God, as he himself says, ( 1:13 ) and now did Benjamin, of which tribe Saul was, ravine as a wolf, ( Genesis 49:27 )

Entering into every house;
where the saints dwelt:

and haling men and women:
in a violent manner, without any regard to age or sex:

committed them to prison;
delivered them up into the hands of the chief priests and magistrates, in order to be committed and sent to prison; this he himself confesses, ( Acts 22:4 ) ( 26:10 ) .

Acts 8:3 In-Context

1 Saul agreed with putting him to death. On that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria.

2 But devout men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him.

3 Saul, however, was ravaging the church, and he would enter house after house, drag off men and women, and put them in prison.

4 So those who were scattered went on their way proclaiming the message of good news.

5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and preached the Messiah to them.