{So the church} (H(8820)men oun ekkl(8873)ia). The singular
ekkl(8873)ia is undoubtedly the true reading here (all the great
documents have it so). By this time there were churches scattered
over Judea, Galilee, and Samaria ( Ga 1:22 ), but Luke either
regards the disciples in Palestine as still members of the one
great church in Jerusalem (instance already the work of Philip in
Samaria and soon of Peter in Joppa and Caesarea) or he employs
the term ekkl(8873)ia in a geographical or collective sense
covering all of Palestine. The strictly local sense we have seen
already in  8:1,3  (and  Mt 18:17 ) and the general spiritual
sense in  Mt 16:18 . But in  Ac 8:3  it is plain that the term is
applied to the organization of Jerusalem Christians even when
scattered in their homes. The use of men oun (so) is Luke's
common way of gathering up the connection. The obvious meaning is
that the persecution ceased because the persecutor had been
converted. The wolf no longer ravined the sheep. It is true also
that the effort of Caligula A.D. 39 to set up his image in the
temple in Jerusalem for the Jews to worship greatly excited the
Jews and gave them troubles of their own (Josephus, _Ant_. XVIII.
8, 2-9). {Had peace} (eichen eir(886e)(886e)). Imperfect active. Kept
on having peace, enjoying peace, because the persecution had
ceased. Many of the disciples came back to Jerusalem and the
apostles began to make preaching tours out from the city. This
idiom (ech(9320)eir(886e)(886e)) occurs again in  Ro 5:1  (eir(886e)(886e)
ech(936d)en, present active subjunctive) where it has been
grievously misunderstood. There it is an exhortation to keep on
enjoying the peace with God already made, not to make peace with
God which would be eir(886e)(886e) sch(936d)en (ingressive aorist
subjunctive). {Edified} (oikodomoumen(885c)). Present passive
participle, linear action also. One result of the enjoyment of
peace after the persecution was the continued edification (Latin
word _aedificatio_ for building up a house), a favourite figure
with Paul ( 1Co 14  Eph 3 ) and scattered throughout the N.T.,
old Greek verb. In  1Pe 2:5  Peter speaks of "the spiritual
house" throughout the five Roman provinces being "built up" (cf.
 Mt 16:18 ). {In the comfort of the Holy Spirit} (	(8869) parakl(8873)ei
tou hagiou pneumatos). Either locative ({in}) or instrumental
case ({by}). The Holy Spirit had been promised by Jesus as
"another Paraclete" and now this is shown to be true. The only
instance in Acts of the use of parakl(8873)is with the Holy Spirit.
The word, of course, means calling to one's side (parakale(935c))
either for advice or for consolation. {Was multiplied}
(epl(8874)huneto). Imperfect middle passive. The multiplication of
the disciples kept pace with the peace, the edification, the
walking in the fear of the Lord, the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
The blood of the martyrs was already becoming the seed of the
church. Stephen had not borne his witness in vain.