What did Saul do to believers in Jerusalem and under whose authority did he do it?
Saul imprisoned many believing Jews in Jerusalem and had them put to death for believing Jesus was the Christ. He acted under authority received from the chief priests. He viewed Jesus as an imposter and sought to stamp out all reference to Him.
Les explains that Saul of Tarsus believed Jesus of Nazareth was an imposter, a blasphemer, and a fake. As a servant of the true God of Abraham, Saul thought the best thing he could do was stamp out anybody who had anything to do with Jesus. In Acts 26:9 he says he thought he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Then in verse 10 he says that in Jerusalem he shut up many of the saints, the believing Jews, in prison, having received authority from the chief priests, and they were put to death. Their crime was believing that Jesus was the Christ, and Saul was the chief advocate of this.
Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
More Questions
Why were the prisoners in Saul's persecution put to death?
The believers Saul had imprisoned were put to death because their crime was believing that Jesus was the Christ.