Acts 5
5
Ananias and Sapphira
1A man named Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, also sold some land. 2He kept part of the money for himself. Sapphira knew he had kept it. He brought the rest of it and put it down at the apostles’ feet.
3Then Peter said, “Ananias, why did you let Satan fill your heart? He made you lie to the Holy Spirit. You have kept some of the money you received for the land. 4Didn’t the land belong to you before it was sold? After it was sold, you could have used the money as you wished. What made you think of doing such a thing? You haven’t lied just to people. You’ve also lied to God.”
5When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. All who heard what had happened were filled with fear. 6Some young men came and wrapped up his body. They carried him out and buried him.
7About three hours later, the wife of Ananias came in. She didn’t know what had happened. 8Peter asked her, “Tell me. Is this the price you and Ananias sold the land for?”
“Yes,” she said. “That’s the price.”
9Peter asked her, “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! You can hear the steps of the men who buried your husband. They are at the door. They will carry you out also.”
10At that moment she fell down at Peter’s feet and died. Then the young men came in. They saw that Sapphira was dead. So they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11The whole church and all who heard about these things were filled with fear.
The Apostles Heal Many People
12The apostles did many signs and wonders among the people. All the believers used to meet together at Solomon’s Porch. 13No outsider dared to join them. But the people thought highly of them. 14More and more men and women believed in the Lord. They joined the other believers. 15So people brought those who were sick into the streets. They placed them on beds and mats. They hoped that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he walked by. 16Crowds even gathered from the towns around Jerusalem. They brought their sick people. They also brought those who were suffering because of evil spirits. All of them were healed.
The Apostles Are Treated Badly
17The high priest and all his companions were Sadducees. They were very jealous of the apostles. 18So they arrested them and put them in the public jail. 19But during the night an angel of the Lord came. He opened the doors of the jail and brought the apostles out. 20“Go! Stand in the temple courtyard,” the angel said. “Tell the people all about this new life.”
21Early the next day they did as they had been told. They entered the temple courtyard. There they began to teach the people.
The high priest and his companions arrived. They called the Sanhedrin together. The Sanhedrin was a gathering of all the elders of Israel. They sent for the apostles who were in jail. 22The officers arrived at the jail. But they didn’t find the apostles there. So they went back and reported it. 23“We found the jail locked up tight,” they said. “The guards were standing at the doors. But when we opened the doors, we didn’t find anyone inside.” 24When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report, they were bewildered. They wondered what would happen next.
25Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courtyard. They are teaching the people.” 26So the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles back. But they didn’t use force. They were afraid the people would kill them by throwing stones at them.
27They brought the apostles to the Sanhedrin. The high priest questioned them. 28“We gave you clear orders not to teach in Jesus’ name,” he said. “But you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching. You want to make us guilty of this man’s death.”
29Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God instead of people! 30You had Jesus killed by nailing him to a cross. But the God of our people raised Jesus from the dead. 31Now Jesus is Prince and Savior. God has proved this by giving Jesus a place of honor with him. He did it to turn Israel away from their sins and forgive them. 32We are telling people about these things. And so is the Holy Spirit. God has given the Spirit to those who obey him.”
33When the leaders heard this, they became very angry. They wanted to put the apostles to death. 34But a Pharisee named Gamaliel stood up in the Sanhedrin. He was a teacher of the law. He was honored by all the people. He ordered the apostles to be taken outside for a little while. 35Then Gamaliel spoke to the Sanhedrin. “Men of Israel,” he said, “think carefully about what you plan to do to these men. 36Some time ago Theudas appeared. He claimed he was really somebody. About 400 people followed him. But he was killed. All his followers were scattered. So they accomplished nothing. 37After this, Judas from Galilee came along. This was in the days when the Romans made a list of all the people. Judas led a gang of men against the Romans. He too was killed. All his followers were scattered. 38So let me give you some advice. Leave these men alone! Let them go! If their plans and actions only come from people, they will fail. 39But if their plans come from God, you won’t be able to stop these men. You will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
40His speech won the leaders over. They called the apostles in and had them whipped. The leaders ordered them not to speak in Jesus’ name. Then they let the apostles go.
41The apostles were full of joy as they left the Sanhedrin. They considered it an honor to suffer shame for the name of Jesus. 42Every day they taught in the temple courtyards and from house to house. They never stopped telling people the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
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Acts 5
5
Lying to the Holy Spirit
1But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property. 2However, he kept back part of the proceeds with his wife’s knowledge, and brought a portion of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.#Ac 4:37; 5:3
3“Ananias,” Peter asked, “why has Satan filled your heart#Mt 4:10; Lk 22:3; Jn 13:2,27 to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the proceeds of the land? 4Wasn’t it yours while you possessed it? And after it was sold, wasn’t it at your disposal? Why is it that you planned this thing in your heart? You have not lied to people but to God.” 5When he heard these words, Ananias dropped dead, and a great fear came on all who heard.#Ezk 11:13; Ac 5:10–11 6The young men got up, wrapped his body, carried him out, and buried him.#Ezk 29:5; Jn 19:40; Ac 8:2
7About three hours later, his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8“Tell me,” Peter asked her, “did you sell the land for this price?”
“Yes,” she said, “for that price.”
9Then Peter said to her, “Why did you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”#Ac 5:3–4; 15:10; 1Co 10:9
10Instantly she dropped dead at his feet. When the young men came in, they found her dead, carried her out, and buried her beside her husband. 11Then great fear came on the whole church and on all who heard these things.
Apostolic Signs and Wonders
12Many signs and wonders were being done among the people through the hands of the apostles.#Ac 2:43; 14:3; 19:11; Rm 15:19; 2Co 12:12; Heb 2:4 They were all together in Solomon’s Colonnade.#Jn 10:23; Ac 4:21,32 13No one else dared to join them, but the people spoke well of them.#Ac 2:47; 3:11 14Believers were added to the Lord in increasing numbers — multitudes of both men and women. 15As a result, they would carry the sick out into the streets and lay them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow#Mt 14:36; Ac 19:12 might fall on some of them. 16In addition, a multitude came together from the towns surrounding Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
In and out of Prison
17Then the high priest rose up. He and all who were with him, who belonged to the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.#Ac 4:1; 15:5 18So they arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.#Lk 21:12; Ac 4:3 19But an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail during the night, brought them out, and said,#Mt 1:20; Lk 1:11; Ac 8:26; 12:7; 16:26; 27:23 20“Go and stand in the temple, and tell the people all about this life.”#Jn 6:63,68; Php 2:16 21Hearing this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.
The Apostles on Trial Again
When the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin — the full council of the Israelites — and sent orders to the jail to have them brought.#Mt 5:22; Ac 4:6; 5:27,34,41 22But when the servants#5:22 Or temple police, or officers, also in v. 26 got there, they did not find them in the jail; so they returned and reported, 23“We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing in front of the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24As#5:24 Other mss add the high priest and the captain of the temple police and the chief priests heard these things, they were baffled about them, wondering what would come of this.
25Someone came and reported to them, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26Then the commander went with the servants and brought them in without force, because they were afraid the people might stone them.#Ac 4:21; 5:13 27After they brought them in, they had them stand before the Sanhedrin, and the high priest asked, 28“Didn’t we strictly order you not to teach in this name?#Jn 14:13; Ac 3:16; 1Jn 3:23 Look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”#Mt 27:25; Ac 2:23,36; 3:15; 4:10; 7:52
29Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than people. 30The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus,#Ac 2:24; 3:13 whom you had murdered by hanging him on a tree.#Ac 10:39; 13:29; Gl 3:13; 1Pt 2:24 31God exalted this man to his right hand as ruler and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.#Ac 2:33; 3:15 32We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit#Lk 24:48; Jn 15:26; Ac 15:28; Heb 2:4 whom God has given to those who obey him.”
Gamaliel’s Advice
33When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.#Ac 2:37; 7:54 34But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered the men#5:34 Other mss read apostles to be taken outside for a little while.#Lk 2:46; 5:17; Ac 22:3 35He said to them, “Men of Israel, be careful about what you’re about to do to these men. 36Some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, and all his followers were dispersed and came to nothing.#Ac 8:9; Gl 2:6; 6:3 37After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and attracted a following. He also perished, and all his followers were scattered. 38So in the present case, I tell you, stay away from these men and leave them alone. For if this plan or this work is of human origin, it will fail;#Mt 15:17; Mk 11:30 39but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even be found fighting against God.” They were persuaded by him.#Pr 21:30; Ac 7:51; 11:17 40After they called in the apostles and had them flogged, they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them.#Mt 10:17; Mk 13:9; Ac 4:18 41Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be treated shamefully on behalf of the Name.#5:41 Other mss add of Jesus, or of Christ#Mt 5:12; Jn 15:21; 1Pt 4:13 42Every day in the temple, and in various homes, they continued teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
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