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: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Acts 5
5
1Now a man called Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold some property. 2He kept back some of the money he received for himself, and brought the rest to present to the apostles. His wife knew what he was doing.
3Then Peter asked him, “Ananias, why did you let Satan convince you to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back some of the money from the land you sold? 4While you had the land, didn't it belong to you? And after you sold it, didn't you still have control over what you did with the money? Why did you decide to do this? You haven't lied to human beings, but to God!”
5Hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died. Everyone who heard what happened was terrified. 6Some of the young men got up and wrapped him in a shroud. Then they carried him out and buried him.
7About three hours later his wife arrived, not knowing what had happened. 8Peter asked her, “Tell me, did you sell the land for this price?”
“Yes, that was the price,” she replied.
9Then Peter told her, “How could you agree together to swindle#5:9. Literally, “tempt.” the Spirit of the Lord? Look, those who buried your husband are just returning, and they'll carry you out too!”
10Immediately she fell down dead at his feet. The young men came back in and found her dead, so they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11Great fear spread through the whole church, as well as among everyone who heard what had happened.
12Many miraculous signs were performed among the people by the apostles. All the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Porch.#5:12. See footnote for 3:11. 13Nobody else dared to join them even though they were greatly respected. 14However, many men and women came to believe in the Lord. 15As a result, people brought those who were sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that as Peter passed by his shadow might fall on them.#5:15. With the thought that even the touch of Peter's shadow could heal. 16Crowds from the towns around Jerusalem brought their sick and those afflicted by evil spirits. They were all healed.
17However, the high priest and those with him (who were Sadducees) became very jealous and decided to intervene. 18They arrested the apostles and threw them in the public jail. 19But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and led them out. 20“Go to the Temple and tell the people everything about this new way of life!” he told them. 21They did as they were told and went into the Temple at around dawn and began teaching.
Then the high priest and his followers called a council meeting with all the leaders of Israel. He sent for the apostles to be brought from prison. 22But when the officials went to the prison they couldn't find the apostles so they went back and told the council, 23“We found the prison all locked up, with guards at the doors. But when we had them open up, we couldn't find anyone inside.”
24Now when the captain of the Temple guards and the chief priests heard this they were totally baffled, and wondered what was going on. 25Then someone came in and said, “Look, the men you put in prison are right there in the Temple teaching people!”
26So the captain went with his guards and brought them in, but did not use force because they were afraid that the people would stone them. 27The apostles were brought in and made to stand in front of the council.
28“Didn't we order you not to teach in this name?” the high priest demanded to know. “Now look—you've filled the whole of Jerusalem with your teaching, and you're trying to blame us for his death!”
29But Peter and the apostles answered, “We have to obey God rather than men. 30The God of our forefathers raised Jesus from the dead—the one you killed by hanging him on a cross. 31God exalted him to a position of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior, as a way to bring repentance to Israel, and for the forgiveness of sins. 32We are witnesses of what happened, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33When the council heard this they were furious and wanted to kill them. 34But then one of the council members stood up to speak. He was Gamaliel, a Pharisee and a doctor of law who was respected by everyone. He ordered the apostles sent out for a short while.
35Gamaliel addressed the council: “Leaders of Israel, be careful what you plan to do to these men. 36Some time ago Theudas tried to make a name for himself, and about four hundred men joined him. He was killed and all who followed him were scattered and it came to nothing. 37Then after him Judas of Galilee came along at the time of the census, and he attracted some followers. He also died, and those who listened to him were dispersed. 38So in the current case I recommend that you leave these men alone, and just let them go. If what they are planning or what they are doing comes from their own human thinking, then it will be defeated. 39But if it comes from God, you won't be able to defeat them. You could even find yourselves fighting against God!”
40They were convinced by what he said. So they called the apostles back in, had them whipped, and ordered them not to say anything in the name of Jesus. Then they let them go. 41The apostles left the council, happy to be considered worthy to suffer shame for the name of Jesus. 42Every day they continued to teach and proclaim Jesus as the Messiah, in the Temple and from house to house.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com