Acts 5
5
Ananias and Sapphira
1Now a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property. 2#Ac 4:37He kept back part of the proceeds with his wife’s knowledge, and brought a part of it and placed it at the apostles’ feet.
3#Jn 13:2; 13:27Then Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to deceive the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the proceeds of the land? 4#Ac 5:3While it remained unsold, was it not your own? And when it was sold, was it not under your authority? Why have you conceived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to men, but to God.”
5#Ac 5:10–11; 2:43On hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died. And great fear came on all those who heard these things. 6#Jn 19:40The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.
7About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for this amount?”
She said, “Yes, for that much.”
9#Ac 5:3–4; 1Co 10:9Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together 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.”
10At once she fell down at his feet and died. Upon entering, the young men found her dead and carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11#Ac 5:5; 19:17Great fear came on the entire church and on all those who heard these things.
Signs and Wonders
12#Ac 3:11; Jn 10:23Many signs and wonders were performed among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Porch. 13#Ac 2:47; 4:21No one else dared join them, but the people respected them. 14#Ac 2:47Believers were increasingly added to the Lord, crowds of both men and women, 15#Mt 14:36so that they even brought the sick out into the streets and placed them on beds and mats, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might touch some of them. 16#Mk 16:17–18Crowds also came out of the cities surrounding Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those who were afflicted by evil spirits, and they were all healed.
Persecution of the Apostles
17#Ac 7:9; 13:45Then the high priest and all those who were with him (that is, the sect of the Sadducees) rose up and were filled with jealousy. 18#Ac 4:3; Lk 21:12They seized the apostles and put them in the common prison. 19#Ac 8:26; 16:26But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and led them out, and said, 20#Jn 6:63; 6:68“Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.”
21#Jn 8:2Having heard this, they entered the temple at dawn and taught.
But the high priest and those who were with him came and called together the Sanhedrin and the senate of all the sons of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought out. 22But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported, 23“We found the prison securely shut and the guards standing outside before the doors. But when we opened it, we found no one inside.” 24#Ac 4:1; 5:26Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they were in doubt of what might become of this.
25Then one came and told them, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26#Ac 5:13; 4:21Then the captain with his escorts went and brought them, without force lest they should be stoned, for they feared the people.
27When they had brought them, they stood them before the Sanhedrin. And the high priest questioned them, 28#Mt 27:25; Ac 7:52saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? Yet now you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring on us this Man’s blood.”
29#Ac 4:19Peter and the other apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30#Ac 10:39; Gal 3:13The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging on a tree. 31#Lk 24:47; 2:11; Ac 2:33God exalted this Man to His right hand to be a Ruler and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32#Jn 15:26–27; Ac 2:4We are His witnesses to these words, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
33#Ac 2:37; 7:54When they heard this, they were cut to the heart and took counsel to kill them. 34#Ac 22:3; Lk 2:46But a Pharisee in the Sanhedrin named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law honored by all the people, stood and ordered the apostles to be put outside for a little while. 35Then he said to them, “Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do concerning these men. 36#Ac 8:9; 21:38For in previous days Theudas rose up, boasting to be somebody, to whom a number of about four hundred men joined themselves. He was killed, and all who obeyed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37#Lk 2:1–2After Theudas, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away many people after him. This man also perished, and all who obeyed him were scattered. 38#La 3:37; Mt 15:13Now I tell you, keep away from these men and leave them alone, because if this intention or this activity is of men, it will come to nothing. 39#Pr 21:30; Ac 7:51But if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them, lest perhaps you be found even fighting against God.”
40#Mt 10:17; Mk 13:9They agreed with him. When they had called in the apostles, they beat them, and commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them.
41#Jn 15:21Then they departed from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. 42#Ac 2:46; 8:35Daily, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
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Military Bible Association
Acts 5
5
Ananias and Sapphira
1But there was a man named Ananias, who with his wife Sapphira sold some property that belonged to them. 2But with his wife's agreement he kept part of the money for himself and handed the rest over to the apostles. 3Peter said to him, “Ananias, why did you let Satan take control of you and make you lie to the Holy Spirit by keeping part of the money you received for the property? 4Before you sold the property, it belonged to you; and after you sold it, the money was yours. Why, then, did you decide to do such a thing? You have not lied to human beings — you have lied to God!” 5As soon as Ananias heard this, he fell down dead; and all who heard about it were terrified. 6The young men came in, wrapped up his body, carried him out, and buried him.
7About three hours later his wife, not knowing what had happened, came in. 8Peter asked her, “Tell me, was this the full amount you and your husband received for your property?”
“Yes,” she answered, “the full amount.”
9So Peter said to her, “Why did you and your husband decide to put the Lord's Spirit to the test? The men who buried your husband are now at the door, and they will carry you out too!” 10At once she fell down at his feet and died. The young men came in and saw that she was dead, so they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11The whole church and all the others who heard of this were terrified.
Miracles and Wonders
12Many miracles and wonders were being performed among the people by the apostles. All the believers met together in Solomon's Porch. 13Nobody outside the group dared to join them, even though the people spoke highly of them. 14But more and more people were added to the group — a crowd of men and women who believed in the Lord. 15As a result of what the apostles were doing, sick people were carried out into the streets and placed on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16And crowds of people came in from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing those who were ill or who had evil spirits in them; and they were all healed.
The Apostles are Persecuted
17Then the High Priest and all his companions, members of the local party of the Sadducees, became extremely jealous of the apostles; so they decided to take action. 18They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19But that night an angel of the Lord opened the prison gates, led the apostles out, and said to them, 20“Go and stand in the Temple, and tell the people all about this new life.” 21The apostles obeyed, and at dawn they entered the Temple and started teaching.
The High Priest and his companions called together all the Jewish elders for a full meeting of the Council; then they sent orders to the prison to have the apostles brought before them. 22But when the officials arrived, they did not find the apostles in prison, so they returned to the Council and reported, 23“When we arrived at the jail, we found it locked up tight and all the guards on watch at the gates; but when we opened the gates, we found no one inside!” 24When the chief priests and the officer in charge of the temple guards heard this, they wondered what had happened to the apostles. 25Then a man came in and said to them, “Listen! The men you put in prison are in the Temple teaching the people!” 26So the officer went off with his men and brought the apostles back. They did not use force, however, because they were afraid that the people might stone them.
27They brought the apostles in, made them stand before the Council, and the High Priest questioned them. 28#Mt 27.25“We gave you strict orders not to teach in the name of this man,” he said; “but see what you have done! You have spread your teaching all over Jerusalem, and you want to make us responsible for his death!”
29Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God, not men. 30The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from death, after you had killed him by nailing him to a cross. 31God raised him to his right-hand side as Leader and Saviour, to give the people of Israel the opportunity to repent and have their sins forgiven. 32We are witnesses to these things — we and the Holy Spirit, who is God's gift to those who obey him.”
33When the members of the Council heard this, they were so furious that they wanted to have the apostles put to death. 34But one of them, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, who was a teacher of the Law and was highly respected by all the people, stood up in the Council. He ordered the apostles to be taken out for a while, 35and then he said to the Council, “Fellow-Israelites, be careful what you do to these men. 36You remember that Theudas appeared some time ago, claiming to be somebody great, and about 400 men joined him. But he was killed, all his followers were scattered, and his movement died out. 37After that, Judas the Galilean appeared during the time of the census; he drew a crowd after him, but he also was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38And so in this case, I tell you, do not take any action against these men. Leave them alone! If what they have planned and done is of human origin, it will disappear, 39but if it comes from God, you cannot possibly defeat them. You could find yourselves fighting against God!”
The Council followed Gamaliel's advice. 40They called the apostles in, had them whipped, and ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus; and then they set them free. 41As the apostles left the Council, they were happy, because God had considered them worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of Jesus. 42And every day in the Temple and in people's homes they continued to teach and preach the Good News about Jesus the Messiah.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.