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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Acts 5: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Acts 5
5
Ananias and Sapphira Die
1But a man named Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold some land. 2He kept back part of the money for himself; his wife knew about this and agreed to it. But he brought the rest of the money and gave it to the apostles. 3Peter said, “Ananias, why did you let Satan rule your thoughts to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep for yourself part of the money you received for the land? 4Before you sold the land, it belonged to you. And even after you sold it, you could have used the money any way you wanted. Why did you think of doing this? You lied to God, not to us!” 5-6When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. Some young men came in, wrapped up his body, carried it out, and buried it. And everyone who heard about this was filled with fear.
7About three hours later his wife came in, but she did not know what had happened. 8Peter said to her, “Tell me, was the money you got for your field this much?”
Sapphira answered, “Yes, that was the price.”
9Peter said to her, “Why did you and your husband agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10At that moment Sapphira fell down by his feet and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11The whole church and all the others who heard about these things were filled with fear.
The Apostles Heal Many
12The apostles did many signs and miracles among the people. And they would all meet together on Solomon’s Porch. 13None of the others dared to join them, but all the people respected them. 14More and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to the group of believers. 15The people placed their sick on beds and mats in the streets, hoping that when Peter passed by at least his shadow might fall on them. 16Crowds came from all the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those who were bothered by evil spirits, and all of them were healed.
Leaders Try to Stop the Apostles
17The high priest and all his friends (a group called the Sadducees) became very jealous. 18They took the apostles and put them in jail. 19But during the night, an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and led the apostles outside. The angel said, 20“Go stand in the Temple and tell the people everything about this new life.” 21When the apostles heard this, they obeyed and went into the Temple early in the morning and continued teaching.
When the high priest and his friends arrived, they called a meeting of the leaders and all the important elders. They sent some men to the jail to bring the apostles to them. 22But, upon arriving, the officers could not find the apostles. So they went back and reported to the leaders. 23They said, “The jail was closed and locked, and the guards were standing at the doors. But when we opened the doors, the jail was empty!” 24Hearing this, the captain of the Temple guards and the leading priests were confused and wondered what was happening.
25Then someone came and told them, “Listen! The men you put in jail are standing in the Temple teaching the people.” 26Then the captain and his men went out and brought the apostles back. But the soldiers did not use force, because they were afraid the people would stone them to death.
27The soldiers brought the apostles to the meeting and made them stand before the leaders. The high priest questioned them, 28saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in that name. But look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are trying to make us responsible for this man’s death.”
29Peter and the other apostles answered, “We must obey God, not human authority! 30You killed Jesus by hanging him on a cross. But God, the God of our ancestors, raised Jesus up from the dead! 31Jesus is the One whom God raised to be on his right side, as Leader and Savior. Through him, all people could change their hearts and lives and have their sins forgiven. 32We saw all these things happen. The Holy Spirit, whom God has given to all who obey him, also proves these things are true.”
33When the leaders heard this, they became angry and wanted to kill them. 34But a Pharisee named Gamaliel stood up in the meeting. He was a teacher of the law, and all the people respected him. He ordered the apostles to leave the meeting for a little while. 35Then he said, “People of Israel, be careful what you are planning to do to these men. 36Remember when Theudas appeared? He said he was a great man, and about four hundred men joined him. But he was killed, and all his followers were scattered; they were able to do nothing. 37Later, a man named Judas came from Galilee at the time of the registration. He also led a group of followers and was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38And so now I tell you: Stay away from these men, and leave them alone. If their plan comes from human authority, it will fail. 39But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. You might even be fighting against God himself!”
The leaders agreed with what Gamaliel said. 40They called the apostles in, beat them, and told them not to speak in the name of Jesus again. Then they let them go free. 41The apostles left the meeting full of joy because they were given the honor of suffering disgrace for Jesus. 42Every day in the Temple and in people’s homes they continued teaching the people and telling the Good News—that Jesus is the Christ.
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.