Acts 5
5
The Judgment of Ananias and Sapphira
1Now, a man named Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, # 5:1 The Aramaic can be translated “Ananias, together with his wife, who was famous for her beauty.” The Aramaic name Shapeera means “beauty.” likewise sold their farm. 2They conspired to secretly keep back for themselves a portion of the proceeds. So when Ananias brought the money to the apostles, it was only a portion of the entire sale. 3God revealed their secret to Peter, # 5:3 With supernatural discernment, God revealed to Peter what had happened. The words “pretended to give it all” are not in the original text, but supplied because of the inference of the words “lie to the Holy Spirit.” The true sin was more than simply telling Peter a lie, but lying to the Holy Spirit. so he said to him, “Ananias, why did you let Satan fill your heart and make you think you could lie to the Holy Spirit? You only pretended to give it all, yet you hid back part of the proceeds from the sale of your property to keep for yourselves. 4Before you sold it, wasn’t it yours to sell or to keep? And after you sold it, wasn’t the money entirely at your disposal? How could you plot such a thing in your heart? You haven’t lied to people; you’ve lied to God!” # 5:4 The Aramaic can be translated “You are not a phony with just men, but with God.”
5The moment Ananias heard those words, he fell over dead. Everyone was terrified when they heard what had happened. 6Some young men came in and removed the body and buried him.
7Three hours later, his wife came into the room, with no clue what had happened to her husband.
8Peter said to her, “Tell me, were the two of you paid this amount for the sale of your land?”
Sapphira said, “Yes, that’s how much it was.”
9Peter told her, “Why have you agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? # 5:9 The Aramaic is “the Spirit of the Lord Yahweh.” I hear the footsteps of those who buried your husband at the door—they’re coming here to bury you too!” 10At that moment she dropped dead at Peter’s feet.
When the young men came in, she was already dead, so they carried her out and buried her next to her husband. 11The entire church was seized with a powerful sense of the fear of God, # 5:11 Or “mega-fear fell on the church.” which came over all who heard what had happened.
The Apostles Perform Miracles, Signs, and Wonders
12The apostles performed many signs, wonders, and miracles among the people. 13And the believers were wonderfully united as they met regularly in the temple courts in the area known as Solomon’s Porch. No one dared harm them, # 5:13 As translated from the Aramaic. The Greek is “No one else dared join them,” which is somewhat confusing because of the next verse. for everyone held them in high regard.
14Continually more and more people believed in the Lord # 5:14 The Aramaic is “the Lord Yahweh.” and were added to their number—great crowds of both men and women. 15In fact, when people knew Peter was going to walk by, they carried the sick out to the streets and laid them down on cots and mats, knowing the incredible power emanating from him would overshadow them and heal them. # 5:15 The Greek word translated “overshadow” is episkiazo, which is used exclusively for the power of the Almighty “overshadowing,” such as with Mary, who conceived a child supernaturally by God. It is also used for the cloud that overshadowed Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. See Matt. 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 1:35. This was not a natural shadow created by the light of the sun, but the supernatural overshadowing of God’s power coming upon the sick to bring healing. 16Great numbers of people swarmed into Jerusalem from the nearby villages. They brought with them the sick and those troubled by demons—and everyone was healed!
The Apostles Persecuted
17The high priest and his officials, who formed the party of the Sadducees, became extremely jealous over all that was happening, 18so they had the apostles arrested, placed in chains, # 5:18 As translated from the Aramaic. and thrown into jail. 19But during the night, the Lord # 5:19 The Aramaic is “Lord Yahweh.” sent an angel who appeared before them. He supernaturally opened their prison doors and brought the apostles outside. 20“Go,” the angel told them. “Stand in the temple courts and preach the words that bring life!” 21So early that morning they entered the temple courts and taught the people. The high priest and his officials, unaware of their supernatural release from prison, convened the members of the supreme council. # 5:21 Or “the Sanhedrin.” They sent for the apostles to be brought to them from prison. 22But when the officers came to the prison cell, it was empty! They returned to the council and informed them, 23“We found the jail securely locked and the guards standing by their cell, but when we opened the door, there was no one inside!”
24When the captain of the temple guard and the leading priests heard this report, they were perplexed and at a loss over what to make of it.
25Someone came and informed them, “The men you put in prison are out there standing in the temple courts, teaching the people!”
26So the captain of the temple guard and his officers went to arrest them once again, but without using force, for they were afraid the people would stone them.
27When they brought them before the council, the high priest demanded an explanation, 28saying, “Didn’t we strictly warn you that you were to never again teach in this name? But instead you have now filled all of Jerusalem with this doctrine and are committed to holding us responsible for this man’s death!” # 5:28 Or “bringing [the guilt of] this man’s blood on us.”
29Peter and the apostles replied, “We must listen to and obey God more than pleasing religious leaders. 30You had Jesus arrested and killed by crucifixion, # 5:30 Or “by hanging him on a tree,” an Aramaic idiom for crucifixion. See Deut. 21:22–23. but the God of our forefathers # 5:30 See Ex. 3:15. has raised him up. 31He’s the one God has exalted and seated at his right hand as our Savior and Champion. # 5:31 Or “Prince.” He is the provider of grace as the Redeemer of Israel. # 5:31 As translated from the Aramaic. The Greek is “He gives repentance and removal of sins to Israel.” 32We are witnesses of these things, # 5:32 Or “words.” This is the Greek word rhema. and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God freely gives to all who believe in him.” # 5:32 As translated from the Aramaic. The Greek is “to those who hear and obey him.”
33When they heard this, they were infuriated and determined to murder them. 34But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a noted religious professor who was highly respected by all, stood up. He gave orders to send the apostles outside. 35Then he said to the council, “Men of Israel, you need to be very careful about how you deal with these men. 36Some time ago there was a man named Theudas who rose up claiming to be somebody. He had a following of about four hundred men, but when he was killed, all of his followers were scattered, and nothing came of it.
37“After him, in the days of the census, # 5:37 Or “registration for the Roman tax.” another man rose up, Judas the Galilean, who got people to follow him in a revolt. He too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered. 38So in this situation, you should just leave these men to themselves. For if this plan or undertaking originates with men, it will fade away and come to nothing. 39But if this movement is of God, you won’t be able to stop it. And you might discover that you were fighting God all along!”
Gamaliel’s words convinced the council. 40So they brought the apostles back in and had them severely beaten. They ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus and then let them go.
41The apostles left there rejoicing, thrilled that God had considered them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. 42And nothing stopped them! They kept preaching every day in the temple courts and went from house to house, preaching the gospel of Jesus, God’s Anointed One!
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Acts 5: TPT
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Learn More About The Passion TranslationActs 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.