Acts 5
5
Peter Condemns Ananias and Sapphira
1Ananias and his wife Sapphira also sold a piece of property. 2But they agreed to cheat and keep some of the money for themselves.
So when Ananias took the rest of the money to the apostles, 3Peter said, “Why has Satan made you keep back some of the money from the sale of the property? Why have you lied to the Holy Spirit? 4The property was yours before you sold it, and even after you sold it, the money was still yours. What made you do such a thing? You didn't lie to people. You lied to God!”
5 #
Su 55. As soon as Ananias heard this, he dropped dead, and everyone who heard about it was frightened. 6Some young men came in and wrapped up his body. Then they took it out and buried it.
7Three hours later Sapphira came in, but she did not know what had happened to her husband. 8Peter asked her, “Tell me, did you sell the property for this amount?”
“Yes,” she answered, “that's the amount.”
9Then Peter said, “Why did the two of you agree to test the Lord's Spirit? The men who buried Ananias are by the door, and they will carry you out!” 10At once she fell at Peter's feet and died.
When the young men came back in, they found Sapphira lying there dead. So they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11The church members were afraid, and so was everyone else who heard what had happened.
Peter's Unusual Power
12The apostles worked many miracles and wonders among the people. All of the Lord's followers often met in the part of the temple known as Solomon's Porch.#5.12 Solomon's Porch: See the note at 3.11. 13No one outside their group dared join them, even though everyone liked them very much.
14Many men and women started having faith in the Lord. 15Then sick people were brought out to the road and placed on mats. It was hoped that Peter would walk by, and his shadow would fall on them and heal them. 16A lot of people living in the towns near Jerusalem brought those who were sick or troubled by evil spirits, and they were all healed.
Trouble for the Apostles
17The high priest and all the other Sadducees who were with him became jealous. 18They arrested the apostles and put them in the city jail. 19But that night an angel from the Lord opened the doors of the jail and led the apostles out. The angel said, 20“Go to the temple and tell the people everything about this new life.” 21So they went into the temple before sunrise and started teaching.
The high priest and his men called together their council, which included all of Israel's leaders. Then they ordered the apostles to be brought to them from the jail. 22The temple police who were sent to the jail did not find the apostles. They returned and said, 23“We found the jail locked tight and the guards standing at the doors. But when we opened the doors and went in, we didn't find anyone there.” 24The captain of the temple police and the chief priests listened to their report, but they did not know what to think about it.
25Just then someone came in and said, “Now those men you put in jail are in the temple, teaching the people!” 26The captain went with some of the temple police and brought the apostles back. But they did not use force. They were afraid that the people might start throwing stones at them.
27When the apostles were brought before the council, the high priest said to them, 28#Mt 27.25. “We told you plainly not to teach in the name of Jesus. But look what you have done! You have been teaching all over Jerusalem, and you are trying to blame us for his death.”
29Peter and the apostles replied:
We don't obey people. We obey God. 30You killed Jesus by nailing him to a cross. But the God our ancestors worshiped raised him to life 31and made him our Leader and Savior. Then God gave him a place at his right side,#5.31 right side: See the note at 2.33. so that the people of Israel would turn back to him and be forgiven. 32We are here to tell you about all this, and so is the Holy Spirit, who is God's gift to everyone who obeys God.
33When the council members heard this, they became so angry they wanted to kill the apostles. 34But one of the members was the Pharisee Gamaliel, a highly respected teacher. He ordered the apostles to be taken out of the room for a little while. 35Then he said to the council:
Men of Israel, be careful what you do with these men. 36Not long ago Theudas claimed to be someone important, and about 400 men joined him. But he was killed, and all his followers were scattered. That was the end of that.
37Later, when the people of our nation were being counted, Judas from Galilee showed up. A lot of people followed him, but he was killed, and all his followers were scattered.
38So I advise you to stay away from these men. Leave them alone. If what they are planning is something of their own doing, it will fail. 39#2 Macc 7.19. But if God is behind it, you cannot stop it anyway, unless you want to fight against God.
The council members agreed with what he said, 40and they called the apostles back in. They had them beaten with a whip and warned them not to speak in the name of Jesus. Then they let them go.
41The apostles left the council and were happy, because God had considered them worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus. 42Every day they spent time in the temple and in one home after another. They never stopped teaching and telling the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
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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