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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Acts 5: CEVDCI
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Acts 5
5
Ananias and Sapphira
1A man named Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold some property. 2They agreed to hold back some of the money ⌞they had pledged⌟ and turned only part of it over to the apostles.
3Peter asked, “Ananias, why did you let Satan fill you with the idea that you could deceive the Holy Spirit? You’ve held back some of the money you received for the land. 4While you had the land, it was your own. After it was sold, you could have done as you pleased with the money. So how could you do a thing like this? You didn’t lie to people but to God!”
5When Ananias heard Peter say this, he dropped dead. Everyone who heard about his death was terrified. 6Some young men got up, wrapped his body in a sheet, carried him outside, and buried him.
7About three hours later Ananias’ wife arrived. She didn’t know what had happened. 8So Peter asked her, “Tell me, did you sell the land for that price?”
She answered, “Yes, that was the price.”
9Then Peter said to her, “How could you and your husband agree to test the Lord’s Spirit? Those who buried your husband are standing at the door, and they will carry you outside for burial.”
10Immediately, she dropped dead in front of Peter. When the young men came back, they found Sapphira dead. So they carried her outside and buried her next to her husband. 11The whole church and everyone else who heard about what had happened were terrified.
The Apostles Perform Many Miracles
12The people saw the apostles perform many miracles and do amazing things. The believers had a common faith in Jesus as they met on Solomon’s Porch. 13None of the other people dared to join them, although everyone spoke highly of them. 14More men and women than ever began to believe in the Lord. 15As a result, people carried their sick into the streets. They placed them on stretchers and cots so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some sick people as he went by. 16Crowds from the cities around Jerusalem would gather. They would bring their sick and those who were troubled by evil spirits, and each person was cured.
The Apostles’ Trial in Front of the Jewish Council
17The chief priest and the whole party of the Sadducees who were with him were extremely jealous. So they took action 18by arresting the apostles and putting them in the city jail. 19But at night an angel from the Lord opened the doors to their cell and led them out of the prison. 20The angel told them, “Stand in the temple courtyard, and tell the people everything about life ⌞in Christ⌟.”
21Early in the morning, after they had listened to the angel, the apostles went into the temple courtyard and began to teach.
The chief priest and those who were with him called together the Jewish council, that is, all the leaders of Israel. They also sent men to the prison to get the apostles. 22When the temple guards arrived at the prison, they didn’t find the apostles. The guards came back and reported, 23“We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors. However, when we opened the doors, we found no one inside.” 24When the officer of the temple guards and the chief priests heard this, they were puzzled about what could have happened.
25Then someone told them, “The men you put in prison are standing in the temple courtyard. They’re teaching the people.”
26Then the officer of the temple guards went with some of his men to bring back the apostles without using force. After all, the officer and his guards were afraid that the people would stone them to death for using force. 27When they brought back the apostles, they made them stand in front of the council. The chief priest questioned them. 28He said, “We gave you strict orders not to mention Jesus’ name when you teach. Yet, you’ve filled Jerusalem with your teachings. You want to take revenge on us for putting that man to death.”
29Peter and the other apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than people. 30You murdered Jesus by hanging him on a cross. But the God of our ancestors brought him back to life. 31God used his power to give Jesus the honored position—the one next to him on the heavenly throne as leader and savior. He did this to lead the people of Israel to him, to change the way they think and act, and to forgive their sins. 32We are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33When the men on the council heard this, they became furious and wanted to execute the apostles. 34But a Pharisee named Gamaliel stood up. He was a highly respected expert in Moses’ Teachings. He ordered that the apostles should be taken outside for a little while.
35Then he said to the council, “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you do with these men. 36Some time ago Theudas appeared. He claimed that he was important, and about four hundred men joined him. He was killed, and all his followers were scattered. The whole movement was a failure.
37“After that man, at the time of the census, Judas from Galilee appeared and led people in a revolt. He, too, died, and all his followers were scattered.
38“We should keep away from these men for now. We should leave them alone. I can guarantee that if the plan they put into action is of human origin, it will fail. 39However, if it’s from God, you won’t be able to stop them. You may even discover that you’re fighting against God.”
40The council took his advice. They called the apostles, beat them, ordered them not to speak about the one named Jesus, and let them go.
41The apostles left the council room. They were happy to have been considered worthy to suffer dishonor for speaking about Jesus. 42Every day in the temple courtyard and from house to house, they refused to stop teaching and telling the Good News that Jesus is the Messiah.
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