Acts 5
5
Ananias and Sapphira Lie to the Ruach
1On the other hand, a man named Ananias together with his wife, Sapphira, sold a property.
2He kept back some of the proceeds, with his wife’s full knowledge, and brought part of it and set it at the feet of the emissaries.
3But Peter said, “Ananias, why has satan filled your heart to lie to the Ruach ha-Kodesh and keep back part of the proceeds of the land?
4While it remained unsold, it was your own, wasn’t it? And after it was sold, wasn’t it at your disposal? How did this deed get into your heart? You haven’t lied to men but to God.”
5As soon as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and died. Great fear came upon all who heard about it.
6The young men got up and wrapped him in a shroud, then carried him out and buried him.
7After an interval of about three hours, his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8Peter responded to her, “Tell me if you sold the land for this much.” She said, “Yes, for that much.”
9Then Peter said to her, “How did you agree to test the Ruach Adonai? Look, the feet of those who buried your husband are at the door—they will carry you out, too!”
10Immediately she fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came back in, they found her dead and carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
11And great fear came over the whole community and all who heard these things.
Signs and Wonders, Angelic Jailbreak, and Bold Witness
12Meanwhile, through the hands of the emissaries many signs and wonders were happening among the people. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico.
13But no one else dared to join them, though the people continued to think highly of them.
14Yet more than ever those trusting in the Lord were added—large numbers of men and women.
15They even carried the sick into the streets and laid them on stretchers and cots, so that when Peter passed by at least his shadow might fall on some of them.
16Crowds were also gathering from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing those who were sick or tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.
17But the kohen gadol rose up, and all those with him (that is, the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy.
18They grabbed the emissaries and put them in a public jail.
19But during the night an angel of Adonai opened the prison doors, and leading them out he said,
20“Go, stand in the Temple and speak to the people the whole message about this Life.”
21Now when they heard that, they entered the Temple at daybreak and began teaching. When the kohen gadol and those with him arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin, even the council of elders of Bnei-Yisrael, and sent to the prison to have the prisoners brought in.
22But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison. So they returned and reported,
23saying, “We found the prison locked with maximum security and the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened up, we found no one inside.”
24When the captain of the Temple and the ruling kohanim heard these words, they were perplexed about them, wondering where this would lead.
25But someone came and reported to them, “The men you put in prison are standing in the Temple and teaching the people!”
26Then the captain went off with the officers and brought the emissaries—but not with force, because they feared they might be stoned by the people.
27When they had brought them, they placed them before the Sanhedrin. The kohen gadol questioned them,
28saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name—and look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring on us the blood of this Man!”
29Peter and the emissaries replied, “We must obey God rather than men.
30The God of our fathers raised up Yeshua, whom you seized and had crucified.
31This One God exalted at His right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and removal of sins.
32And we are witnesses of these events—as is the Ruach ha-Kodesh, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
33Now when they heard this, they became enraged and wanted to kill them.
34But a certain Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Torah respected by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while.
35Then he said to them, “Men of Israel, be careful what you are about to do with these men.
36For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody; and a number of men, maybe four hundred, joined up with him. He was killed, and all who followed him were scattered and came to nothing.
37After this fellow, Judah the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and got people to follow him. He also perished, and all who followed him were scattered.
38So now I tell you, stay away from these men and leave them alone. For if this plan or undertaking is of men, it will come to an end;
39but if it is of God, you will not be able to stop them. You might even be found fighting against God.” They took his advice,
40called in the emissaries, flogged them, ordered them not to continue speaking in the name of Yeshua, and let them go.
41So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were considered worthy to be dishonored on account of His name.
42And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming Yeshua as the Messiah.
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Acts 5
5
Ananias and Sapphira.#The sin of Ananias and Sapphira did not consist in the withholding of part of the money but in their deception of the community. Their deaths are ascribed to a lie to the holy Spirit (Acts 5:3, 9), i.e., they accepted the honor accorded them by the community for their generosity, but in reality they were not deserving of it. 1A man named Ananias, however, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property. 2He retained for himself, with his wife’s knowledge, some of the purchase price, took the remainder, and put it at the feet of the apostles. 3But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart so that you lied to the holy Spirit and retained part of the price of the land?#Lk 22:3; Jn 13:2. 4While it remained unsold, did it not remain yours? And when it was sold, was it not still under your control? Why did you contrive this deed? You have lied not to human beings, but to God.” 5When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last, and great fear came upon all who heard of it. 6The young men came and wrapped him up, then carried him out and buried him.
7After an interval of about three hours, his wife came in, unaware of what had happened. 8Peter said to her, “Tell me, did you sell the land for this amount?” She answered, “Yes, for that amount.” 9Then Peter said to her, “Why did you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen, the footsteps 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 breathed her last. When the young men entered they found her dead, so they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.#2:43; 5:5; 19:17.
Signs and Wonders of the Apostles.#This, the third summary portraying the Jerusalem community, underscores the Twelve as its bulwark, especially because of their charismatic power to heal the sick; cf. Acts 2:42–47; 4:32–37. 12Many signs and wonders were done among the people at the hands of the apostles. They were all together in Solomon’s portico.#2:43; 6:8; 14:3; 15:12. 13None of the others dared to join them, but the people esteemed them. 14Yet more than ever, believers in the Lord, great numbers of men and women, were added to them. 15Thus they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them.#19:11–12; Mk 6:56. 16A large number of people from the towns in the vicinity of Jerusalem also gathered, bringing the sick and those disturbed by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.
Trial Before the Sanhedrin.#A second action against the community is taken by the Sanhedrin in the arrest and trial of the Twelve; cf. Acts 4:1–3. The motive is the jealousy of the religious authorities over the popularity of the apostles (Acts 5:17) who are now charged with the defiance of the Sanhedrin’s previous order to them to abandon their prophetic role (Acts 5:28; cf. Acts 4:18). In this crisis the apostles are favored by a miraculous release from prison (Acts 5:18–24). (For similar incidents involving Peter and Paul, see Acts 12:6–11; 16:25–29.) The real significance of such an event, however, would be manifest only to people of faith, not to unbelievers; since the Sanhedrin already judged the Twelve to be inauthentic prophets, it could disregard reports of their miracles. When the Twelve immediately resumed public teaching, the Sanhedrin determined to invoke upon them the penalty of death (Acts 5:33) prescribed in Dt 13:6–10. Gamaliel’s advice against this course finally prevailed, but it did not save the Twelve from the punishment of scourging (Acts 5:40) in a last endeavor to shake their conviction of their prophetic mission. 17Then the high priest rose up and all his companions, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and, filled with jealousy,#4:1–3, 6. 18laid hands upon the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said,#12:7–10; 16:25–26. 20“Go and take your place in the temple area, and tell the people everything about this life.” 21When they heard this, they went to the temple early in the morning and taught. When the high priest and his companions arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin, the full senate of the Israelites, and sent to the jail to have them brought in. 22But the court officers who went did not find them in the prison, so they came back and reported, 23“We found the jail securely locked and the guards stationed outside the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24When they heard this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were at a loss about them, as to what this would come to. 25Then someone came in and reported to them, “The men whom you put in prison are in the temple area and are teaching the people.” 26Then the captain and the court officers went and brought them in, but without force, because they were afraid of being stoned by the people.#Lk 20:19.
27When they had brought them in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, the high priest questioned them, 28“We gave you strict orders [did we not?] to stop teaching in that name. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.”#Mt 27:25. 29But Peter and the apostles said in reply, “We must obey God rather than men.#4:19. 30#Hanging him on a tree: that is, crucifying him (cf. also Gal 3:13). The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,#2:23–24. though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree. 31God exalted him at his right hand#At his right hand: see note on Acts 2:33. as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.#2:38. 32We are witnesses of these things, as is the holy Spirit that God has given to those who obey him.”#Lk 24:48; Jn 15:26.
33When they heard this, they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death. 34#Gamaliel: in Acts 22:3, Paul identifies himself as a disciple of this Rabbi Gamaliel I who flourished in Jerusalem between A.D. 25 and 50. But a Pharisee in the Sanhedrin named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, stood up, ordered the men to be put outside for a short time,#22:3. 35and said to them, “Fellow Israelites, be careful what you are about to do to these men. 36#Gamaliel offers examples of unsuccessful contemporary movements to argue that if God is not the origin of this movement preached by the apostles it will perish by itself. The movement initiated by Theudas actually occurred when C. Cuspius Fadus was governor, A.D. 44–46. Luke’s placing of Judas the Galilean after Theudas and at the time of the census (see note on Lk 2:1–2) is an indication of the vagueness of his knowledge of these events. Some time ago, Theudas appeared, claiming to be someone important, and about four hundred men joined him, but he was killed, and all those who were loyal to him were disbanded and came to nothing. 37After him came Judas the Galilean at the time of the census. He also drew people after him, but he too perished and all who were loyal to him were scattered. 38So now I tell you, have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. 39But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” They were persuaded by him. 40After recalling the apostles, they had them flogged, ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them.#Mt 10:17; Acts 4:17–18. 41So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.#Mt 5:10–11; 1 Pt 4:13. 42And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Messiah, Jesus.#2:46; 5:20–21, 25; 8:35; 17:3; 18:5, 28; 19:4–5.
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