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
1-2But a man named Ananias—his wife, Sapphira, conniving in this with him—sold a piece of land, secretly kept part of the price for himself, and then brought the rest to the apostles and made an offering of it.
3-4Peter said, “Ananias, how did Satan get you to lie to the Holy Spirit and secretly keep back part of the price of the field? Before you sold it, it was all yours, and after you sold it, the money was yours to do with as you wished. So what got into you to pull a trick like this? You didn’t lie to men but to God.”
5-6Ananias, when he heard those words, fell down dead. That put the fear of God into everyone who heard of it. The younger men went right to work and wrapped him up, then carried him out and buried him.
7-8Not more than three hours later, his wife, knowing nothing of what had happened, came in. Peter said, “Tell me, were you given this price for your field?”
“Yes,” she said, “that price.”
9-10Peter responded, “What’s going on here that you connived to conspire against the Spirit of the Master? The men who buried your husband are at the door, and you’re next.” No sooner were the words out of his mouth than she also fell down, dead. When the young men returned they found her body. They carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
11By this time the whole church and, in fact, everyone who heard of these things had a healthy respect for God. They knew God was not to be trifled with.
They All Met Regularly
12-16Through the work of the apostles, many God-signs were set up among the people, many wonderful things done. They all met regularly and in remarkable harmony on the Temple porch named after Solomon. But even though people admired them a lot, outsiders were wary about joining them. On the other hand, those who put their trust in the Master were added right and left, men and women both. They even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on stretchers and bedrolls, hoping they would be touched by Peter’s shadow when he walked by. They came from the villages surrounding Jerusalem, throngs of them, bringing the sick and bedeviled. And they all were healed.
To Obey God Rather than Men
17-20Provoked mightily by all this, the Chief Priest and those on his side, mainly the sect of Sadducees, went into action, arrested the apostles and put them in the town jail. But during the night an angel of God opened the jailhouse door and led them out. He said, “Go to the Temple and take your stand. Tell the people everything there is to say about this Life.”
Promptly obedient, they entered the Temple at daybreak and went on with their teaching.
21-23Meanwhile, the Chief Priest and his cronies convened the High Council, Israel’s senate, and sent to the jail to have the prisoners brought in. When the police got there, they couldn’t find them anywhere in the jail. They went back and reported, “We found the jail locked tight as a drum and the guards posted at the doors, but when we went inside we didn’t find a soul.”
24The chief of the Temple police and the high priests were puzzled. “What’s going on here anyway?”
25-26Just then someone showed up and said, “Did you know that the men you put in jail are back in the Temple teaching the people?” The chief and his police went and got them, but they handled them gently, fearful that the people would riot and turn on them.
27-28Bringing them back, they stood them before the High Council. The Chief Priest said, “Didn’t we give you strict orders not to teach in Jesus’ name? And here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are trying your best to blame us for the death of this man.”
29-32Peter and the apostles answered, “It’s necessary to obey God rather than men. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, the One you killed by hanging him on a cross. God set him on high at his side, Prince and Savior, to give Israel the gift of a changed life and sins forgiven. And we are witnesses to these things. The Holy Spirit, whom God gives to those who obey him, corroborates every detail.”
33-37When they heard that, they were furious and wanted to kill them on the spot. But one of the council members stood up, a Pharisee by the name of Gamaliel, a teacher of God’s Law who was honored by everyone. He ordered the men taken out of the room for a short time, then said, “Fellow Israelites, be careful what you do to these men. Not long ago Theudas made something of a splash, claiming to be somebody, and got about four hundred men to join him. He was killed, his followers dispersed, and nothing came of it. A little later, at the time of the census, Judas the Galilean appeared and acquired a following. He also fizzled out and the people following him were scattered to the four winds.
38-39“So I am telling you: Hands off these men! Let them alone. If this program or this work is merely human, it will fall apart, but if it is of God, there is nothing you can do about it—and you better not be found fighting against God!”
40-42That convinced them. They called the apostles back in. After giving them a thorough whipping, they warned them not to speak in Jesus’ name and sent them off. The apostles went out of the High Council overjoyed because they had been given the honor of being dishonored on account of the Name. Every day they were in the Temple and homes, teaching and preaching Christ Jesus, not letting up for a minute.
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.