Acts of the Apostles 5
5
Pretenders of sharing
1However, a man named Ananias, along with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property. 2With his wife’s knowledge, he withheld some of the proceeds from the sale. He brought the rest and placed it in the care and under the authority of the apostles. 3Peter asked, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has influenced you to lie to the Holy Spirit by withholding some of the proceeds from the sale of your land? 4Wasn’t that property yours to keep? After you sold it, wasn’t the money yours to do with whatever you wanted? What made you think of such a thing? You haven’t lied to other people but to God!” 5When Ananias heard these words, he dropped dead. Everyone who heard this conversation was terrified. 6Some young men stood up, wrapped up his body, carried him out, and buried him.
7About three hours later, his wife entered, but she didn’t know what had happened to her husband. 8Peter asked her, “Tell me, did you and your husband receive this price for the field?”
She responded, “Yes, that’s the amount.”
9He replied, “How could you scheme with each other to challenge the Lord’s Spirit? Look! The feet of those who buried your husband are at the door. They will carry you out too.” 10At that very moment, she dropped dead at his feet. When the young men entered and found her dead, they carried her out and buried her with her husband. 11Trepidation and dread seized the whole church and all who heard what had happened.
Responses to the church
12The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. They would come together regularly at Solomon’s Porch. 13No one from outside the church dared to join them, even though the people spoke highly of them. 14Indeed, more and more believers in the Lord, large numbers of both men and women, were added to the church. 15As a result, they would even bring the sick out into the main streets and lay them on cots and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow could fall on some of them as he passed by. 16Even large numbers of persons from towns around Jerusalem would gather, bringing the sick and those harassed by unclean spirits. Everyone was healed.
The Jerusalem Council harasses the apostles
17The high priest, together with his allies, the Sadducees, was overcome with jealousy. 18They seized the apostles and made a public show of putting them in prison. 19An angel from the Lord opened the prison doors during the night and led them out. The angel told them, 20“Go, take your place in the temple, and tell the people everything about this new life.” 21Early in the morning, they went into the temple as they had been told and began to teach.
When the high priest and his colleagues gathered, they convened the Jerusalem Council, that is, the full assembly of Israel’s elders. They sent word to the prison to have the apostles brought before them. 22However, the guards didn’t find them in the prison. They returned and reported, 23“We found the prison locked and well-secured, with guards standing at the doors, but when we opened the doors we found no one inside!” 24When they received this news, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were baffled and wondered what might be happening. 25Just then, someone arrived and announced, “Look! The people you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” 26Then the captain left with his guards and brought the apostles back. They didn’t use force because they were afraid the people would stone them.
27The apostles were brought before the council where the high priest confronted them: 28“In no uncertain terms, we demanded that you not teach in this name. And look at you! You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching. And you are determined to hold us responsible for this man’s death.”
29Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than humans! 30The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31God has exalted Jesus to his right side as leader and savior so that he could enable Israel to change its heart and life and to find forgiveness for sins. 32We are witnesses of such things, as is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33When the council members heard this, they became furious and wanted to kill the apostles. 34One council member, a Pharisee and teacher of the Law named Gamaliel, well-respected by all the people, stood up and ordered that the men be taken outside for a few moments. 35He said, “Fellow Israelites, consider carefully what you intend to do to these people. 36Some time ago, Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and some four hundred men joined him. After he was killed, all of his followers scattered, and nothing came of that. 37Afterward, at the time of the census, Judas the Galilean appeared and got some people to follow him in a revolt. He was killed too, and all his followers scattered far and wide. 38Here’s my recommendation in this case: Distance yourselves from these men. Let them go! If their plan or activity is of human origin, it will end in ruin. 39If it originates with God, you won’t be able to stop them. Instead, you would actually find yourselves fighting God!” The council was convinced by his reasoning. 40After calling the apostles back, they had them beaten. They ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, then let them go. 41The apostles left the council rejoicing because they had been regarded as worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of the name. 42Every day they continued to teach and proclaim the good news that Jesus is the Christ, both in the temple and in houses.
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Acts of the Apostles 5: CEB
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Acts 5
5
Ananias and Sapphira
1There was a man named Ananias. His wife’s name was Sapphira. Ananias sold some land he had, 2but he gave only part of the money to the apostles. He secretly kept some of the money for himself. His wife knew this, and she agreed with it.
3Peter said, “Ananias, why did you let Satan fill your mind with such an idea? You kept part of the money for yourself and lied about it to the Holy Spirit! 4Before you sold the field, it belonged to you, right? And even after you sold it, you could have used the money any way you wanted. How could you even think of doing such a thing? You lied to God, not to us!”
5-6When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. Some young men came and wrapped his body. They carried it out and buried it. And everyone who heard about this was filled with fear.
7About three hours later his wife came in. Sapphira did not know about what had happened to her husband. 8Peter said to her, “Tell me how much money you got for your field. Was it this much?”
Sapphira answered, “Yes, that was all we got for the field.”
9Peter said to her, “Why did you and your husband agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! Do you hear those footsteps? The men who buried your husband are at the door. They will carry you out in the same way.” 10At that moment Sapphira fell down by his feet and died. The young men came in and saw that she was dead. They carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11The whole church and all the other people who heard about this were filled with fear.
Proofs From God
12The apostles were given the power to do many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. They were together in Solomon’s Porch, and they all had the same purpose. 13None of the other people dared to stand with the apostles, but everyone was saying wonderful things about them. 14More and more people believed in the Lord, and many men and women were added to the group of believers. 15So the people brought those who were sick into the streets and put them on little beds and mats. They were hoping that Peter’s shadow might fall on them as he walked by. 16People came from all the towns around Jerusalem. They brought those who were sick or troubled by evil spirits. All of them were healed.
The Apostles Are Arrested
17The high priest and all his friends, a group called the Sadducees, became very jealous. 18They grabbed the apostles and put them in jail. 19But during the night, an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail. The angel led the apostles outside and said, 20“Go and stand in the Temple area. Tell the people everything about this new life.” 21When the apostles heard this, they did what they were told. They went into the Temple area about sunrise and began to teach the people.
The high priest and his friends came together and called a meeting of the high council and all the older Jewish leaders. They sent some men to the jail to bring the apostles to them. 22When the men went to the jail, they could not find the apostles there. So they went back and told the Jewish leaders about this. 23They said, “The jail was closed and locked. The guards were standing at the doors. But when we opened the doors, the jail was empty!” 24The captain of the Temple guards and the leading priests heard this. They were confused and wondered what it all meant.
25Then another man came and told them, “Listen! The men you put in jail are standing in the Temple area teaching the people.” 26The captain and his men went out and brought the apostles back. But the soldiers did not use force, because they were afraid of the people. They were afraid the people would stone them to death.
27The soldiers brought the apostles in and made them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them. 28He said, “We told you never again to teach using that name.#5:28 that name That is, Jesus’ name. The Jewish leaders avoided saying his name. See Acts 4:17, 18. But look at what you have done! You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching. And you are trying to blame us for his death.”
29Peter and the other apostles answered, “We must obey God, not you! 30You killed Jesus by nailing him to a cross. But God, the same God our fathers had, raised Jesus up from death. 31Jesus is the one God honored by giving him a place at his right side. He made him our Leader and Savior. God did this to give all the people of Israel the opportunity to change and turn to God to have their sins forgiven. 32We saw all these things happen, and we can say that they are true. The Holy Spirit also shows that these things are true. God has given this Spirit to all those who obey him.”
33When the council members heard this, they became very angry. They began to plan a way to kill the apostles. 34But one member of the council, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, stood up. He was a teacher of the law, and all the people respected him. He told the men to make the apostles leave the meeting for a few minutes. 35Then he said to them, “Men of Israel, be careful of what you are planning to do to these men. 36Remember when Theudas appeared? He said he was an important man, and about 400 men joined him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were scattered and ran away. They were not able to do anything. 37Later, during the time of the census, a man named Judas came from Galilee. Many people joined his group, but he was also killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38And so now I tell you, stay away from these men. Leave them alone. If their plan is something they thought up, it will fail. 39But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. You might even be fighting against God himself!”
The Jewish leaders agreed with what Gamaliel said. 40They called the apostles in again. They beat them and told them not to speak anymore using the name of Jesus. Then they let them go free. 41The apostles left the council meeting. They were happy because they were given the honor of suffering dishonor for Jesus. 42The apostles did not stop teaching the people. They continued to tell the Good News—that Jesus is the Messiah. They did this every day in the Temple area and in people’s homes.
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