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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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
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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