1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost. 5:9
Trivia: Where did the Holy Ghost forbid Paul from preaching?
5:1-111 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, sold their property,
giving part of the money to the apostles,
but keeping the rest for themselves. [1]
3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Peter said to Ananias,
Why did Satan make you lie to the Holy Ghost
by keeping some of the money from the sale of your land?
4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
You didn't lie to us, you lied to God.
5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
When Ananias heard these words, he died.
7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
A few hours later, his wife came in, not knowing what had happened to her husband.
8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
Peter said,
Why did you and your husband tempt the Spirit of the Lord?
The men who buried your husband are here.
Shall they bury you too?
10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
Immediately she fell down dead.
11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
And a great fear spread among the church.
5:12-1612 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.
13 And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them.
The apostles performed many signs and wonders for the people.
14 And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)
And many people were converted.
15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.
Sick people were brought into the streets,
hoping they'd be cured by Peter's shadow. [2]
16 There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.
Large crowds of people vexed by evil spirits came from surrounding cites to Jerusalem.
Every one of them was healed.
5:17-2417 Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation,
18 And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.
The high priest arrested the apostles and put them in prison.
19 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,
But an angel opened the prison doors and let them out. [3]
20 Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
The angel said to the apostles,
Go to the temple to speak to the people.
21 And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.
22 But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned and told,
23 Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.
24 Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow.
So the apostles went to the temple and taught.
5:25-4225 Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.
Someone told the high priest and his council that the apostles escaped from prison and were teaching in the temple.
26 Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.
The officers went to the temple and brought the apostles to the council.
The high priest asked them:
27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, The high priest asked them:
28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.
Didn't we command you not to teach in Jesus's name?
29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
Peter and the other apostles said,
We should obey God, not men. [4]
30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
God raised up Jesus.
You killed him and hung him on a tree. [5]
33 When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.
When the council heard that, they wanted to kill the apostles.
34 Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;
But a Pharisee named Gamaliel told the apostles to leave.
35 And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men.
Then he said to the council:
36 For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.
Sometime ago, a man named Theudas recruited about 400 men.
Then he and his followers were all killed. [6]
37 After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.
After that, a man named Judas of Galilee did much the same, with the same result. (They were all killed.) [7]
38 And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:
And so I say to you. let these men alone.
If their work is inspired by men, it will fail.
39 But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.
But if it's from God, you can't overthrow it.
It's bad luck to fight against God.
40 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
The council agreed, and after beating them,
they commanded them not to speak the name of Jesus.
Then they released them.
42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
After that, the apostles went each day to the temple and in every house, teaching and preaching the name of Jesus Christ.
God killed Ananias and Sapphira for not giving Peter all of the money that they made when selling their land. (They kept some for themselves.) DWB: Ananias and Sapphira
The sick were healed just by touching the shadow of Peter.
The first holy prison break!
Once again, Peter accuses the Jews of murdering Jesus.
According to Josephus, Theudas was a Jewish rebel who led a revolt against the Romans in around 45 CE. He was captured and beheaded by the Romans.
Josephus also mentions Judas of Galilee, saying that he led a revolt against the Romans when Quirinius was governor in 6 CE. (So Josephus disagreed with Gamaliel's chronology.) Judas, according to Josephus, was a founder of the Zealots, who refused to pay taxes and resisted Roman rule in Judea. This revolt eventually led to war with the Romans, which ended with the defeat of the Jews and the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE.
Christian Response
