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Acts 5
New English Translation

The Judgment on Ananias and Sapphira

5 Now a man named Ananias, together with Sapphira his wife, sold a piece of property. 2 He[a] kept back for himself part of the proceeds with his wife’s knowledge; he brought[b] only part of it and placed it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled[c] your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back for yourself part of the proceeds from the sale of[d] the land? 4 Before it was sold,[e] did it not[f] belong to you? And when it was sold, was the money[g] not at your disposal? How have you thought up this deed in your heart?[h] You have not lied to people[i] but to God!”

5 When Ananias heard these words he collapsed and died, and great fear gripped[j] all who heard about it. 6 So the young men came,[k] wrapped him up,[l] carried him out, and buried[m] him. 7 After an interval of about three hours,[n] his wife came in, but she did not know[o] what had happened. 8 Peter said to her, “Tell me, were the two of you[p] paid this amount[q] for the land?” Sapphira[r] said, “Yes, that much.” 9 Peter then told her, “Why have you agreed together 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!” 10 At once[s] she collapsed at his feet and died. So when the young men came in, they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great[t] fear gripped[u] the whole church[v] and all who heard about these things.

The Apostles Perform Miraculous Signs and Wonders

12 Now many miraculous signs[w] and wonders came about among the people through the hands of the apostles. By[x] common consent[y] they were all meeting together in Solomon’s Portico.[z] 13 None of the rest dared to join them,[aa] but the people held them in high honor.[ab] 14 More and more believers in the Lord were added to their number,[ac] crowds of both men and women. 15 Thus[ad] they even carried the sick out into the streets, and put them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow would fall on some of them. 16 A crowd of people from the towns around Jerusalem also came together, bringing the sick and those troubled by unclean spirits.[ae] They[af] were all[ag] being healed.

Further Trouble for the Apostles

17 Now the high priest rose up, and all those with him (that is, the religious party of the Sadducees[ah]),[ai] and they were filled with jealousy.[aj] 18 They[ak] laid hands on[al] the apostles and put them in a public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord[am] opened[an] the doors of the prison,[ao] led them out,[ap] and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple courts[aq] and proclaim[ar] to the people all the words of this life.” 21 When they heard this, they entered the temple courts[as] at daybreak and began teaching.[at]

Now when the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they summoned the Sanhedrin[au]—that is, the whole high council[av] of the Israelites[aw]—and sent to the jail to have the apostles[ax] brought before them.[ay] 22 But the officers[az] who came for them[ba] did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported,[bb] 23 “We found the jail locked securely and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them,[bc] we found no one inside.” 24 Now when the commander[bd] of the temple guard[be] and the chief priests heard this report,[bf] they were greatly puzzled concerning it,[bg] wondering what this could[bh] be. 25 But someone came and reported to them, “Look! The men you put in prison are standing in the temple courts[bi] and teaching[bj] the people!” 26 Then the commander[bk] of the temple guard[bl] went with the officers[bm] and brought the apostles[bn] without the use of force[bo] (for they were afraid of being stoned by the people).[bp]

27 When they had brought them, they stood them before the council,[bq] and the high priest questioned[br] them, 28 saying, “We gave[bs] you strict orders[bt] not to teach in this name.[bu] Look,[bv] you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood[bw] on us!” 29 But Peter and the apostles replied,[bx] “We must obey[by] God rather than people.[bz] 30 The God of our forefathers[ca] raised up Jesus, whom you seized and killed by hanging him on a tree.[cb] 31 God exalted him[cc] to his right hand as Leader[cd] and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.[ce] 32 And we are witnesses of these events,[cf] and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey[cg] him.”

33 Now when they heard this, they became furious[ch] and wanted to execute them.[ci] 34 But a Pharisee[cj] whose name was Gamaliel,[ck] a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up[cl] in the council[cm] and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time. 35 Then he said to the council,[cn] “Men of Israel,[co] pay close attention to[cp] what you are about to do to these men. 36 For some time ago[cq] Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about 400 men joined him. He[cr] was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and nothing came of it.[cs] 37 After him Judas the Galilean arose in the days of the census,[ct] and incited people to follow him in revolt.[cu] He too was killed, and all who followed him were scattered. 38 So in this case I say to you, stay away from these men and leave them alone, because if this plan or this undertaking originates with people,[cv] it will come to nothing,[cw] 39 but if[cx] it is from God, you will not be able to stop them, or you may even be found[cy] fighting against God.” He convinced them,[cz] 40 and they summoned the apostles and had them beaten.[da] Then[db] they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them. 41 So they left the council rejoicing because they had been considered worthy[dc] to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.[dd] 42 And every day both in the temple courts[de] and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news[df] that Jesus was the Christ.[dg]

Footnotes

  1. Acts 5:2 tn Grk “And he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  2. Acts 5:2 tn The participle ἐνέγκας (enenkas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  3. Acts 5:3 sn This is a good example of the Greek verb fill (πληρόω, plēroō) meaning “to exercise control over someone’s thought and action” (cf. Eph 5:18).
  4. Acts 5:3 tn The words “from the sale of” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify the meaning, since the phrase “proceeds from the land” could possibly be understood as crops rather than money from the sale.
  5. Acts 5:4 tn Grk “Remaining to you.”
  6. Acts 5:4 tn The negative interrogative particle οὐχί (ouchi) expects a positive reply to this question and the following one (“And when it was sold, was it not at your disposal?”).
  7. Acts 5:4 tn Grk “it”; the referent of the pronoun (the money generated from the sale of the land) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  8. Acts 5:4 tn Grk “How is it that you have [or Why have you] placed this deed in your heart?” Both of these literal translations differ from the normal way of expressing the thought in English.
  9. Acts 5:4 tn Grk “to men.” If Peter’s remark refers only to the apostles, the translation “to men” would be appropriate. But if (as is likely) the action was taken to impress the entire congregation (who would presumably have witnessed the donation or been aware of it) then the more general “to people” is more appropriate, since the audience would have included both men and women.
  10. Acts 5:5 tn Or “fear came on,” “fear seized”; Grk “fear happened to.”
  11. Acts 5:6 tn Or “arose.”
  12. Acts 5:6 tn The translation “wrapped up” for συνέστειλαν (sunesteilan) is suggested by L&N 79.119, but another interpretation is possible. The same verb could also be translated “removed” (see L&N 15.200), although that sense appears somewhat redundant and out of sequence with the following verb and participle (“carried him out and buried him”).
  13. Acts 5:6 sn Buried. Same day burial was a custom in the Jewish world of the first century (cf. also Deut 21:23).
  14. Acts 5:7 tn Grk “It happened that after an interval of about three hours.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
  15. Acts 5:7 tn Grk “came in, not knowing.” The participle has been translated with concessive or adversative force: “although she did not know.” In English, the adversative conjunction (“but”) conveys this nuance more smoothly.
  16. Acts 5:8 tn The words “the two of” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied to indicate that the verb (ἀπέδοσθε, apedosthe) is plural and thus refers to both Ananias and Sapphira.
  17. Acts 5:8 tn Grk “so much,” “as much as this.”
  18. Acts 5:8 tn Grk “She”; the referent (Sapphira) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  19. Acts 5:10 tn Grk “And at once.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  20. Acts 5:11 tn Grk “And great.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  21. Acts 5:11 tn Or “fear came on,” “fear seized”; Grk “fear happened to.”
  22. Acts 5:11 sn This is the first occurrence of the term church (ἐκκλησία, ekklēsia) in Acts. It refers to an assembly of people.
  23. Acts 5:12 tn The miraculous nature of these signs is implied in the context.
  24. Acts 5:12 tn Grk “And by.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  25. Acts 5:12 tn Or “With one mind.”
  26. Acts 5:12 tn Or “colonnade”; Grk “stoa.”sn Solomon’s Portico was a covered walkway formed by rows of columns supporting a roof and open on the inner side facing the center of the temple complex. Located beside the Court of the Gentiles, it was a very public area.
  27. Acts 5:13 tn Or “to associate with them.” The group was beginning to have a controversial separate identity. People were cautious about joining them. The next verse suggests that the phrase “none of the rest” in this verse is rhetorical hyperbole.
  28. Acts 5:13 tn Or “the people thought very highly of them.”
  29. Acts 5:14 tn Or “More and more believers were added to the Lord.”
  30. Acts 5:15 tn This is a continuation of the preceding sentence in Greek, but because this would produce an awkward sentence in English, a new sentence was begun here in the translation.
  31. Acts 5:16 sn Unclean spirits refers to evil spirits.
  32. Acts 5:16 tn Literally a relative pronoun, “who.” In English, however, a relative clause (“bringing the sick and those troubled by unclean spirits, who were all being healed”) could be understood to refer only to the second group (meaning only those troubled by unclean spirits were being healed) or even that the unclean spirits were being healed. To avoid this ambiguity the pronoun “they” was used to begin a new English sentence.
  33. Acts 5:16 sn They were all being healed. Note how the healings that the apostles provided were comprehensive in their consistency.
  34. Acts 5:17 sn See the note on Sadducees in 4:1.
  35. Acts 5:17 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
  36. Acts 5:17 sn Filled with jealousy. In Acts, the term “jealousy” (ζήλος, zēlos) occurs only here and in Acts 13:45. It is a key term in Judaism for religiously motivated rage (1 Macc 2:24; 1QH 14:13-15; m. Sanhedrin 9:5). It was a zeal motivated by a desire to maintain the purity of the faith.
  37. Acts 5:18 tn Grk “jealousy, and they.” In the Greek text this is a continuation of the previous sentence, but a new sentence has been started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  38. Acts 5:18 tn Or “they arrested.”
  39. Acts 5:19 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” Linguistically, “angel of the Lord” is the same in both testaments (and thus, he is either “an angel of the Lord” or “the angel of the Lord” in both testaments). For arguments and implications, see ExSyn 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” DJG, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Interpretation, 324-35.
  40. Acts 5:19 tn Grk “opening the doors of the prison.” The participle ἀνοίξας (anoixas) has been translated as a finite verb due to the requirements of contemporary English style.
  41. Acts 5:19 tn Greek φυλακῆς (phulakēs), a different word from the one in v. 18 (τήρησις, tērēsis, “jail”).
  42. Acts 5:19 tn Or “brought them out.” Grk “and leading them out, said.” The participle ἐξαγαγών (exagagōn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.sn Led them out. The action by God served to vindicate the apostles. It showed that whatever court the Jewish leaders represented, they did not represent God.
  43. Acts 5:20 tn Grk “the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.
  44. Acts 5:20 tn Or “speak.”
  45. Acts 5:21 tn Grk “the temple.” See the note on the same phrase in the preceding verse.
  46. Acts 5:21 tn The imperfect verb ἐδίδασκον (edidaskon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
  47. Acts 5:21 tn Or “the council” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
  48. Acts 5:21 tn A hendiadys (two different terms referring to a single thing) is likely here (a reference to a single legislative body rather than two separate ones) because the term γερουσίαν (gerousian) is used in both 1 Macc 12:6 and Josephus, Ant. 13.5.8 (13.166) to refer to the Sanhedrin.
  49. Acts 5:21 tn Grk “sons of Israel.”
  50. Acts 5:21 tn Grk “have them”; the referent (the apostles) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  51. Acts 5:21 tn The words “before them” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
  52. Acts 5:22 tn The Greek term ὑπηρέτης (hupēretēs) generally means “servant,” but in the NT is used for many different types of servants, like attendants to a king, the officers of the Sanhedrin (as here), assistants to magistrates, and (especially in the Gospel of John) Jewish guards in the Jerusalem temple (see L&N 35.20).
  53. Acts 5:22 tn The words “for them” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
  54. Acts 5:22 tn Grk “reported, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
  55. Acts 5:23 tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
  56. Acts 5:24 tn Or “captain.”
  57. Acts 5:24 tn Grk “the official of the temple,” a title for the commander of the Jewish soldiers guarding the temple (thus the translation, “the commander of the temple guard”). See L&N 37.91.
  58. Acts 5:24 tn Grk “heard these words.”
  59. Acts 5:24 tn Grk “concerning them,” agreeing with the plural antecedent “these words.” Since the phrase “these words” was translated as the singular “this report,” the singular “concerning it” is used here.
  60. Acts 5:24 tn The optative verb here expresses confused uncertainty.
  61. Acts 5:25 tn Grk “the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.
  62. Acts 5:25 sn Obeying God (see v. 29), the apostles were teaching again (4:18-20; 5:20). They did so despite the risk.
  63. Acts 5:26 tn Or “captain.”
  64. Acts 5:26 tn Grk “the official [of the temple],” a title for the commander of the Jewish soldiers guarding the temple (thus the translation, “the commander of the temple guard”). See L&N 37.91.
  65. Acts 5:26 tn The Greek term ὑπηρέτης (hupēretēs) generally means “servant,” but in the NT is used for many different types of servants. See the note on the word “officers” in v. 22.
  66. Acts 5:26 tn Grk “brought them”; the referent (the apostles) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  67. Acts 5:26 tn Or “without violence.” It is clear, as well, that the apostles did not resist arrest.
  68. Acts 5:26 tn Grk “for they feared lest they be stoned by the people.” The translation uses a less awkward English equivalent. This is an explanatory note by the author.
  69. Acts 5:27 tn Or “the Sanhedrin” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
  70. Acts 5:27 tn Or “interrogated,” “asked.”
  71. Acts 5:28 tc ‡ The majority of mss, including a few significant witnesses (א2 D E [Ψ] 1739 M sy sa), have the negative particle οὐ (ou) here, effectively turning the high priest’s words into a question: “Did we not give you strict orders not to teach in this name?” But the earliest and most significant mss, along with some others (P74 א* A B 1175 lat bo), lack the particle, making this a strong statement rather than a question. Scribes may have been tempted to omit the particle to strengthen the contrast between official Judaism and the new faith, but the fact that v. 27 introduces the quotation with ἐπηρώτησεν (epērōtēsen, “he questioned”) may well have prompted scribes to add οὐ to convert the rebuke into a question. Further, that excellent witnesses affirm the shorter reading is sufficient ground for accepting it as most probably authentic. NA28 includes the particle in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.
  72. Acts 5:28 tn Grk “We commanded you with a commandment” (a Semitic idiom that is emphatic).
  73. Acts 5:28 sn The name (i.e., person) of Jesus is the constant issue of debate.
  74. Acts 5:28 tn Grk “And behold.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  75. Acts 5:28 sn To bring this man’s blood on us is an idiom meaning “you intend to make us guilty of this man’s death.”
  76. Acts 5:29 tn Grk “apostles answered and said.”
  77. Acts 5:29 sn Obey. See 4:19. This response has Jewish roots (Dan 3:16-18; 2 Macc 7:2; Josephus, Ant. 17.6.3 [17.159]).
  78. Acts 5:29 tn Here ἀνθρώποις (anthrōpois) has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).
  79. Acts 5:30 tn Or “ancestors”; Grk “fathers.”
  80. Acts 5:30 tn Or “by crucifying him” (“hang on a tree” is by the time of the first century an idiom for crucifixion). The allusion is to the judgment against Jesus as a rebellious figure, appealing to the language of Deut 21:23. The Jewish leadership has badly “misjudged” Jesus.
  81. Acts 5:31 tn Grk “This one God exalted” (emphatic).
  82. Acts 5:31 tn Or “Founder” (of a movement).
  83. Acts 5:31 tn Or “to give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.”
  84. Acts 5:32 tn Or “things.” They are preaching these things even to the hostile leadership.
  85. Acts 5:32 sn Those who obey. The implication, of course, is that the leadership is disobeying God.
  86. Acts 5:33 sn The only other use of this verb for anger (furious) is Acts 7:54 after Stephen’s speech.
  87. Acts 5:33 sn Wanted to execute them. The charge would surely be capital insubordination (Exod 22:28).
  88. Acts 5:34 sn A Pharisee was a member of one of the most important and influential religious and political parties of Judaism in the time of Jesus. There were more Pharisees than Sadducees (according to Josephus, Ant. 17.2.4 [17.42] there were more than 6,000 Pharisees at about this time). Pharisees differed with Sadducees on certain doctrines and patterns of behavior. The Pharisees were strict and zealous adherents to the laws of the OT and to numerous additional traditions such as angels and bodily resurrection.
  89. Acts 5:34 sn Gamaliel was a famous Jewish scholar and teacher mentioned here in v. 34 and in Acts 22:3. He had a grandson of the same name and is referred to as “Gamaliel the Elder” to avoid confusion. He is quoted a number of times in the Mishnah, was given the highest possible title for Jewish teachers, Rabba (cf. John 20:16), and was highly regarded in later rabbinic tradition.
  90. Acts 5:34 tn Grk “standing up in the council, ordered.” The participle ἀναστάς (anastas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  91. Acts 5:34 tn Or “the Sanhedrin” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
  92. Acts 5:35 tn Grk “said to them”; the referent (the council) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  93. Acts 5:35 tn Or “Israelite men,” although this is less natural English. The Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anēr), which only exceptionally is used in a generic sense of both males and females. In this context, it is highly unlikely that this is a generic usage, since Gamaliel was addressing the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high council, which would have been exclusively male.
  94. Acts 5:35 tn Or “men, be careful.”
  95. Acts 5:36 tn Grk “For before these days.”
  96. Acts 5:36 tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “he,” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point.
  97. Acts 5:36 tn Grk “and they came to nothing.” Gamaliel’s argument is that these two insurrectionists were taken care of by natural events.
  98. Acts 5:37 tn Or “registration.”
  99. Acts 5:37 tn The verb ἀφίστημι (aphistēmi) as a transitive means “cause to revolt” as used in Josephus, Ant. 8.7.5 (8.198), 20.5.2 (20.102); see BDAG 157 s.v. 1.
  100. Acts 5:38 tn Here ἀνθρώπων (anthrōpōn) has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).
  101. Acts 5:38 tn Or “it will be put to an end.”
  102. Acts 5:39 tn This is expressed in a first class condition, in contrast to the condition in v. 38b, which is third class. As such, v. 39 is rhetorically presented as the more likely option.
  103. Acts 5:39 tn According to L&N 39.32, the verb εὑρεθῆτε (heurethēte, an aorist passive subjunctive) may also be translated “find yourselves”—“lest you find yourselves fighting against God.” The Jewish leader Gamaliel is shown contemplating the other possible alternative about what is occurring.
  104. Acts 5:39 tn Grk “They were convinced by him.” This passive construction was converted to an active one (“He convinced them”) in keeping with contemporary English style. The phrase “He convinced them” is traditionally placed in Acts 5:40 by most English translations; the standard Greek critical text (represented by NA28 and UBS5) places it at the end of v. 39.
  105. Acts 5:40 sn Had them beaten. The punishment was the “forty lashes minus one,” see also Acts 22:19; 2 Cor 11:24; Mark 13:9. The apostles had disobeyed the religious authorities and took their punishment for their “disobedience” (Deut 25:2-3; m. Makkot 3:10-14). In Acts 4:18 they were warned. Now they are beaten. The hostility is rising as the narrative unfolds.
  106. Acts 5:40 tn The word “Then” is supplied as the beginning of a new sentence in the translation. The construction in Greek has so many clauses (most of them made up of participles) that a continuous English sentence would be very awkward.
  107. Acts 5:41 sn That is, considered worthy by God. They “gloried in their shame” of honoring Jesus with their testimony (Luke 6:22-23; 2 Macc 6:30).
  108. Acts 5:41 sn The name refers to the name of Jesus (cf. 3 John 7).
  109. Acts 5:42 tn Grk “temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper and has been translated accordingly.
  110. Acts 5:42 tn Grk “teaching and evangelizing.” They were still obeying God, not men (see 4:18-20; 5:29).
  111. Acts 5:42 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”sn See the note on Christ in 2:31.
Close NCB

Acts 5
New Catholic Bible

Chapter 5

The Fraud of Ananias and Sapphira.[a] 1 There was a man named Ananias who with his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property. 2 With the approval of his wife, he held back some of the proceeds, and he brought the remainder to the apostles and laid it at their feet.

3 Then Peter asked, “Ananias, why has Satan so gained control of your heart that you lied to the Holy Spirit and retained part of the sale price of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not belong to you? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds yours? What caused you to contrive this scheme? You have lied not to men but to God.”

5 When Ananias heard these words, he collapsed and died, and a great sense of fear seized all who heard about it. 6 The young men came forward and wrapped up his body. Then they carried him out and buried him.

7 After about three hours, his wife came in, unaware of what had happened. 8 Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for this much.” She replied, “Yes, that was the price.” 9 Then Peter asked her, “Why did the two of you agree to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Listen! The footsteps of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will also carry you out.”

10 Instantly, she fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came in, they found her dead. And so they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And a great sense of fear seized the whole Church[b] and all those who heard of this.

12 Life of the First Community—III.[c] Many signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles. They all used to assemble in Solomon’s Portico. 13 No one else dared to join them, but the people esteemed them highly. 14 More believers, men and women, were constantly being added to their ranks. 15 People brought those who were sick into the streets and placed them on cots and mats so that when Peter passed by, his shadow might fall on some of them. 16 A large number of people also came from the neighboring towns around Jerusalem, bringing with them the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and all of them were cured.

17 Conclusion of the Trial.[d] Then the high priest and his colleagues from the party of the Sadducees rose up, filled with jealousy, 18 and they arrested the apostles and placed them in the public jail. 19 But during the night the angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, led them out, and said, 20 “Go, stand in the temple, and tell the people everything about this new life.” 21 Accordingly, they entered the temple at daybreak and taught the people.

When the high priest and his colleagues arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin, the full assembly of the elders of Israel, and sent to the jail to have them brought in. 22 But when the temple police went to the prison, they did not find them there. So they returned and announced, 23 “We found the jail securely locked and the guards stationed outside the doors, but when we opened the doors we found no one inside.”

24 Now when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report, they were at a loss to understand what this would come to. 25 Then someone arrived to report, “The men whom you imprisoned are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26 The captain thereupon went with the temple officers and brought them in, although without force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

27 When they had brought them in, they had them stand before the Sanhedrin. The high priest questioned them, saying, 28 “Did we not give you strict orders not to teach in this name? Yet, despite that, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you appear determined to hold us responsible for that man’s death.”

29 Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus after you had put him to death by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as leader and Savior so that he might grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”

33 When they heard this, they became enraged, and they wanted to put them to death. 34 However, one member of the Sanhedrin, a Pharisee named Gamaliel who was a teacher of the law and respected by all the people, stood up and ordered that the apostles be sent outside for a little while.

35 Then he addressed them, “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas[e] appeared. He claimed to be someone important, and about four hundred men decided to follow him. He was killed, and all of his followers disbanded, and everything came to naught. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean rose up at the time of the census. He also convinced people to follow him, but he too was killed and his followers were dispersed.

38 “Therefore, I advise you to keep away from these men and let them go. If this movement is human in origin, it will fail. 39 If, however, it comes from God, you will never be able to overcome them, but may find yourselves fighting against God.”

His words persuaded them. 40 After they summoned the apostles once again, they had them scourged. Then, ordering them not to speak in the name of Jesus, they released them. 41 They left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer humiliation for the sake of the name.[f] 42 And every day, both in the temple and at home, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming Jesus as the Christ.

Footnotes

  1. Acts 5:1 The sharing of goods is voluntary, but gold has a fascinating power. A couple lies to the community, contrary to the life of the Spirit. They violate the life of the community and undermine it. In the Old Testament (Jos 7:1), such people were to be put to death. Paul would have harsh words on the problem of riches and neglect of the poor when the Christians of Corinth later failed to respect the assembly, the Body of Christ.
  2. Acts 5:11 The word Church (Greek: ekklesia, “assembly called together”), already heard on the lips of Jesus (Mt 16:18), appears for the first time in Acts at the end of this story. In the Greek world, the word denoted an assembly convoked for deliberation; in the Jewish tradition, the ekklesia was the assembly of God’s people, which God had called together in the wilderness.
  3. Acts 5:12 These verses show the components of a believing community: its unity, its internal communication, and its worship. Luke emphasizes the difference between this community and the rest of society. In the miracles worked by the apostles, the Spirit of Pentecost shines forth, continuing the work of Jesus, which is so significant of a change in the human condition.
  4. Acts 5:17 The apostles continue their activity without letting themselves be intimidated. A time in prison is ended with deliverance, described in Old Testament terminology—with angels personifying God’s providential intervention as in the Exodus. Luke stresses the positive conclusion of the matter: the Word of God cannot be chained.
    Standing in the midst of the Sanhedrin and the party of the Sadducees (who desire to crush the new movement), Peter repeats the message about Jesus. His discourse has the same structure as the previous ones, and the name of Jesus remains at the center of the discussion. Of the life of Jesus, only the trial and death are recalled, but Peter stresses that the God of their ancestors has raised the one who was hung on a gibbet and has exalted him as head of a people capable of introducing them to repentance. The apostles are to bear witness to the Resurrection under the power of the Spirit, and nothing can stifle their testimony.
    The suppression of the leaders of this new movement is decreed. They are saved by the intervention of Gamaliel, who was a teacher of Paul (Acts 22:3). He speaks in the manner of a sage of the Old Testament and points out that there have been other uprisings that have come to naught and only time will tell if this enterprise of the followers of Christ is a more serious thing. For their part, the apostles express their joy at suffering everything for Christ. The community has a provisional freedom but looks to the future to bring the good news of the risen Christ to the world.
  5. Acts 5:36 Theudas: one of the many agitators of the period. Another agitator was Judas the Galilean, who rebelled around the year A.D. 6 and was the leader of the most terrible uprising prior to that of 70. He had a following in the Zealot party. The movements of Theudas and Judas were probably associated—and both occurred in the time of Quirinius.
  6. Acts 5:41 The name: some manuscripts add “of Jesus.” In Judaism, “the Name” signified God himself. Christians immediately took over the term and applied it to Jesus who had been given “the name that is above all other names” (Phil 2:9).
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Acts 5
New International Version

Ananias and Sapphira

5 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself,(A) but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.(B)

3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan(C) has so filled your heart(D) that you have lied to the Holy Spirit(E) and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?(F) 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal?(G) What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”(H)

5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died.(I) And great fear(J) seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body,(K) and carried him out and buried him.

7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”

“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”(L)

9 Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord?(M) Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”

10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died.(N) Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.(O) 11 Great fear(P) seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

The Apostles Heal Many

12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders(Q) among the people. And all the believers used to meet together(R) in Solomon’s Colonnade.(S) 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people.(T) 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.(U) 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.(V) 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.(W)

The Apostles Persecuted

17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party(X) of the Sadducees,(Y) were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.(Z) 19 But during the night an angel(AA) of the Lord opened the doors of the jail(AB) and brought them out.(AC) 20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”(AD)

21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.

When the high priest and his associates(AE) arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin(AF)—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there.(AG) So they went back and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests(AH) were at a loss, wondering what this might lead to.

25 Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” 26 At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people(AI) would stone them.

27 The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin(AJ) to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,”(AK) he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”(AL)

29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!(AM) 30 The God of our ancestors(AN) raised Jesus from the dead(AO)—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross.(AP) 31 God exalted him to his own right hand(AQ) as Prince and Savior(AR) that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins.(AS) 32 We are witnesses of these things,(AT) and so is the Holy Spirit,(AU) whom God has given to those who obey him.”

33 When they heard this, they were furious(AV) and wanted to put them to death. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel,(AW) a teacher of the law,(AX) who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35 Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census(AY) and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.(AZ) 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”(BA)

40 His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged.(BB) Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing(BC) because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.(BD) 42 Day after day, in the temple courts(BE) and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news(BF) that Jesus is the Messiah.(BG)

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