New Testament in a Year

Ananias and Sapphira

5 Now a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property. ² He kept back part of the proceeds with his wife’s knowledge, and brought a part of it and placed it at the apostles’ feet.

³ Then Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to deceive the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the proceeds of the land? ⁴ While it remained unsold, was it not your own? And when it was sold, was it not under your authority? Why have you conceived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to men, but to God.”

⁵ On hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died. And great fear came on all those who heard these things. ⁶ The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.

⁷ About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. ⁸ Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for this amount?”

She said, “Yes, for that much.”

⁹ Peter said to her, “How is it that you have 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 she fell down at his feet and died. Upon entering, the young men found her dead and carried her out and buried her beside her husband. ¹¹ Great fear came on the entire church and on all those who heard these things.

Signs and Wonders

¹² Many signs and wonders were performed among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Porch. ¹³ No one else dared join them, but the people respected them. ¹⁴ Believers were increasingly added to the Lord, crowds of both men and women, ¹⁵ so that they even brought the sick out into the streets and placed them on beds and mats, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might touch some of them. ¹⁶ Crowds also came out of the cities surrounding Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those who were afflicted by evil spirits, and they were all healed.

Persecution of the Apostles

¹⁷ Then the high priest and all those who were with him (that is, the sect of the Sadducees) rose up and were filled with jealousy. ¹⁸ They seized the apostles and put them in the common prison. ¹⁹ But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and led them out, and said, ²⁰ “Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.”

²¹ Having heard this, they entered the temple at dawn and taught.

But the high priest and those who were with him came and called together the Sanhedrin and the senate of all the sons of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought out.