Acts 5

1A man called Ananias, however, sold a piece of land together with his wife Sapphira. 2He secretly set aside some of the proceeds, and his wife knew of it. Then he brought the remaining portion and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3Peter said, “Ananias, why did Satan fill your heart, to make you lie to the Holy Spirit and keep part of the land’s price back? 4Before it was sold, was it not your own? And after the sale, was the money not yours to use as you chose? Why did you set your heart on doing this? It is not human beings you have lied to, but God.” 5As Ananias heard these words he fell down and died, and a great fear came over everyone who heard about it. 6The young men stood up, wound him in a cloth, carried him out and buried him.

7Some three hours later his wife arrived, unaware of what had taken place. 8Peter said to her, “Tell me, did the two of you sell the land for this amount?” “Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.” 9Peter said to her, “Why did the two of you agree together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Look, the men who buried your husband are already at the door. They will carry you out as well.” 10Instantly she collapsed at Peter’s feet and died. The young men came in, found her dead, and carried her out to bury her next to her husband. 11The entire church was filled with deep fear, as was everyone who heard about these things.

12By the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders kept taking place among the people. With one mind, the believers all gathered in Solomon’s Porch. 13None of the others dared to associate with them, yet the people thought highly of them. 14Still more believers were brought to the Lord, great numbers of men and women alike. 15People would even carry their sick out into the streets and lay them on cots and pallets, hoping that when Peter came along, his shadow, if nothing more, might fall across some of them. 16People streamed in, too, from the towns near Jerusalem. They brought those who were sick or harassed by unclean spirits, and every one of them was made well.

17But the high priest rose to act, and with him all who sided with him, the Sadducee party. Burning with jealousy, 18they took hold of the apostles and shut them up in the public prison. 19That night, though, an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison. He led them outside and said to them, 20“Go and take your stand in the temple, and tell the people the whole message of this life.” 21Hearing this, they went into the temple at first light and began to teach. Meanwhile the high priest and his party arrived. They summoned the council together with all the elders of Israel, and sent orders to the prison to bring the apostles. 22The officers went, but they did not find the apostles in the prison. They came back with this report: 23“The prison was shut and fully secured when we got there, and the guards were at their posts by the doors. But once we had opened up, we found nobody inside.” 24The report left the captain of the temple and the chief priests puzzled about the apostles, unsure what all this would come to. 25Then a man arrived with news for them: “Those men you locked up are in the temple right now, standing there teaching the people!” 26The captain then went with his officers and fetched the apostles. They used no violence, for they were afraid of the crowd and of being stoned.

27They brought them in and stood them before the council. The high priest began to question them: 28“We ordered you in no uncertain terms to stop teaching in this name. Now look: your teaching has spread all through Jerusalem, and you are set on laying this man’s blood at our door.” 29Peter and the other apostles replied, “It is God we must obey rather than people. 30The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, whom you had done away with by hanging him on a tree. 31He is the one God has lifted up to his right hand as Leader and Savior, to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. 32We ourselves testify to these things, and so does the Holy Spirit, given by God to all who obey him.”

33Hearing this, the council members were enraged and were ready to have the apostles killed. 34But one of the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law respected by the whole people. He had the men sent outside for a short time, 35and then he spoke to the council: “Men of Israel, be careful how you deal with these men. 36In days gone by Theudas came forward, making himself out to be someone great, and around 400 men took his side. He was killed, those who had followed his lead were broken up, and nothing was left of it. 37After him came Judas the Galilean, at the time of the census, who drew a following of people after him. He also perished, and those who had followed his lead were all scattered abroad. 38So here is what I say to you now: keep clear of these men and let them be. If this plan or this work has a human source, it will fall apart, 39but if it comes from God, you will not be able to bring them down. You may even turn out to be at war with God.” Gamaliel’s words won them over. 40They summoned the apostles, had them beaten, and commanded them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus. Then they released them. 41As they went out from the council, the apostles were glad: they had been found worthy to bear shame for the sake of the Name. 42Every day, both in the temple and in people’s homes, they went on teaching without a break, and announcing the good news that the Christ is Jesus.