Acts of the Apostles 5

¹ There was also a man cal ed Ananias. He and his wife, Sapphira, agreed to sel a property;

² but with his wife's connivance he kept back part of the price and brought the rest and presented it to theapostles.

³ Peter said, 'Ananias, how can Satan have so possessed you that you should lie to the Holy Spirit andkeep back part of the price of the land?

⁴ While you stil owned the land, wasn't it yours to keep, and after you had sold it wasn't the money yoursto do with as you liked? What put this scheme into your mind? You have been lying not to men, but to God.'

⁵ When he heard this Ananias fel down dead. And a great fear came upon everyone present.

⁶ The younger men got up, wrapped up the body, carried it out and buried it.

⁷ About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had taken place.

⁸ Peter chal enged her, 'Tel me, was this the price you sold the land for?' 'Yes,' she said, 'that was theprice.'

⁹ Peter then said, 'Why did you and your husband agree to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Listen! Atthe door are the footsteps of those who have buried your husband; they wil carry you out, too.'

¹⁰ Instantly she dropped dead at his feet. When the young men came in they found she was dead, andthey carried her out and buried her by the side of her husband.

¹¹ And a great fear came upon the whole church and on al who heard it.

¹² The apostles worked many signs and miracles among the people. One in heart, they al used to meetin the Portico of Solomon.

¹³ No one else dared to join them, but the people were loud in their praise

¹⁴ and the numbers of men and women who came to believe in the Lord increased steadily. Many signsand wonders were worked among the people at the hands of the apostles

¹⁵ so that the sick were even taken out into the streets and laid on beds and sleeping-mats in the hopethat at least the shadow of Peter might fal across some of them as he went past.

¹⁶ People even came crowding in from the towns round about Jerusalem, bringing with them their sickand those tormented by unclean spirits, and al of them were cured.

¹⁷ Then the high priest intervened with all his supporters from the party of the Sadducees. Fil ed withjealousy,

¹⁸ they arrested the apostles and had them put in the public gaol.

¹⁹ But at night the angel of the Lord opened the prison gates and said as he led them out,

²⁰ 'Go and take up position in the Temple, and tel the people all about this new Life.'

²¹ They did as they were told; they went into the Temple at dawn and began to preach. When the highpriest arrived, he and his supporters convened the Sanhedrin -- this was the ful Senate of Israel -- and sent tothe gaol for them to be brought.

²² But when the officials arrived at the prison they found they were not inside, so they went back and reported,

²³ 'We found the gaol securely locked and the warders on duty at the gates, but when we unlocked thedoor we found no one inside.'

²⁴ When the captain of the Temple and the chief priests heard this news they wondered what could behappening.

²⁵ Then a man arrived with fresh news. 'Look!' he said, 'the men you imprisoned are in the Temple. Theyare standing there preaching to the people.'

²⁶ The captain went with his men and fetched them -- though not by force, for they were afraid that thepeople might stone them.

²⁷ When they had brought them in to face the Sanhedrin, the high priest demanded an explanation.

²⁸ 'We gave you a strong warning', he said, 'not to preach in this name, and what have you done? Youhave fil ed Jerusalem with your teaching, and seem determined to fix the guilt for this man's death on us.'

²⁹ In reply Peter and the apostles said, 'Obedience to God comes before obedience to men;

³⁰ it was the God of our ancestors who raised up Jesus, whom you executed by hanging on a tree.

³¹ By his own right hand God has now raised him up to be leader and Saviour, to give repentance andforgiveness of sins through him to Israel.

³² We are witnesses to this, we and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.'

³³ This so infuriated them that they wanted to put them to death.

³⁴ One member of the Sanhedrin, however, a Pharisee called Gamaliel, who was a teacher of the Lawrespected by the whole people, stood up and asked to have the men taken outside for a time.

³⁵ Then he addressed the Sanhedrin, 'Men of Israel, be careful how you deal with these people.

³⁶ Some time ago there arose Theudas. He claimed to be someone important, and col ected about fourhundred fol owers; but when he was kil ed, al his fol owers scattered and that was the end of them.

³⁷ And then there was Judas the Galilean, at the time of the census, who attracted crowds of supporters;but he was kil ed too, and al his fol owers dispersed.

³⁸ What I suggest, therefore, is that you leave these men alone and let them go. If this enterprise, thismovement of theirs, is of human origin it wil break up of its own accord;

³⁹ but if it does in fact come from God you wil be unable to destroy them. Take care not to find yourselvesfighting against God.' His advice was accepted;

⁴⁰ and they had the apostles called in, gave orders for them to be flogged, warned them not to speak inthe name of Jesus and released them.

⁴¹ And so they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, glad to have had the honour of suffering humiliation forthe sake of the name.

⁴² Every day they went on ceaselessly teaching and proclaiming the good news of Christ Jesus, both inthe temple and in private houses.