5Acts 5

Peter Condemns Ananias and Sapphira

1Ananias and his wife Sapphira also sold a piece of property.Select Acts 5:1

2But they agreed to cheat and keep some of the money for themselves. So when Ananias took the rest of the money to the apostles,Select Acts 5:2

3Peter said, “Why has Satan made you keep back some of the money from the sale of the property? Why have you lied to the Holy Spirit?Select Acts 5:3

4The property was yours before you sold it, and even after you sold it, the money was still yours. What made you do such a thing? You didn't lie to people. You lied to God!”Select Acts 5:4

5As soon as Ananias heard this, he dropped dead, and everyone who heard about it was frightened.Select Acts 5:5

6Some young men came in and wrapped up his body. Then they took it out and buried it.Select Acts 5:6

7Three hours later Sapphira came in, but she did not know what had happened to her husband.Select Acts 5:7

8Peter asked her, “Tell me, did you sell the property for this amount?” “Yes,” she answered, “that's the amount.”Select Acts 5:8

9Then Peter said, “Why did the two of you agree to test the Lord's Spirit? The men who buried Ananias are by the door, and they will carry you out!”Select Acts 5:9

10At once she fell at Peter's feet and died. When the young men came back in, they found Sapphira lying there dead. So they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.Select Acts 5:10

11The church members were afraid, and so was everyone else who heard what had happened.Select Acts 5:11

Peter's Unusual Power

12The apostles worked many miracles and wonders among the people. All of the Lord's followers often met in the part of the temple known as Solomon's Porch.Select Acts 5:12

13No one outside their group dared join them, even though everyone liked them very much.Select Acts 5:13

14Many men and women started having faith in the Lord.Select Acts 5:14

15Then sick people were brought out to the road and placed on mats. It was hoped that Peter would walk by, and his shadow would fall on them and heal them.Select Acts 5:15

16A lot of people living in the towns near Jerusalem brought those who were sick or troubled by evil spirits, and they were all healed.Select Acts 5:16

Trouble for the Apostles

17The high priest and all the other Sadducees who were with him became jealous.Select Acts 5:17

18They arrested the apostles and put them in the city jail.Select Acts 5:18

19But that night an angel from the Lord opened the doors of the jail and led the apostles out. The angel said,Select Acts 5:19

20“Go to the temple and tell the people everything about this new life.”Select Acts 5:20

21So they went into the temple before sunrise and started teaching. The high priest and his men called together their council, which included all of Israel's leaders. Then they ordered the apostles to be brought to them from the jail.Select Acts 5:21

22The temple police who were sent to the jail did not find the apostles. They returned and said,Select Acts 5:22

23“We found the jail locked tight and the guards standing at the doors. But when we opened the doors and went in, we didn't find anyone there.”Select Acts 5:23

24The captain of the temple police and the chief priests listened to their report, but they did not know what to think about it.Select Acts 5:24

25Just then someone came in and said, “Now those men you put in jail are in the temple, teaching the people!”Select Acts 5:25

26The captain went with some of the temple police and brought the apostles back. But they did not use force. They were afraid that the people might start throwing stones at them.Select Acts 5:26

27When the apostles were brought before the council, the high priest said to them,Select Acts 5:27

28“We told you plainly not to teach in the name of Jesus. But look what you have done! You have been teaching all over Jerusalem, and you are trying to blame us for his death.”Select Acts 5:28

29Peter and the apostles replied: We don't obey people. We obey God.Select Acts 5:29

30You killed Jesus by nailing him to a cross. But the God our ancestors worshiped raised him to lifeSelect Acts 5:30

31and made him our Leader and Savior. Then God gave him a place at his right side, so that the people of Israel would turn back to him and be forgiven.Select Acts 5:31

32We are here to tell you about all this, and so is the Holy Spirit, who is God's gift to everyone who obeys God.Select Acts 5:32

33When the council members heard this, they became so angry they wanted to kill the apostles.Select Acts 5:33

34But one of the members was the Pharisee Gamaliel, a highly respected teacher. He ordered the apostles to be taken out of the room for a little while.Select Acts 5:34

35Then he said to the council: Men of Israel, be careful what you do with these men.Select Acts 5:35

36Not long ago Theudas claimed to be someone important, and about 400 men joined him. But he was killed, and all his followers were scattered. That was the end of that.Select Acts 5:36

37Later, when the people of our nation were being counted, Judas from Galilee showed up. A lot of people followed him, but he was killed, and all his followers were scattered.Select Acts 5:37

38So I advise you to stay away from these men. Leave them alone. If what they are planning is something of their own doing, it will fail.Select Acts 5:38

39But if God is behind it, you cannot stop it anyway, unless you want to fight against God. The council members agreed with what he said,Select Acts 5:39

40and they called the apostles back in. They had them beaten with a whip and warned them not to speak in the name of Jesus. Then they let them go.Select Acts 5:40

41The apostles left the council and were happy, because God had considered them worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus.Select Acts 5:41

42Every day they spent time in the temple and in one home after another. They never stopped teaching and telling the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.Select Acts 5:42