Ananias and Sapphira 2 UST He kept for himself some of the money he had received for the land. His wife knew that he had done that. Then he brought the rest of the money and gave it to the Representatives. BSB BSB: With his wife’s full knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds for himself, but brought a portion and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
4 UST Before you sold that land, you truly owned it. And after you sold it, the money was still yours. So you should never have thought about doing such a wicked thing. You were not just trying to deceive people! No, you were trying to deceive God himself!” BSB BSB: Did it not belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? How could you conceive such a deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God!”
5 UST When Ananias heard the things Peter told him, he immediately fell down dead. And everyone who learned{ about Ananias’ death} felt a great awe for God. BSB BSB: On hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died. And great fear came over all who heard what had happened.
6 UST When Ananias died, some young men came forward, wrapped his body in a sheet, and carried it out and buried it. BSB BSB: Then the young men stepped forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.
7 UST About three hours later, his wife came in. But she did not know that Peter confronted her husband about the lie they had told and that her husband had died as a result. BSB BSB: About three hours later his wife also came in, unaware of what had happened.
8 UST Then Peter showed her the money that Ananias had brought and asked her,“Tell me, is this the amount of money you two received for the land you sold?” She said,“Yes, that is what we received.” BSB BSB: “Tell me,” said Peter, “is this the price you and your husband got for the land?” “Yes,” she answered, “that is the price.”
9 UST So Peter said to her,“You both did a terrible thing when you agreed to try to deceive the Holy Spirit! This is what will happen to you as a result.{ God struck your husband dead as a punishment and} some young men are just coming back from burying him. God is also going to strike you dead, and they will take your body out and bury it as well.” BSB BSB: “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord?” Peter replied. “Look, the feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”
10 UST Immediately Sapphira fell down dead right in front of Peter. Just then the young men came back in. When they saw that she had also died, they carried her body out and buried it next to her husband’ s body. BSB BSB: At that instant she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
The Apostles Heal Many 12 UST God was enabling the Representatives to do many amazing miracles{ that showed the truth of what they were preaching} among the people. All the believers were meeting together regularly in the temple courtyard at the place called Solomon’ s Porch. BSB BSB: The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people, and with one accord the believers gathered together in Solomon’s Colonnade.
13 UST All of the other people who had not believed in Jesus were afraid to meet with the believers. However, those people continued to speak very highly of them. BSB BSB: Although the people regarded them highly, no one else dared to join them.
14 UST Many more men and women started believing in the Lord Jesus, and they joined the group of believers. BSB BSB: Yet more and more believers were brought to the Lord—large numbers of both men and women.
15 UST Because the people were seeing such amazing miracles, they started bringing those who had various diseases right into the streets and placing them on stretchers and mattresses there. They were hoping that when Peter walked by his shadow might touch some of them, because if even that happened, God would heal them. BSB BSB: As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.
16 UST Large crowds of people were also coming from the towns near Jerusalem. They were bringing those who had various diseases and those whom evil spirits were tormenting, and God healed all of them. BSB BSB: Crowds also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and all of them were healed.
The Apostles Arrested and Freed 17 UST However, the high priest became very resentful{ that such large crowds were coming to the Representatives}. Many priests who were members of the Sadducee group were also very resentful of them. They joined together with the high priest to work against them. BSB BSB: Then the high priest and all his associates, who belonged to the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They went out
18 UST So they commanded the temple guards to arrest them and to put them in the public jail. BSB BSB: and arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.
19 UST { The high priest and his allies kept them in jail overnight so that they could question them in the morning.} But that night an angel from the Lord God opened the jail doors and led all the Representatives outside. Then the angel told them, BSB BSB: But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out, saying,
20 UST “Go to the temple courtyard, stand there, and tell the people about the eternal life that Jesus can give them. Do not leave anything out, even though the Sanhedrin has commanded you not to say certain things.” BSB BSB: “Go, stand in the temple courts and tell the people the full message of this new life.”
21 UST So when the Representatives heard what the angel said, they went to the temple courtyard and began to teach the people once more about Jesus. By then it was about dawn. Around that same time, the high priest and the other priests who were working with him gathered together in the Jewish council chamber. From there they summoned the other council members. Together they were all the leaders of Israel. Once the whole council was present, they sent guards to the jail to get the Representatives. BSB BSB: At daybreak the apostles entered the temple courts as they had been told and began to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles.
22 UST But when the guards arrived at the jail, they discovered that they were not there. So they returned to the council and told the members, BSB BSB: But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they returned with the report:
23 UST “We saw that the jail doors were very safely locked and that the guards were keeping watch in front of the doors. But when we opened the doors{ and went in to get those men}, none of them were inside the jail.” BSB BSB: “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards posted at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”
The Apostles before the Sanhedrin 24 UST When the chief priests and the officer in charge of the temple guards heard that, they were greatly confused. They wondered what the consequences would be. BSB BSB: When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this account, they were perplexed as to what was happening.
25 UST Then someone came and reported to them,“Listen to this! The men you put in jail have somehow gotten into the temple courtyard. And they are telling the people there about Jesus!” BSB BSB: Then someone came in and announced, “Look, the men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people!”
26 UST So the officer in charge of the temple guards went to the temple courtyard with the officers. They brought the Representatives back{ to the council room}. But they did not treat them roughly. They were afraid that if they did that, the people would try to kill them by throwing stones at them. BSB BSB: At that point, the captain went with the officers and brought the apostles—but not by force, for fear the people would stone them.
27 UST After the captain and his officers had brought the Representatives to the council room, they commanded them to stand in front of the council members. Then the high priest questioned them intensely. BSB BSB: They brought them in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, where the high priest interrogated them.
28 UST He said to them,“We ordered you very clearly not to teach people about that man Jesus! But you have disobeyed us, and you have taught people all over Jerusalem about him! Furthermore, you are trying to make it seem that we are the ones who are guilty of that man’ s death!” BSB BSB: “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us responsible for this man’s blood.”
29 UST But Peter, speaking for himself and the other Representatives, replied,“We have to obey what God commands us to do, not what you people tell us to do! BSB BSB: But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men.
30 UST You are the ones who killed Jesus by nailing him to a cross! But God, whom our ancestors worshiped, caused Jesus to live again after he died. BSB BSB: The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree.
31 UST God has honored Jesus more than he has honored anyone else. He has made him the one to save us and rule over us. He has enabled us Israelites to stop sinning and he has forgiven us for the sins we committed. BSB BSB: God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior, in order to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.
32 UST We tell people about these things that we saw happen to Jesus. The Holy Spirit, whom God has sent to us who obey him, is also confirming that these things are true.” BSB BSB: We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
Gamaliel’s Advice 33 UST When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they became so angry{ with the Representatives} that they wanted to kill them. BSB BSB: When the Council members heard this, they were enraged, and they resolved to put the apostles to death.
34 UST But there was a council member named Gamaliel. He was a member of the Pharisee group. He taught the Jewish laws, and the Jewish people respected him highly. He stood up in the council and told the guards to take the Representatives out of the room for a short time. BSB BSB: But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a short time.
35 UST { After the guards had taken them out,} Gamaliel said to the other council members,“You leaders of the people of Israel, you must think carefully about what you are going to do to these men. BSB BSB: “Men of Israel,” he said, “consider carefully what you are about to do to these men.
36 UST Some years ago a man named Theudas led a revolt against the government. He claimed that he was a great man, and about 400 men joined him. But the Romans captured and executed him, and all those who had joined him went back to where they came from. So this revolt did not succeed. BSB BSB: Some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing.
38 UST Based on these examples, let me offer some advice. Do not kill these men! Set them free! I say this because if the things that are happening now are just something that humans have planned, someone will stop them. They will fail. BSB BSB: So in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone. Let them go! For if their purpose or endeavor is of human origin, it will fail.
39 UST But if God has commanded them to do these things, you will not be able to stop them. You may even discover that you are working against God!” The other members of the council accepted what Gamaliel said. BSB BSB: But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.”
40 UST They told the temple guards to bring in the Representatives and beat them.{ So the guards brought them into the council room and beat them.} Then the council members commanded them not to speak to people about Jesus any more, and they let them go. BSB BSB: At this, they yielded to Gamaliel. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them.
41 UST So they left the council chamber. As they did, they even rejoiced that God had honored them by allowing people to treat them badly because they were testifying to Jesus. BSB BSB: The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.
42 UST Every day after that, they went to the temple area and to various people’ s houses, and they continued teaching people and telling them that Jesus is the Messiah. BSB BSB: Every day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.