Bullet Point Bible

Ananias and Sapphira's Deception

¹ Now a man named Ananias, together with Sapphira his wife, sold a piece of property.² He kept back for himself part of the proceeds with his wife's knowledge; he brought only part of it and placed it at the apostles' feet.³ But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back for yourself part of the proceeds from the sale of the land?⁴ Before it was sold, did it not belong to you? And when it was sold, was the money not at your disposal? How have you thought up this deed in your heart? You have not lied to people but to God!"⁵ When Ananias heard these words he collapsed and died, and great fear gripped all who heard about it.⁶ So the young men came, wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.⁷ After an interval of about three hours, his wife came in, but she did not know what had happened.⁸ Peter said to her, "Tell me, were the two of you paid this amount for the land?" Sapphira said, "Yes, that much."⁹ Peter then told her, "Why have you 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 collapsed at his feet and died. So when the young men came in, they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.¹¹ Great fear gripped the whole church and all who heard about these things.

This incident contrasts sharply with the genuine generosity described in Acts 4:32-37 (e.g., Barnabas).
Ananias and Sapphira's sin was not withholding money (it was theirs), but deception: pretending to give the whole amount while secretly keeping some back.
Their motive likely involved seeking the reputation for generosity without the full cost, a form of hypocrisy.
Peter identifies their lie as being directed "to the Holy Spirit" and "to God" (Acts 5:3-4), highlighting the divine presence within the community.
Satan is explicitly mentioned as influencing Ananias (Acts 5:3), showing the spiritual battle surrounding the early church.
The immediate and severe judgment underscores the seriousness of sin, especially hypocrisy and deceit, within the foundational church community. It parallels Old Testament judgments like Achan's (Joshua 7).
"Testing the Spirit of the Lord" (Acts 5:9) implies challenging God's omniscience and authority within His community.
The "great fear" (Acts 5:5, 11) that resulted was a reverential awe of God's power and holiness, purifying the church.
The involvement of the "young men" (Acts 5:6, 10) may indicate an informal group handling practical matters or burials within the community.
This event established a standard of integrity and godly fear essential for the church's witness and growth.

Signs, Wonders, and Church Growth

¹² Now many miraculous signs and wonders came about among the people through the hands of the apostles. By common consent they were all meeting together in Solomon's Portico.¹³ None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high honor.¹⁴ More and more believers in the Lord were added to their number, crowds of both men and women.¹⁵ Thus they even carried the sick out into the streets, and put them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow would fall on some of them.¹⁶ A crowd of people from the towns around Jerusalem also came together, bringing the sick and those troubled by unclean spirits. They were all being healed.

The apostles continued to perform "signs and wonders," authenticating their message and demonstrating God's power, as promised by Jesus.
"Solomon's Portico" was a covered colonnade on the east side of the Temple Mount, a public place for teaching and gathering.
The phrase "None of the rest dared to join them" (Acts 5:13) likely refers to non-believers or perhaps hypocrites being deterred by the fear generated from the Ananias and Sapphira incident, ensuring the core group's purity.
Despite this caution from outsiders, the apostles were highly respected ("held them in high esteem"), and genuine conversions continued ("More and more believers... were added").
The mention of "crowds of both men and women" highlights the inclusive nature of the growing church.
The detail about Peter's shadow (Acts 5:15) reflects the popular belief in the miraculous power emanating from holy individuals, showing the extent of Peter's perceived authority and God's power working through him. Luke doesn't explicitly confirm healings *by* the shadow, but notes the people's faith and actions.
The healing ministry extended beyond Jerusalem, drawing people from surrounding towns.
The scope of healing was comprehensive: "they were all healed," demonstrating the overwhelming power of God present through the apostles.
This section shows the positive outcome of the church's purification: increased reverence, continued growth, and powerful apostolic ministry.

Arrest and Angelic Deliverance

¹⁷ Now the high priest rose up, and all those with him (that is, the religious party of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy.¹⁸ They laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail.¹⁹ But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said,²⁰ "Go and stand in the temple courts and proclaim to the people all the words of this life."²¹ When they heard this, they entered the temple courts at daybreak and began teaching.

Opposition arises again, this time led by the high priest and the Sadducees.
The Sadducees were a priestly and aristocratic party who rejected the resurrection, angels, and spirits (Acts 23:8), making the apostles' core message particularly offensive to them.
Their motive was "jealousy" (Acts 5:17), likely due to the apostles' growing popularity and influence among the people, which threatened their own authority.
The apostles are placed in a "public jail," indicating an official arrest by the Temple authorities.
God intervenes directly through an "angel of the Lord," demonstrating His sovereignty over human authorities and His protection of His messengers. This echoes Peter's later deliverance in Acts 12.
The angel's command is specific: return to the very place of potential conflict (the temple courts) and continue preaching the message ("all about this new life").
"This new life" (or simply "this life") refers to the life found in Christ, encompassing salvation, resurrection hope, and the power of the Spirit.
The apostles' immediate obedience ("at daybreak they entered the temple courts... and began to teach") shows their courage and commitment to God's command over human threats.

Empty Prison, Bold Preaching

²¹ When they heard this, they entered the temple courts at daybreak and began teaching.

The Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish council, is convened, indicating the seriousness with which the authorities viewed the apostles' activities.
The report from the officers highlights the miraculous nature of the escape: the prison was secure, guards were present, yet the prisoners were gone. This leaves the authorities "greatly perplexed."
The irony is palpable: while the council prepares to try the apostles, the apostles are already back in the temple, publicly disobeying the council's previous orders (Acts 4:18).
The authorities learn the apostles' location from an external report, emphasizing their lack of control over the situation.
The captain of the temple guard (responsible for security in the temple area) retrieves the apostles.
They bring the apostles "without violence" because they "feared the people," showing the apostles' popular support and the authorities' precarious position. This contrasts with the authorities' own jealousy (Acts 5:17).

Confrontation with the Sanhedrin

²⁷ When they had brought them, they stood them before the council, and the high priest questioned them,²⁸ saying, "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name. Look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood on us!"²⁹ But Peter and the apostles replied, "We must obey God rather than people.³⁰ The God of our forefathers raised up Jesus, whom you seized and killed by hanging him on a tree.³¹ God exalted him to his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.³² And we are witnesses of these events, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."³³ Now when they heard this, they became furious and wanted to execute them.

The confrontation mirrors the earlier one in Acts 4, but the stakes are higher.
The high priest's accusation has two main points: disobedience to the Sanhedrin's previous command and blaming the apostles for inciting the populace against them regarding Jesus' death ("bring this man's blood on us").
Peter, speaking for the apostles, delivers a bold and uncompromising response centered on ultimate allegiance: "We must obey God rather than people!" (Acts 5:29). This is a foundational principle of Christian civil disobedience.
Peter succinctly summarizes the core gospel message:
Peter claims dual testimony: the apostles ("we are witnesses") and the Holy Spirit, given to believers (Acts 5:32). The Spirit's presence and power validate their message.
The Sanhedrin's reaction is intense fury ("infuriated," literally "sawn through" metaphorically), leading them to consider capital punishment.

Gamaliel's Intervention

³⁴ But a Pharisee whose name was Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the council and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time.³⁵ Then he said to the council, "Men of Israel, pay close attention to what you are about to do to these men.³⁶ For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about 400 men joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and nothing came of it.³⁷ After him Judas the Galilean arose in the days of the census, and incited people to follow him in revolt. He too was killed, and all who followed him were scattered.³⁸ So in this case I say to you, stay away from these men and leave them alone, because if this plan or this undertaking originates with people, it will come to nothing,³⁹ but if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them, or you may even be found fighting against God." He convinced them,

Gamaliel, a respected Pharisee and teacher of the Law (Paul's teacher, Acts 22:3), provides a moderating influence. Pharisees, unlike Sadducees, believed in resurrection and angels, potentially making them slightly more open, or at least cautious.
His counsel is pragmatic and based on historical precedent and theological caution.
He cites two examples of failed messianic or revolutionary movements (Theudas and Judas the Galilean) to suggest that movements not ordained by God eventually collapse on their own. (Note: There are historical debates about the precise dating of Luke's Theudas compared to Josephus's account, but Gamaliel's point remains clear within the narrative).
Gamaliel proposes a "wait and see" approach: if the movement is merely human, it will self-destruct; if it is divine, opposing it is futile and dangerous.
His famous warning, "you will only find yourselves fighting against God" (theomachos), highlights the potential divine origin of the Jesus movement and the peril of opposing it.
While not endorsing the apostles' message, Gamaliel's argument prevents their immediate execution, demonstrating God's providence working even through non-believers.
His reasoning provides a temporary reprieve for the apostles but doesn't resolve the underlying conflict.

Punishment and Persistent Witness

⁴⁰ and they summoned the apostles and had them beaten. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them.⁴¹ So they left the council rejoicing because they had been considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.⁴² And every day both in the temple courts and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus was the Christ.

Although Gamaliel prevented execution, the Sanhedrin still punished the apostles by flogging (a severe beating, likely the "forty lashes minus one").
They reiterated their command forbidding preaching in Jesus' name, demonstrating their continued opposition despite Gamaliel's advice.
The apostles' reaction to suffering is remarkable: they rejoiced. This wasn't joy *in* the pain, but joy *because* the suffering was endured "for the sake of the name" (i.e., for Jesus). They saw it as an honor, aligning their experience with Jesus' own suffering.
This response reflects Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:10-12).
Their release did not deter them; they immediately resumed their ministry with persistence ("every day").
Their ministry occurred in both public ("temple courts") and private settings ("from house to house"), indicating a comprehensive approach to evangelism.
The core message remained unchanged: "teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus was the Christ" (the Messiah).
This final section shows the futility of the opposition's attempts to silence the gospel and the Spirit-empowered resilience and joy of the apostles.

Additional Content

²² But the officers who came for them did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported,²³ "We found the jail locked securely and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside."²⁴ Now when the commander of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report, they were greatly puzzled concerning it, wondering what this could be.²⁵ But someone came and reported to them, "Look! The men you put in prison are standing in the temple courts and teaching the people!"²⁶ Then the commander of the temple guard went with the officers and brought the apostles without the use of force (for they were afraid of being stoned by the people).

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Acts 5