Acts Chapter 5

(Tap footnote to read it.  Old Testament quotations are underlined.  "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.^fn"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love".  However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings – agapé centers on choice and behavior.  It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings.  (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".)  Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé".  Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing.  It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. Verbs with an asterisk (*) are in the Greek perfect tense.)

Ananias and Sapphira (continued)

1. And a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property.
2. And he deceitfully kept back^fn“deceitfully kept back” this word can also have the sense of “embezzle” or “purloin” in other contexts.  It’s also used in Titus 2:10, there translated “embezzling”. a portion of the price, with his wife also knowing, and having brought a portion of it, he set it at the feet of the apostles.
3. But Peter said: “Ananias, why did Satan fill your heart for you to lie to the Holy Spirit, and deceitfully keep back some of the price of the land?
4. “While remaining yours, wasn’t it certainly remaining yours?  And having been sold, wasn’t the money in your own authority?  Why did you conceive this deed in your heart?  You didn’t lie to men, but to God.”
5. And having heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last.  And great fear came on all the men hearing of this.
6. And having risen, the young men covered him.  And having carried him out, they buried him.
7. And it happened about three hours later,^fn“later” is literally “interval”, as in an interval of time. his wife also came in, not *knowing what happened.
8. And Peter replied to her: “Tell me whether you sold the land for such a price.”  And she said: “Yes, for such a price.”
9. And Peter said to her: “Why were you both agreed together to test the Lord’s Spirit?  Behold, the feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out too.”
10. And she instantly fell at his feet and breathed her last.  And having entered, the young men found her dead.  And having carried her out, they buried her next to her husband.
11. And great fear came on the whole church assembly, and on all the men hearing of these things.

Miracles and converts abound

12. And many miraculous signs and wonders were happening among the people through the hands of the apostles.  And they were in one accord, all at the porch of Solomon.
13. And none of the rest was daring to join them, but the people were highly esteeming them.
14. And more men believing in the Lord were constantly added, multitudes of both men and women,
15. so that they even began to bring the sick into the streets, and to set them on bed-mats and pallets, so that during Peter’s coming, even his shadow might fall over some of them.
16. And the multitude from cities all around Jerusalem also assembled, bringing the sick, and men being afflicted by unclean spirits, who were all being healed.

Arrested, released, and brought in for questioning

17. But having risen, the high priest and all the men with him (being of the sect of the Sadducees) were filled with burning jealousy.
18. And they laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail.
19. But having opened the prison doors during the night, an angel from the Lord both brought them out and said:
20. “Go and stand, speak all the words of this life in the temple to the people.”
21. “And having heard this, they entered into the temple about dawn and were teaching.  And having arrived, the high priest and the men with him assembled the Sanhedrin, and all of the council of elders of the sons of Israel, and sent men to the jailhouse to bring them.
22. And having arrived, the officers didn’t find them in the prison.  And having returned, they reported this,
23. saying: “We found the jailhouse locked *shut, with all its security, and the guards *standing at the doors.  But having opened the doors, we found no one inside.
24. And when they heard these words, both the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were thoroughly perplexed about them, and what this may mean.
25. But having arrived, a man reported to them: “Behold, the men whom you put in the prison are *standing in the temple and teaching the people.
26. Then having departed, the captain (with the officers) was bringing them; not with force though, for they were fearing the people, lest they would be stoned.

Before the Sanhedrin

27. And having brought them, they stood them in the Sanhedrin.  And the high priest questioned them,
28. saying: “[Didn’t] we strongly command you with a command^fn“we strongly command you with a command” this is likely a Hebrew word usage preserved in Greek, where you repeat the word for emphasis.  While it’s translated this literally here, it’s likely that the intended meaning is “we strongly command”. not to teach on this name?  And behold, you *filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you’re resolved to bring the blood of this man upon us.”
29. But answering, Peter and the apostles said: “It’s necessary^fn” It’s necessary” also contains the nuance of what is right and proper to do. to obey God rather than men.”
30. “The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead, whom you killed by hanging on a tree.
31. “God exalted this One to His right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
32. “And we are witnesses of these matters, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God gave to the men obeying Him.”
33. And having heard this, they were enraged^fn“enraged” this Greek word refers to the act of sawing something in half, and thus describes a state where someone is so enraged that he feels violently cut in half. and were intending to execute them.

The Sanhedrin deliberates and decides

34. But having stood up, a man in the Sanhedrin — a pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was honored by all the people — both ordered the men to be put outside a short time,
35. and said to them: “Men, Israelites, watch out for yourselves on account of these men and what you’re about to do.
36. “For before these days, Theudas rose up, he himself claiming to be someone, to whom were joined a number of men, about four hundred.  But he^fn“he” is literally “who” was put to death, and all the men being convinced by him — as many as there were — were scattered and it came to nothing.
37. “After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up on the days of the census and incited many people to revolt after him.  And this man also perished, and all the men being convinced by him — as many as there were — were dispersed.
38. “And now I tell you: withdraw from these men and release them, because if this is from men, this plan or this undertaking will be overthrown.
39. “But if it’s from God, you won’t be able to overthrow them, not when you would also be found fighting against God.”
40. And they were convinced by him.  And having summoned the apostles and beaten them, they ordered them not to speak on the name of Jesus, and released them.
41. Therefore, the apostles indeed departed from the Sanhedrin’s presence, rejoicing that they were considered worthy to be treated shamefully for the sake of The Name.^fn“The Name” even to this day, Jews say “Ha-shem” (Hebrew, translation: “the name”) to refer to God.  Thus, this is an explicit statement of Jesus’s deity.
42. And every day, both in the temple and at a house, they weren’t ceasing teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Anointed.

 

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