Acts

¹Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property.

²With his wife's full knowledge, he kept back part of the money for himself and brought the rest and placed it at the apostles' feet.

³Then Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the money from the sale of the land?

⁴Before you sold it, wasn't it yours to keep? And after you sold it, wasn't the money yours to use as you chose? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God."

⁵When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. Great fear seized all who heard what had happened.

⁶The young men came forward, wrapped up his body, carried him out, and buried him.

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

⁸Peter asked her, "Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?" "Yes," she said, "that is the price."

⁹Peter said to her, "How could you conspire together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen — the feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also."

¹⁰At that moment 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.

¹¹Great fear came on the whole church and on all who heard about these events.

¹²The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Colonnade.

¹³No one else dared join them, even though the people held them in high regard.

¹⁴Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.

¹⁵As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.

¹⁶Crowds also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits. All of them were healed.

¹⁷Then the high priest and all his associates — members of the Sadducees — were filled with jealousy.

¹⁸They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.

¹⁹But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out.

²⁰"Go, stand in the temple courts," he said, "and tell the people all about this new life."

²¹At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin — the full assembly of the elders of Israel — and sent to the jail for the apostles.

²²But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported,

²³"We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside."

²⁴When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report, they were baffled, wondering what would come of this.

²⁵Then someone came and said, "Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people."

²⁶At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles — but without using force, because they feared the people would stone them.

²⁷The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin, and the high priest questioned them.

²⁸"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 death."

²⁹Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than human beings.

³⁰The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead — whom you killed by hanging him on a cross.

³¹God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior in order to bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins.

³²We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."

³³When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.

³⁴But 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 briefly.

³⁵Then he addressed the council: "Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do with these men.

³⁶Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and the movement came to nothing.

³⁷After him, Judas the Galilean appeared at the time of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered.

³⁸Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! If their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.

³⁹But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."

⁴⁰His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

⁴¹The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.

⁴²Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.