1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, got money for his property,
2 And kept back part of the price, his wife having knowledge of it, and took the rest and put it at the feet of the Apostles.
3 But Peter said, Ananias, why has the Evil One put it into your heart to be false to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
4 While you had it, was it not your property? and after you had given it in exchange, was it not still in your power? how has this purpose come into your mind? you have been false, not to men, but to God.
5 And at these words, Ananias went down on the earth, and his life went from him: and great fear came on all who were present.
6 And the young men went and made ready his body, and took it out, and put it in the earth.
7 And about three hours after, his wife, having no knowledge of what had taken place, came in.
8 And Peter said to her, Give me an answer: was this amount of money the price of the land? And she said, Yes, it was.
9 But Peter said to her, Why have you made an agreement together to be false to the Spirit of the Lord? See, the feet of the young men who have put the body of your husband in the earth, are at the door, and they will take you out.
10 And straight away she went down at his feet, and her life went from her: and the young men came in and saw her dead, and they took her out and put her in the earth with her husband.
11 Then great fear came on all the church and on all who had knowledge of these things.
12 Now a number of signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the Apostles; and they were all together in Solomon's covered way.
13 The others, in fear, kept back from joining them: but the people made much of them;
14 And a great number of men and women had faith, and were joined to the Lord;
15 And they even took into the streets people who were ill, and put them on beds, so that when Peter went by, some of them might be in his shade.
16 And numbers of people came together from the towns round about Jerusalem, with those who were ill and those who were troubled with unclean spirits: and they were all made well.
17 But the high priest and those who were with him (the Sadducees) were full of envy,
18 And they took the Apostles and put them in the common prison.
19 But in the night an angel of the Lord, opening the doors of the prison, took them out and said,
20 Go, take your place in the Temple and give the people all the teaching about this Life.
21 And hearing this, they went into the Temple at dawn, and were teaching. But the high priest and those who were with him got together the Sanhedrin and the representatives of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to get them.
22 But the men who were sent saw that they were not in the prison, and came back with the news,
23 Saying, The doors of the prison were safely shut, and the keepers were at the doors, but when they were open, there was nobody inside.
24 Now, at these words, the captain of the Temple and the chief priests were greatly troubled about what might be the end of this business.
25 And someone came and said to them, The men, whom you put in prison, are in the Temple teaching the people.
26 Then the captain and some of the police went and took them, but not violently, for fear that they might be stoned by the people.
27 And they took them into the Sanhedrin, and the high priest said to them,
28 We gave you very clear orders not to give teaching in this name: and now Jerusalem is full of your teaching, and you are attempting to make us responsible for this man's death.
29 But Peter and the Apostles, answering, said, We have to do the orders of God, not of man.
30 The God of our fathers gave Jesus back to life, whom you had put to death, hanging him on a tree.
31 Him God has put on high at his right hand, as a Ruler and a Saviour, to give to Israel a change of heart and forgiveness of sins.
32 And we are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who keep his laws.
33 But when these words came to their ears, they were cut to the heart, and had a mind to put them to death.
34 But one of the Sanhedrin, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a man of learning in the law, of whom all the people had a high opinion, got up and made a suggestion for the men to be put outside for a little time.
35 And he said to them, Men of Israel, take care what you do about these men.
36 For before this there was Theudas, who said he was someone important, to whom about four hundred men gave their support: he was put to death, and his band was broken up and came to nothing.
37 After this man, there was Judas of Galilee, at the time of the numbering, and some of the people went after him: he was put to death, and all his supporters were put to flight.
38 And now I say to you, Do nothing to these men, but let them be: for if this teaching or this work is of men, it will come to nothing:
39 But if it is of God, you will not be able to overcome them, and you are in danger of fighting against God.
40 And he seemed to them to be right: and they sent for the Apostles, and, after having them whipped and giving them orders to give no teaching in the name of Jesus, they let them go.
41 So they went away from the Sanhedrin, happy to undergo shame for the Name.
42 And every day, in the Temple and privately, they went on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Acts 5
Commentary on Acts 5 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 5
Ac 5:1-11. Ananias and Sapphira.
"The first trace of a shade upon the bright form of the young Church. Probably among the new Christians a kind of holy rivalry had sprung up, every one eager to place his means at the disposal of the apostles" [Olshausen]. Thus might the new-born zeal of some outrun their abiding principle, while others might be tempted to seek credit for a liberality which was not in their character.
2. kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it—The coolness with which they planned the deception aggravated the guilt of this couple.
brought a certain part—pretending it to be the whole proceeds of the sale.
3-6. why hath Satan filled—"why … fill—"why hast thou suffered him to fill"
thine heart—so criminally entertaining his suggestion? Compare Ac 5:4, "why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart?" And see Joh 13:2, 27.
to lie to the Holy Ghost—to men under His supernatural illumination.
4. While it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power?—from which we see how purely voluntary were all these sacrifices for the support of the infant community.
not lied to men but God—to men so entirely the instruments of the directing Spirit that the lie was rather told to Him: language clearly implying both the distinct personality and the proper divinity of the Holy Ghost.
5. Ananias … gave up the ghost … great fear came on all that heard these things—on those without the Christian circle; who, instead of disparaging the followers of the Lord Jesus, as they might otherwise have done on the discovery of such hypocrisy, were awed at the manifest presence of Divinity among them, and the mysterious power of throwing off such corrupt matter which rested upon the young Church.
6. the young men—some of the younger and more active members of the church, not as office-bearers, nor coming forward now for the first time, but who probably had already volunteered their services in making subordinate arrangements. In every thriving Christian community such volunteers may be expected, and will be found eminently useful.
7-11. Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much—naming the sum.
9. How is it that ye have agreed together—(See on Ac 5:2).
to tempt the Spirit—try whether they could escape detection by that omniscient Spirit of whose supernatural presence with the apostles they had had such full evidence.
feet of them that buried thy husband are at the door—How awfully graphic!
10. buried her by her husband—The later Jews buried before sunset of the day of death.
11. And great fear came upon all the church, &c.—This effect on the Christian community itself was the chief design of so startling a judgment; which had its counterpart, as the sin itself had, in Achan (Jos 7:1-26), while the time—at the commencement of a new career—was similar.
Ac 5:12-26. The Progress of the New Cause Leads to the Arrest of the Apostles—They Are Miraculously Delivered from Prison, Resume Their Teaching, but Allow Themselves to Be Conducted before the Sanhedrin.
12. Solomon's Porch—(See on Joh 10:23).
13-16. of the rest durst no man join himself, &c.—Of the unconverted none ventured, after what had taken place, to profess discipleship; but yet their number continually increased.
15. into the streets—"in every street."
on beds and couches—The words denote the softer couches of the rich and the meaner cribs of the poor [Bengel].
shadow of Peter … might overshadow some of them—Compare Ac 19:12; Lu 8:46. So Elisha. Now the predicted greatness of Peter (Mt 16:18), as the directing spirit of the early Church, was at its height.
17-23. sect of the Sadducees—See on Ac 4:1 for the reason why this is specified.
19. by night—the same night.
20. all the words of this life—beautiful expression for that Life in the Risen One which was the burden of their preaching!
21. entered into the temple, &c.—How self-possessed! the indwelling Spirit raising them above fear.
called … all the senate, &c.—an unusually general convention, though hastily summoned.
23. the prison … shut … keepers … before the doors, but … no man within—the reverse of the miracle in Ac 16:26; a similar contrast to that of the nets at the miraculous draughts of fishes (Lu 5:6; Joh 21:11).
24-26. they doubted—"were in perplexity."
26. without violence, for they feared, &c.—hardened ecclesiastics, all unawed by the miraculous tokens of God's presence with the apostles, and the fear of the mob only before their eyes!
Ac 5:27-42. Second Appearance and Testimony before the Sanhedrin—Its Rage Calmed by Gamaliel—Being Dismissed, They Depart Rejoicing, and Continue Their Preaching.
27, 28. ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine—noble testimony to the success of their preaching, and (for the reason mentioned on Ac 4:4) to the truth of their testimony, from reluctant lips!
28. intend to bring this man's blood upon us—They avoid naming Him whom Peter gloried in holding up [Bengel]. In speaking thus, they seem to betray a disagreeable recollection of their own recent imprecation, His blood be upon us," &c. (Mt 27:25), and of the traitor's words as he threw down the money, "I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood" (Mt 27:4).
29, 30. Then Peter, &c.—(See on Ac 2:22, and Ac 3:13, &c.).
31. Prince and a Saviour—the first word expressing that Royalty which all Israel looked for in Messiah, the second the Saving character of it which they had utterly lost sight of. Each of these features in our Lord's work enters into the other, and both make one glorious whole (compare Ac 3:15; Heb 2:10).
to give—dispensing as a "Prince."
repentance and remission of sins—as a "Saviour"; "repentance" embracing all that change which issues in the faith which secures "forgiveness" (compare Ac 2:38; 20:21). How gloriously is Christ here exhibited; not, as in other places, as the Medium, but as the Dispenser of all spiritual blessings!
32, 33. we are his witnesses … and the Holy Ghost—They as competent human witnesses to facts, and the Holy Ghost as attesting them by undeniable miracles.
33. cut to the heart and took—"were taking."
counsel to slay them—How different this feeling and the effect of it from that "pricking of the heart" which drew from the first converts on the day of Pentecost the cry, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Ac 2:37). The words used in the two places are strikingly different.
34. Then stood up … Gamaliel—in all probability one of that name celebrated in the Jewish writings for his wisdom, the son of Simeon (possibly the same who took the infant Saviour in his arms, Lu 2:25-35), and grandson of Hillel, another celebrated rabbi. He died eighteen years before the destruction of Jerusalem [Lightfoot].
35-39. Theudas—not the same with a deceiver of that name whom Josephus mentions as heading an insurrection some twelve years after this [Antiquities, 20.5.1], but some other of whom he makes no mention. Such insurrections were frequent.
37. Judas of Galilee—(See on Lu 2:2, and Lu 13:1-3) [Josephus, Antiquities, 13.1.1].
38. if … of men, it will come to naught—This neutral policy was true wisdom, in the then temper of the council. But individual neutrality is hostility to Christ, as He Himself teaches (Lu 11:23).
40-42. beaten them—for disobeying their orders (compare Lu 23:16).
41. departed … rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name—"thought worthy by God to be dishonored by man" (Mt 5:12; 1Pe 4:14, 16) [Webster and Wilkinson]. This was their first taste of persecution, and it felt sweet for His sake whose disciples they were.
42. in every house—in private. (See on Ac 2:46).
ceased not to preach Jesus Christ—that is, Jesus (to be the) Christ.