ActsChapter 5

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

With his wife's knowledge he held back part of the price, and brought only a portion of it and laid it at the apostles' feet.

But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart, that you should lie to the Holy Spirit and hold back part of the price of the land?

While it remained unsold, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was the money not at your disposal? Why have you contrived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God."

When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear came over all who heard of it.

The young men rose, wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.

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

Peter said to her, "Tell me, was this the price you got for the land?" "Yes," she said, "that was the price."

Then Peter said to her, "How could you agree together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Look, the feet of those who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out."

At once she fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came in, they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

And great fear came over the whole church and over all who heard of these things.

Many signs and wonders were done among the people through the hands of the apostles, and they all met together with one accord in Solomon's Colonnade.

None of the others dared to join them, but the people held them in high esteem.

And more than ever, believers were added to the Lord—great numbers of both men and women—

so that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, hoping that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on one of them.

Crowds also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and all of them were healed.

Then the high priest and all who were with him, that is, the party of the Sadducees, rose up, filled with jealousy.

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

But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said,

"Go, stand in the temple and tell the people the whole message of this life."

So at daybreak they entered the temple and began to teach. Meanwhile the high priest and those with him arrived, called together the Council—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail to have the apostles brought in.

But when the officers arrived, they did not find them in the prison, so they went back and reported,

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

When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this, they were at a loss, wondering what would come of it.

Then someone came and reported to them, "Look, the men you put in prison are standing in the temple, teaching the people!"

So the captain went with his officers and brought them in—without force, for they were afraid the people would stone them.

They brought them in and made them stand before the Council, and the high priest questioned them:

"We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us."

Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men.

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.

God exalted him to his right hand as Prince and Savior, to grant repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

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

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

But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and ordered that the men be taken outside for a little while.

Then he said, "Men of Israel, be careful what you intend to do with these men.

Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing.

After him Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and drew people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered.

So in this case I tell you: keep away from these men and let them alone. For if this plan or this work is of human origin, it will collapse;

but if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God." They were persuaded by him,

and they called in the apostles, had them flogged, ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

So they left the Council rejoicing that they had been counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name.

And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

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Summary2

Chapter 5

Main Theme: The early church's growth and trials through God's judgment on hypocrisy, the apostles' powerful ministry, and opposition from religious leaders.

Content: Ananias and Sapphira died after lying to the Holy Spirit by withholding part of the proceeds from a property sale, which brought great fear upon the church. The apostles performed many signs and wonders, and people came from surrounding cities with sick individuals who were all healed. When the apostles were imprisoned by the high priest, an angel freed them and instructed them to continue preaching in the temple. The Pharisee Gamaliel persuaded the council to release them, but they were still beaten before being set free—and left the council rejoicing that they had been counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus.

Key Words/Images:

Lying to the Holy Spirit: The sin of Ananias and Sapphira was not withholding money, but lying to God and testing the Lord's Spirit.
Signs and wonders: The apostles' healings confirmed the power of the gospel and drew large crowds.
Gamaliel's counsel: The principle that God's work cannot be stopped by humans, while human projects will fail on their own.
Joy in suffering: The apostles considered it an honor to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus.
Obedience to God: Peter's declaration "We must obey God rather than men" expresses the apostles' priority.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for Acts 5

People

Ananias and Sapphira were a Jewish couple mentioned only in this chapter. The name Ananias (Ἁνανίας) is the Greek form of the Hebrew Hananiah, meaning "The Lord is gracious." Sapphira (Σαπφίρῃ) likely comes from the Aramaic word for "beautiful" or "sapphire." Both names were common in Jewish society at that time.

Gamaliel (Γαμαλιήλ) is one of the most significant figures in this chapter. He is identified as a Pharisee and "a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people" (v. 34). Historically, this was Gamaliel the Elder (Rabban Gamaliel I), grandson of the famous Hillel and leader of the Pharisaic school that bore his name. He was active approximately 25–50 AD and is regarded as one of the most influential rabbis in Jewish history. In the Mishnah, he is given the honorific title "Rabban" ("our teacher"), and it is said that "when Rabban Gamaliel the Elder died, respect for the Torah ceased" (Sotah 9:15). Paul later mentions that he was trained "at the feet of Gamaliel" (Acts 22:3).

Judas the Galilean (Ἰούδας ὁ Γαλιλαῖος), whom Gamaliel mentions, is historically confirmed through the writings of Josephus. He led a revolt in connection with the census under Quirinius in 6 AD and founded the Zealot movement. Josephus describes him as one who taught that Jews should not pay taxes to Rome, since this was equivalent to acknowledging foreign rulers over God's people (Ant. 18.1.1).

Places

Solomon's Colonnade (Στοᾷ Σολομῶντος) is mentioned as the gathering place for believers (v. 12). This was a covered colonnade along the east side of the temple courtyard, overlooking the Kidron Valley. The colonnade was a popular location for teaching and debate, providing shelter from sun and rain. It was named after King Solomon, although the actual structure was built by Herod the Great. Archaeological investigations have confirmed the existence of massive columns and foundations along this section of the temple wall.

The Public Prison (τηρήσει δημοσίᾳ) where the apostles were placed (v. 18) was likely located near the temple area to give the Sanhedrin easy access to prisoners. The expression indicates that this was a well-known public prison under official control, as opposed to private detention cells.

Events and Customs

Burial practices described in verses 6 and 10, where "the young men" (οἱ νεώτεροι/νεανίσκοι) quickly buried the dead, reflect Jewish custom. In the warm climate of the Middle East, rapid burial was necessary, and it was common for burial to take place on the same day as death. The young men likely served a functional role within the congregation.

The sharing of possessions, which forms the background for Ananias and Sapphira's sin, was voluntary (v. 4 emphasizes this: "Was it not yours while you kept it?"). Peter's words show that this was not forced communism but a voluntary expression of fellowship. The sin was not in keeping something back, but in lying about what they gave.

The flogging of the apostles (δείραντες, v. 40) likely refers to the Jewish punishment "forty lashes minus one" (39 lashes), as described in Deuteronomy 25:3 and confirmed by Paul in 2 Corinthians 11:24. This punishment was administered with a leather strap and intended as a severe but non-lethal discipline.

Key Terms

The verb "νοσφίζομαι" (vv. 2–3), translated "kept back" or "withheld," is a rare word also used in the Septuagint regarding Achan's sin in Joshua 7:1, where he took some of the devoted things from Jericho. This verbal connection suggests that Luke deliberately draws a parallel between Achan, who brought disaster upon old Israel at the entry into the Promised Land, and Ananias and Sapphira, who threatened the integrity of the new people of God at its beginning.

The expression "πειράσαι τὸ πνεῦμα κυρίου" (v. 9), "to test the Spirit of the Lord," has roots in the Old Testament where Israel "tested" or "tried" God in the wilderness (Exodus 17:2; Deuteronomy 6:16). It implies an arrogant challenge to God's omniscience.

The title "ἀρχηγός" (v. 31), here translated "leader" or "author," describes Jesus as both leader and source. The word is used of one who goes before and paves the way for others, and is combined here with "σωτήρ" (Savior) to emphasize Jesus' role as the one who both initiates and completes salvation.

Chapter-Specific Findings

The Theudas Problem: Gamaliel's mention of Theudas (v. 36) has created historical debate because Josephus places a rebel leader named Theudas around 44–46 AD (Ant. 20.5.1), that is, after the time of this speech. Several explanations have been proposed: (1) There were multiple individuals named Theudas, and Gamaliel refers to an earlier, unknown rebel; (2) Josephus' chronology may be inaccurate; (3) Luke may have made a historical error. The name Theudas was a shortened form of Greek names such as Theodoros and was relatively common. Josephus himself notes that there were "countless" unrest movements during this period, so an earlier Theudas is entirely possible. This discussion illustrates the challenges of correlating biblical and secular sources from this turbulent period in Jewish history.

People9