Episode 271: Ananias and Sapphira

Acts 4-7

Peter and John vs. the Council

4 ^1-3 Peter and John continued to speak to the people, which upset the priests and Sadducees, who arrested them.

⁴ But many who heard them believed. There were now about five thousand believers.

^5-6 The next day, the priests and scribes met in Jerusalem and said to Peter and John,

⁷ By what power and in whose name have you done this?

^8-10 Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said to them,

We healed this man by the name of Jesus Christ, who you crucified, and who God has raised from the dead.

¹² You can't be saved by any other name.

¹³ They were amazed by the boldness of Peter and John, since they knew that they were uneducated and ignorant men.

¹⁵ So they said to each other,

¹⁶ What should we do with these men?

They performed a miracle that everyone saw. We can't deny it.

¹⁷ Let's just tell them to stop talking about Jesus's name.

¹⁸ So they told them to stop talking about Jesus.

¹⁹ But Peter and John said to them,

Should we obey you or God?

²⁰ We can't stop talking about what we've seen and heard.

²¹ So they let them go.

To each according to their need

^24-30 After their release, Peter and John said a prayer.

³¹ When they finished, there was an earthquake, and everyone was filled with the Holy Ghost.

³² All the believers lived together in peace, relinquishing all their possessions, and holding all things in common.

^34-35 Everyone had what was needed, and no one lacked for anything. All of their lands and houses were sold, and the money was given to the apostles to distribute to everyone according to their need.

Ananias and Sapphira

5 ^1-2 Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, sold their property, giving part of the money to the apostles, but keeping the rest for themselves.

³ Peter said to Ananias,

Why did Satan make you lie to the Holy Ghost by keeping some of the money from the sale of your land?

⁴ You didn't lie to us, you lied to God.

⁵ When Ananias heard these words, he died.

⁷ A few hours later, his wife came in, not knowing what had happened to her husband.

⁸ Peter said,

⁹ Why did you and your husband tempt the Spirit of the Lord?

The men who buried your husband are here.

Shall they bury you too?

¹⁰ Immediately she fell down dead.

¹¹ And a great fear spread among the church.

Peter's shadow heals everyone

¹² The apostles performed many signs and wonders for the people.

¹⁴ And many people were converted.

¹⁵ Sick people were brought into the streets, hoping they'd be cured by Peter's shadow.

¹⁶ Large crowds of people vexed by evil spirits came from surrounding cites to Jerusalem. Every one of them was healed.

An angelic prison break

¹⁷ The high priest arrested the apostles and put them in prison.

¹⁹ But an angel opened the prison doors and let them out.

²⁰ The angel said to the apostles, “Go to the temple to speak to the people.”

²¹ So the apostles went to the temple and taught.

The apostles before the council

²⁵ Someone told the high priest and his council that the apostles escaped from prison and were teaching in the temple.

²⁶ The officers went to the temple and brought the apostles to the council. The high priest asked them: ²⁸ "Didn't we command you not to teach in Jesus's name?"

²⁹ Peter and the other apostles said,

We should obey God, not men.

³⁰ God raised up Jesus. You killed him and hung him on a tree.

³³ When the council heard that, they wanted to kill the apostles.

³⁴ But a Pharisee named Gamaliel told the apostles to leave the room. Then he said to the council:

³⁸ Let these men alone. If their work is inspired by men, it will fail.

³⁹ But if it's from God, you can't overthrow it. It's bad luck to fight against God.

⁴⁰ The council agreed, and after beating them, they commanded them not to speak the name of Jesus. Then they released them.

⁴² After that, the apostles went each day to the temple and in every house, teaching and preaching the name of Jesus Christ.

Seven men are assigned to serve tables

6 ¹ As the number of disciples multiplied, there was a conflict between the Greek and Hebrews about neglected widows.

² The twelve apostles met with the disciples and said to them,

We shouldn't have to quit preaching to serve tables.

³ So choose seven honest and wise men who are filled with the Holy Ghost to take care of this business for us.

⁴ We'll keep praying and preaching.

⁵ So Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas were chosen

⁶ The apostles prayed and put their hands on them.

Stephen is accused of blasphemy

⁸ Stephen was full of faith and power and did great miracles.

^9-10 Some in the synagogue disagreed with him, but they couldn't defeat Stephen in debate.

¹¹ So they said,

We heard Stephen blaspheme against Moses and God.

^12-13 The elders and scribes brought him to the council, where false witnesses said,

Stephen said Jesus will destroy the temple and change the laws of Moses.

¹⁵ And everyone in the council saw Stephen's face, which looked like the face of an angel.

Stephen's speech

7 ¹ When Stephen was brought before the council, the high priest said to him,

Did you say these blasphemous things?

^2-50 Stephen told some of his favorite Bible stories: about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, and Solomon. Then he finished with this:

⁵¹ You stiff-necked people.

Your hearts and ears are uncircumcised.

You always resist the Holy Ghost, just as your fathers did.

⁵² Your fathers killed and persecuted all of the prophets.

And now you've betrayed and murdered the Just One.

Stephen is stoned

⁵⁴ When the council heard these things, they gnashed their teeth.

⁵⁵ But Stephen, filled with the Holy Ghost, looked up and saw the glory of God, with Jesus standing on God's right hand.

⁵⁶ Stephen said, "I see the Son of man standing on the right hand of God."

^57-58 Then the council cried out, covered their ears, threw him out of the city, and stoned him, while a young man named Saul watched over their clothes.

⁵⁹ As they stoned him, Stephen called out to God, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

⁶⁰ Then he kneeled down and cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Don't charge this sin against them.” Then he fell asleep.