Read the Bible

Ananias and Sapphira

¹ Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property.² With his wife’s full knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds for himself, but brought a portion and laid it at the apostles’ feet.³ Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land?⁴ Did it not belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? How could you conceive such a deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God!”⁵ On hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died. And great fear came over all who heard what had happened.⁶ Then the young men stepped forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.⁷ About three hours later his wife also came in, unaware of what had happened.⁸ “Tell me,” said Peter, “is this the price you and your husband got for the land?” “Yes,” she answered, “that is the price.”⁹ “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord?” Peter replied. “Look, the feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”¹⁰ At that instant she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and found her dead. So they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.¹¹ And great fear came over the whole church and all who heard about these events.

The Apostles Heal Many

¹² The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people, and with one accord the believers gathered together in Solomon’s Colonnade.¹³ Although the people regarded them highly, no one else dared to join them.¹⁴ Yet more and more believers were brought to the Lord—large numbers of both men and women.¹⁵ As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.¹⁶ Crowds also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and all of them were healed.

The Apostles Arrested and Freed

¹⁷ Then the high priest and all his associates (who belonged to the party of the Sadducees) rose up with jealousy.¹⁸ They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.¹⁹ But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out, saying,²⁰ “Go, stand in the temple courts and tell the people the full message of this new life.”²¹ At daybreak, the apostles entered the temple courts as they had been told and began to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived in the Council, they called together the full assembly of the elders of Israel, and sent to the jail for the apostles.²² But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they returned with the report:²³ “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards posted at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”

The Apostles Before the Council

²⁶ At that point, the captain went with the officers and brought the apostles—but not by force, for fear the people would stone them.²⁷ They brought them in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, where the high priest interrogated 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 blood.”²⁹ But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men.³⁰ The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree.³¹ God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior, in order to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.³² We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

Gamaliel’s Advice