Overview of Acts Chapter 5

Ananias and Sapphira

5 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, ² and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. ³ But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? ⁴ While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” ⁵ When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. ⁶ The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.

⁷ After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. ⁸ And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” ⁹ But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” ¹⁰ Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. ¹¹ And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.

Many Signs and Wonders Done

¹² Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. ¹³ None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. ¹⁴ And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, ¹⁵ so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. ¹⁶ The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

The Apostles Arrested and Freed

¹⁷ But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy ¹⁸ they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. ¹⁹ But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, ²⁰ “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” ²¹ And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.

Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. ²² But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, ²³ “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” ²⁴ Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. ²⁵ And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” ²⁶ Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

²⁷ And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, ²⁸ saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.” ²⁹ But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. ³⁰ The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. ³¹ God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. ³² And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

³³ When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. ³⁴ But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. ³⁵ And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. ³⁶ For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. ³⁷ After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. ³⁸ So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; ³⁹ but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, ⁴⁰ and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. ⁴¹ Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. ⁴² And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

Q&A

Acts 5:1
Q1: What did a man named Ananias do in Acts 5:1?
A1: Ananias sold a piece of property and with his wife's knowledge, he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet.

Acts 5:2-3
Q2: How did Peter confront Ananias about the money he kept back, as mentioned in Acts 5:2-3?
A2: Peter questioned Ananias, asking why he has lied to the Holy Spirit and kept back for himself part of the proceeds of the land.

Acts 5:4
Q3: What did Peter say about the land and the money in Acts 5:4?
A3: Peter told Ananias that the land belonged to him before he sold it, and the money was his to do with as he pleased, but by lying to the Holy Spirit, he lied not to man but to God.

Acts 5:5
Q4: What happened to Ananias when he heard these words from Peter, as mentioned in Acts 5:5?
A4: Ananias fell down and breathed his last when he heard these words, and great fear came upon all who heard of it.

Acts 5:6-9
Q5: What happened about three hours later, as mentioned in Acts 5:6-9?
A5: About three hours later, Ananias' wife, Sapphira, unaware of what had happened, came in and also lied about the amount they received from the sale. Peter questioned her, and she also fell down and breathed her last.

Acts 5:10
Q6: How did great fear come upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things, as mentioned in Acts 5:10?
A6: Great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.

Acts 5:11
Q7: What did the apostles perform in Acts 5:11?
A7: The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people.

Acts 5:12
Q8: Where did the apostles regularly meet, as mentioned in Acts 5:12?
A8: The apostles regularly met in Solomon's Portico.

Acts 5:13
Q9: How did the people view the apostles, as mentioned in Acts 5:13?
A9: None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high esteem.

Acts 5:14
Q10: What did believers increasingly do, according to Acts 5:14?
A10: More than ever, believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.

Acts 5:15-16
Q11: How did people respond to the apostles' presence, as mentioned in Acts 5:15-16?
A11: People brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that as Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on some of them. And the people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Acts 5:17
Q12: How did the high priest and his associates react to the apostles' popularity, as mentioned in Acts 5:17?
A12: The high priest and his associates were filled with jealousy and arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.

Acts 5:18
Q13: What did the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests discover in the morning, as mentioned in Acts 5:18?
A13: They discovered that the prison was securely locked and the guards were standing at the doors, but when they opened them, they found no one inside.

Acts 5:19-20
Q14: How did the angel of the Lord instruct the apostles, as mentioned in Acts 5:19-20?
A14: The angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, saying, "Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life."

Acts 5:21
Q15: How did the high priest and the captain find the apostles, as mentioned in Acts 5:21?
A15: The high priest and the captain went with the officers and found the apostles not in the prison but teaching the people in the temple.

Acts 5:22-23
Q16: How did the captain of the temple and the chief priests react to finding the apostles teaching, as mentioned in Acts 5:22-23?
A16: The captain and the officers brought the apostles without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. After bringing them, they set them before the council.

Acts 5:27-28
Q17: What did the high priest ask the apostles when they were brought before the council in Acts 5:27-28?
A17: The high priest asked the apostles, "Did we not strictly charge you not to teach in this name? And behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us."

Acts 5:29
Q18: How did Peter and the apostles respond to the high priest's question, as mentioned in Acts 5:29?
A18: Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men."

Acts 5:30-32
Q19: How did Peter summarize the events concerning Jesus to the council in Acts 5:30-32?
A19: Peter summarized that the God of their fathers raised Jesus, whom they killed by hanging Him on a tree. God exalted Him at His right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him."

Acts 5:33
Q20: How did the council react to Peter's words in Acts 5:33?
A20: When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.

Acts 5:34-35
Q21: Who spoke with wisdom and calmed the situation, as mentioned in Acts 5:34-35?
A21: Gamaliel, a Pharisee and a teacher of the law, spoke with wisdom and calmed the situation.

Acts 5:36-37
Q22: What examples did Gamaliel give to caution the council against acting hastily, as mentioned in Acts 5:36-37?
A22: Gamaliel gave examples of Theudas and Judas, saying that they rose up, but both of them perished, and their followers were scattered.

Acts 5:38-39
Q23: What did Gamaliel advise the council regarding the apostles in Acts 5:38-39?
A23: Gamaliel advised the council to keep away from these men and let them alone, for if their plan or undertaking is of man, it will fail. But if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!

Acts 5:40-41
Q24: How did the council respond to Gamaliel's advice, as mentioned in Acts 5:40-41?
A24: The council took Gamaliel's advice, and after calling the apostles in, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus. Then they let them go. The apostles left the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

Acts 5:42
Q25: Where did the apostles not cease teaching and preaching, as mentioned in Acts 5:42?
A25: The apostles did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ, both in the temple and from house to house.