Chapter Text
Ananias and Sapphira
But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
2And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
3But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
4Whiles it remained, was it not thine own ? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
5And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
6And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
7And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
8And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
9Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
10Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
11And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
The Apostles Heal Many
12And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.
13And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them.
14And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)
15Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.
16There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.
The Apostles Persecuted
17Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation,
18And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.
19But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,
20Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
21And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning , and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.
22But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told,
23Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.
24Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow.
25Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.
26Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.
27And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,
28Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.
29Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
30The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
31Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
32And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
33When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.
Gamaliel's Advice
34Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;
35And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men.
36For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.
37After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.
38And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:
39But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.
40And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
41And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
42And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
Summary
Ananias and Sapphira sell property and secretly withhold part of the proceeds while claiming to give the full amount. Peter, discerning their deception by the Holy Spirit, confronts them individually. Both fall dead upon being exposed. Great fear comes upon the whole church. Meanwhile, the apostles perform many signs and wonders, and the church continues to grow as multitudes are added to the Lord.
Meaning
The severity of God's judgment upon Ananias and Sapphira reveals that hypocrisy in the young church was a matter of utmost gravity. Their sin was not in withholding money but in lying to the Holy Spirit — pretending a devotion they did not possess. This account safeguards the church's integrity at its very foundation.
The resulting fear was holy and appropriate, reminding believers that God's grace does not diminish His holiness. The contrast between divine judgment and miraculous healing shows that God's power operates in both correction and compassion.
Background
The early church practiced voluntary sharing of possessions; no one was compelled to sell property. Ananias and Sapphira's sin echoed Achan's deception in the conquest of Canaan. Solomon's Porch, where the apostles gathered, was a covered colonnade on the eastern side of the temple. The growing fame of the apostles brought people from surrounding cities seeking healing.
Chapter Outline
- vv. 1-11Ananias and Sapphira judged
- vv. 12-16Signs, wonders, and growing church
- vv. 17-21Apostles imprisoned and freed by an angel
- vv. 22-32Before the council: obey God rather than men
- vv. 33-39Gamaliel's counsel of restraint
- vv. 40-42Beaten, rejoicing, and preaching on
Key Verses
“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”— 5:29
A foundational text on the limits of civil authority and the primacy of conscience bound to God. Frequently cited throughout church history in defenses of religious liberty and faithful resistance to unjust commands.
“But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?”— 5:3
Peter's rebuke explicitly identifies the Holy Ghost as God (cf. v. 4), a key proof text for the deity and personhood of the Spirit within Trinitarian theology.
“Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”— 5:31
A compact apostolic confession of Christ's exaltation, lordship, and saving office. Repentance itself is named as a divine gift, anchoring later doctrines of grace.
“And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.”— 5:41
The first recorded instance of apostolic joy under persecution, setting the pattern for Christian witness in suffering throughout Acts and the Epistles.
People & Places
People
- Ananias — A disciple who conspired with his wife to deceive the apostles about a property sale and was struck dead.
- Sapphira — Wife of Ananias, complicit in the deception and likewise struck dead at Peter's feet.
- Peter — Lead apostle who discerns the deception, performs healings, and answers the Sanhedrin on behalf of the Twelve.
- Gamaliel — Esteemed Pharisee and teacher of the law who counsels the council to leave the apostles alone.
- Theudas — A failed insurrectionist cited by Gamaliel as an example of a movement that came to nothing.
- Judas of Galilee — A rebel from the days of the Roman taxation, also cited by Gamaliel as a cautionary precedent.
Places
- Jerusalem — The center of apostolic preaching, where the events of the early church unfold.
- Solomon's porch — A colonnade on the eastern side of the temple where the apostles gathered publicly with the believers.
- The temple — The central place of Jewish worship in Jerusalem and the apostles' chosen platform for daily teaching.
- The common prison — The public jail in Jerusalem where the apostles were held before being miraculously released by an angel.
Prophecy & Fulfillment
Peter's testimony before the council in verses 30–31 echoes the language of Deuteronomy 21:22–23 ('hanged on a tree') and Psalm 110:1 ('exalted with his right hand'), framing the cross and resurrection as the fulfillment of the Hebrew Scriptures. By naming Jesus as 'a Prince and a Saviour' who grants 'repentance to Israel,' Peter draws on messianic expectations from Isaiah 9:6 and Isaiah 55:7. The apostles thus present the risen Christ as the climactic answer to Israel's covenant story.
Devotional
Acts 5 confronts us with the cost and the courage of integrity. Ananias and Sapphira remind us that God sees not only what we give but what we withhold in our hearts; the spiritual life cannot be performed for an audience.
Yet the same chapter shows believers rejoicing after a beating, simply because they bore shame for a name they loved. Faithfulness today rarely demands prison, but it does demand honesty in small things and courage in public ones. When obedience to God collides with the pressures around us, may we, like the apostles, choose the harder, gladder road.
Literary Style
Historical narrative in Luke's polished Hellenistic Greek, blending dramatic dialogue, miracle report, and forensic speech. The chapter uses sharp contrast (judgment within, persecution without), a brief apostolic kerygma before the Sanhedrin, and Gamaliel's rhetorical exemplum to advance its theological argument.