Acts Chapter 5
Showing all 42 verses for Acts Chapter 5.
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"But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, "
"A man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property."
I love it when people give freely, but I care far more about the truth in your heart than the size of the gift in your hand.
"And 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. "
"He secretly held back part of the money for himself - his wife knew all about it - and brought only a portion to give to the apostles."
You are never obligated to give away everything - but don't dress up a partial gift as if it were total sacrifice, just to look good in front of others.
"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? "
"Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan taken over your heart, leading you to lie to the Holy Spirit and secretly keep back some of the money from the land?""
When you catch yourself performing generosity or virtue for an audience rather than living it honestly, stop and ask what's really driving you - image, or truth.
"Whiles 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. "
"Peter continued, "Before you sold it, wasn't the land yours? And after you sold it, wasn't the money still yours to do with as you wished? Why did you plan this deception in your heart? You haven't lied to people - you've lied to God.""
Don't let anyone - including your own conscience - pressure you into giving what you haven't freely decided to give; but once you say something is a gift, mean it, because pretending is a lie you tell yourself as much as anyone else.
"And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. "
"When Ananias heard this, he collapsed and died. Everyone who heard about it was overwhelmed with fear."
Take dishonesty towards yourself and others seriously, even in small, hidden ways - the health of any community, including your closest relationships, depends on the little truths you choose to tell or not tell.
"And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. "
"The younger men present got up, wrapped his body, carried it out and buried him."
Life can turn on a single dishonest decision faster than we expect - don't gamble with your integrity assuming you'll always get a chance to fix things later.
"And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. "
"About three hours later, his wife came in, not knowing what had happened."
You get chances, sometimes without realising it, to change course and be honest - stay alert to those moments rather than assuming you're already committed to a lie.
"And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. "
"Peter asked her, "Tell me, did you sell the land for this amount?" She said, "Yes, that was the price.""
When you're given a clear, simple chance to come clean about something, take it - the moment of choice matters more than you think.
"Then 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. "
"Peter said, "Why did the two of you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? Listen - the men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out too.""
Be especially careful about drawing someone you love into a shared deception - two people agreeing to a lie doesn't make it any less serious, it just means two people now carry the consequences.
"Then 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. "
"At that moment she collapsed at Peter's feet and died. The young men came in, found her dead, and carried her out to bury her beside her husband."
The people who love you deserve better than a performance - real relationships, with God or with each other, are built on what's actually true, not on what looks impressive.
"And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. "
"A deep sense of awe and fear spread through the whole church and everyone who heard about what had happened."
A healthy respect for the seriousness of your commitments - to people, to truth, to your own word - isn't a burden; it's what makes trust between people possible in the first place.
"And 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. "
"Through the apostles, many miraculous signs and wonders took place among the people. All the believers regularly met together in Solomon's Porch, a colonnade at the Temple."
Don't let a hard lesson about honesty turn into constant anxiety - a healthy community moves forward together, still doing good, still gathering, still open to wonder.
"And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. "
"None of the other people dared to associate closely with them, though the wider public spoke highly of them."
Don't be discouraged if living with real integrity earns you admiration from a distance before it earns you close friendship - genuine character often has to prove itself over time.
"And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) "
"Even so, more and more people - large numbers of both men and women - kept coming to believe and joining the Lord."
A community built on real honesty and integrity, not performance, is actually more attractive in the long run, not less - people can sense the difference between something genuine and something staged.
"Insomuch 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. "
"People even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on mats and beds, hoping that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he walked past."
Never underestimate how much hope matters to someone who is suffering - sometimes just showing up, being present, can mean more to a struggling person than you realise.
"There 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. "
"Crowds also came in from towns around Jerusalem, bringing people who were sick or troubled by evil spirits, and every one of them was healed."
True goodness doesn't stay contained - when something is genuinely good for people, it naturally spreads outward, and you don't need to force it.
"Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, "
"Then the high priest and all his allies - who belonged to the Sadducee party - were filled with jealousy and anger."
When your integrity or your message starts to genuinely help people, expect that it will also threaten those who benefit from things staying the way they are - that opposition isn't a sign you're doing something wrong.
"And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. "
"They seized the apostles and threw them into the public jail."
Courage isn't the absence of danger - it's continuing to do and say what's right even when you know it might cost you your freedom or comfort.
"But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, "
"But during the night, an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and led them outside."
When you're doing what's right and you hit what feels like a locked door, don't assume that's the end of the story - sometimes the way through opens from a direction you didn't expect.
"Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. "
"The angel told them, "Go, stand in the Temple, and tell the people everything about this new life.""
Don't let fear of consequences push you into silence about the things that genuinely matter - sometimes the most faithful response to opposition is simply to keep doing exactly what you were doing.
"And 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. "
"Following those instructions, they went into the Temple at daybreak and began teaching. Meanwhile the high priest and his allies arrived, called together the full council - the entire senate of Israel - and sent for the prisoners to be brought from jail."
Stay grounded in simply doing the next right thing, even while others around you are caught up in politics, procedure, and the scramble for control.
"But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told, "
"But when the officers got to the prison, they didn't find them there, so they went back and reported this."
Plans built purely on control and force often unravel in ways you can't predict - real security comes from something more solid than the ability to lock a door.
"Saying, 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. "
"They reported, "We found the prison securely locked, with the guards standing right outside the doors - but when we opened it up, there was no one inside.""
Sometimes the obstacles that look completely solid and unbeatable in your life aren't actually the final word - don't assume every locked door is permanently locked.
"Now 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. "
"When the high priest, the officer in charge of Temple security, and the chief priests heard this report, they were thoroughly perplexed about where this was all going to lead."
You don't need to have every answer or feel completely in control to keep moving forward faithfully - even the people trying to stop good from spreading don't always understand what they're up against.
"Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people. "
"Then someone arrived and told them, "Look - the men you put in prison are standing in the Temple, teaching the people.""
The best response to intimidation is often simply to keep living out your convictions openly, without hiding or scheming - there's real power in refusing to be pushed into secrecy.
"Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. "
"So the officer went with his men and brought the apostles in, but without using force, because they were afraid the people might stone them if they used violence."
How you treat people and build trust with them over time creates a kind of protection that formal power and authority can't easily override.
"And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, "
"They brought the apostles in and stood them before the council, and the high priest began questioning them."
When you're called to account for doing what you believe is right, meet the moment honestly and directly rather than shrinking from it.
"Saying, 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. "
"The high priest said, "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name - yet look, you've filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you're determined to make us responsible for this man's death.""
Sometimes people react most strongly against a message not because it's untrue, but because it makes them face something uncomfortable about their own past choices - meet that reaction with patience rather than matching anger with anger.
"Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. "
"Peter and the other apostles replied, "We must obey God rather than any human authority.""
When following the crowd, the rules, or the powerful would mean betraying what you know is right, have the courage to hold your ground - conscience answers to something deeper than approval.
"The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. "
""The God our ancestors worshipped raised up Jesus - the very man you had killed by hanging him on a cross.""
Speaking hard truths doesn't require abandoning respect for the people you're speaking to - you can be direct and still stand on common ground with someone.
"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. "
""God has lifted him up to his own right hand as leader and rescuer, in order to bring Israel to change direction and to forgive their sins.""
However badly someone has acted, the door to change and a fresh start is never fully closed - offer that same possibility to others, and to yourself.
"And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him. "
""We are witnesses to all this, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to everyone who obeys him.""
Your own honest experience and changed life can be some of the most persuasive evidence you have to offer - you don't need to win every argument, just live out what you know to be true.
"When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them. "
"When the council heard this, they were furious - cut to the core - and began plotting to kill them."
The truth doesn't guarantee a warm reception - be prepared for the possibility that honesty will provoke anger rather than agreement, and stay steady either way.
"Then 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; "
"But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a highly respected teacher of the Jewish law, stood up and had the apostles taken outside for a short while."
One person with genuine wisdom and the courage to speak up can change the direction of a whole group, even a group caught up in anger - never underestimate the value of a calm, reasoned voice at the right moment.
"And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men. "
"He said to them, "Men of Israel, think carefully about what you're planning to do to these men.""
Before acting on anger, especially anger that could seriously harm someone, pause and genuinely think through what you're about to do - that pause alone can save you from a decision you'd regret.
"For 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. "
"He continued, "Some time ago Theudas came along, claiming to be somebody important, and about four hundred men joined him. He was killed, and all his followers were scattered and came to nothing.""
You don't always have to fight every disagreement head-on - sometimes patience and time reveal the truth of a situation far better than a forceful reaction ever could.
"After 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. "
""After him, Judas of Galilee appeared during the time of the census, and he drew a following too - but he also died, and everyone who followed him was scattered.""
Look at patterns and evidence honestly before reacting strongly to something new or unfamiliar - careful judgement usually serves you better than a snap decision made in fear or anger.
"And 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: "
""So my advice now is: leave these men alone, let them be. Because if what they're doing is merely a human plan, it will fall apart on its own.""
When you're unsure whether something is worth fighting against, it's often wiser to hold back and observe rather than react with force - certainty earned through patience beats certainty assumed through fear.
"But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God. "
""But if it's from God, you won't be able to stop it - and you may even find yourselves fighting against God himself." The council was persuaded by his argument."
If you're building your life on something true and good, don't panic when it faces opposition - what's genuinely worthwhile has a way of enduring, no matter how hard people try to stop it.
"And 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. "
"They accepted his advice. They called the apostles back in, had them beaten, ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus again, and then released them."
Doing the right thing doesn't guarantee you'll avoid all cost - sometimes courage means accepting a real, painful price rather than compromising on what matters.
"And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to shame for his name. "
💡 Highlighted words feature Jacobean 1611 tooltips to clarify shifted 17th-century English terms.
"The apostles left the council rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of Jesus' name."
When you suffer for standing up for something genuinely good, that suffering can become a source of strength and even quiet joy rather than pure loss - meaning changes how pain feels.
"And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. "
"Yet every day, both in the Temple and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and preaching about Jesus as the Messiah."
Let your convictions show up consistently in both your public life and your private, everyday relationships - real faithfulness isn't a performance for special occasions, it's a daily rhythm.