Acts Chapter 5

Acts Chapter 5

A certain man, just when I was starting to doubt Luke wrote this one, named Ananias and his wife Sapphira, I like that name, Sapphira, sold a possession.  Well, Ananias kept a little money for himself rather than giving it all the Apostles.  Peter asked why Satan had filled his heart so he would lie to Holy Ghost and keep some of the land money.  Take it easy Pete, we call that a backup plan, in case things don’t work out with you, I’m sure Ananias would like to take care of his lovely wife Sapphira. Peter goes on, “ While you had it wasn’t it yours?  After you sold it wasn’t it in your power? How could you have conceived of something like that in your heart?  You have not lied to men but to God!” 

Well our good friend Ananias falls down and gives up the ghost literally, he just dies on the spot.  Good going Pete. And everyone was afraid.  Well, yeah of course they are afraid, you make one mistake with God and you are a dead man.   The young men got up and carried him out and buried him. 

Three hours later Sapphira comes along, not knowing what has happened.  Mean Pete asks her whether she sold the land for so much money and she answers yes for that amount   Pete then accused her, of having agreed to temp the Spirit of the Lord with her husband.  Behold the feet  of the people who buried your husband will carry you out too!  And she falls down and gives up the ghost and literally dies on the spot.  The young men come in and bury her by her husband.

What?  Does anyone else think that story is horrible?  And It doesn’t really show us that she had anything to do with it.  Even if poor Ananias was guilty, Pete doesn’t really prove she was in fact she might have been ignorant of the price of the land.  But even if she wasn’t should God kill those who don’t tithe to his satisfaction?  I mean should God care about money or even lies about money so much that he kills over it?  That is messed up. 

Naturally everybody was terrified. 

The apostles showed the people many signs and wonders.  And they were all in accord or Solomon’s porch, no one dared join himself to them, but the people magnified them, and multitudes of believers, both men and women were added to the Lord.  I’m sure they were too terrified to join them on the porch but were  convinced they had to believe or they might be killed!

They in fact believed so strongly that they brought out their sick to be healed; laying them on bed’s and couches, so at least Peter’s shadow might pass over some of them.  The high priest of a sect of the Sadducees and his friends rose up and were indignant, and laid their hands on the apostles and put them common prison.

That night an angel of the Lord open the prison doors and set them free, telling them to go speak in the temple telling people the message of this life. When they heard that they entered the temple early in the morning, and taught.  But the high priest and friends came, big surprise, and called the council together, and the senate of the children of Israel and send them back to prison to have charges brought upon them.  Man, these disciples don’t get any brighter in Acts. 

Went the officers came they weren’t in the prison… again.   They came back and told the folks that they prison was all locked up and the guards there, but when they opened the door there weren’t any people inside!  When the high priest, captain of the temple and chief priest heard this they knew no good would come of it.  Then someone came to tell them that the prisoners were back in the prison preaching again! 

So they went back to the temple and brought them gently, because they didn’t want the people to throw rocks at them.  The high priest asked them “Didn’t we flat out tell you not to teach in JC’s name?  But  you’ve filled Jerusalem with your teachings and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”

Not for nothing, High Priest Annas but you all did participate in the killing of JC.  I’m just saying you all might have brought his blood upon yourselves. 

Peter and the apostles answered that “We obey God rather than men.   The God of our fathers raised up JC  and you guys killed him and hung him on a tree!  I thought he had been hung on cross, that’s why all of those people wear crosses. A tree?  That was a Prince and our Savior who god exalted and raised to his right hand so he can give atonement and forgive our sins.  We witnessed all of this and the God gave us the Holy Ghost who obeys God.”

Well the high priest and company were really upset, and decided they should at least talking about having these folks killed.  Because that’s the way to solve your problems.

One person on the council was a Pharisee named Gamaliel, who was a doctor of the law, and had a reputation among the people, we don’t hear what kind of reputation he had, who commanded the apostle away from them.  Then he said to them, “Men of Israel, be careful with your plans to harm these men.  In the past Theudas rose up, saying he was someone special he had about four hundred men following him, and when he was killed his followers scattered and nothing came of it.  And thene there was Judas of Galilee who in the days after the taxing had a following, and he died and all of those people were dispersed.  I’m telling you to leave these guys alone, if this is just the work of men, and nothing will come of it, and if it’s the work of God, we can’t overthrow it, and you won’t be happy to realize you been fighting God”

I like this Gamaliel, he seems a reasonable fellow.

So the council agreed and instead of killing the apostles, they just beat them and commanded them not to preach in JC’s name and let them go.  And the apostles were pleased that they were seen as worthy enough to suffer shame in JC’s name.  No seriously that’s what it says “And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.” That’s healthy I’m sure.  And they taught and preached about JC every day in the temple.