Bible Groups - Acts - navigation>
The Acts of the Apostles - Chapter 5
Revised 2014
- 1 This episode illustrates the Jewish mentality of the early church - the apostles are judges of Israel, the renewed Israel is profaned by the deception of the community by Ananias and Sapphira, and “like a gangrene, it had to be cut our before it infected the rest of the body” (St John Chrysoston).
- 2 They voluntarily sold, but then kept back some of the proceeds and said all had been given to the community, fraudulently accepting honour as generous donors.
- 3 Satan enters at the heart of the new Church, (even tempting Jesus), not attacking only through external enemies. The field reminds us of the proceeds of the blood money given to Judas, whom Satan also entered.
- 4 This lie showed lack of trust and willingness to submit to the apostles’ authority: it was a lie to God and a sin against the Holy Spirit (Cf Lk 12:10). As with the Israelites, threats to unity are seriously offensive to God (eg Judas) (Cf Num 16, Josh 7:1-26).
- 5 God is not mocked, hell exists. God readily forgives repentant sinners, but we should fear his power to punish the unrepentant by separation from him.
- 8 A lie from the first woman to speak in Acts.
- 9 The “feet” remind us of the cripple’s joyful cavorting on healed feet.
- 11 The apostles had shown no fear of the Sanhedrin, but the whole community were rightly in fear of God. These deaths showed that the Holy Spirit was truly present in the community, and it upheld the apostles’ authority - perhaps an early understanding of the power to bind and loose?
-  
- 12 3rd summary/link generalising from particular incidents.
- 13 Unbelievers aware of the Sanhedrin’s edict kept away, but many respected the apostles.
- 14 Many, both men and women believed (Cf 2:17-18).
- 15 The apostles show almost unlimited healing power - even their shadow (or Paul’s handkerchief, 19:11-12) is enough, showing the Kingdom of God has really come. But we are expected to remember (3:12-16, 19:13-19) that it is God’s power, and is “to awaken faith”. It is not magic. Miracles invite but do not force belief (Vatican II, Dignitatis humanae, 11). They accompany God’s revelation as advance signs of the transformation of the world at the end of time. They also give credibility to the Gospel message and to its messengers: “If they had not worked miracles and wonders, Jesus’ disciples could not have moved their hearers to give up their traditional religion for new teachings and truths, and to embrace, at the risk of their lives, the teachings which were being proclaimed to them”(Origen). “The apostles’ miracles made the resurrection and ascension of the Lord credible” (St Ephraem).
- 16 The news is spreading from Solomon’s Portico to the streets and even to nearby towns. But the movement is still towards Jerusalem.
- 17 Action taken by the Sanhedrin out of envy.
- 18 “All” the apostles, this time? Or just Peter and John again? We don’t know.
- 19 Angels are frequent messengers of God - they should be included in our personal piety. The Sadducees did not believe in angels.
- 20 A clear commandment from God to preach to all the people - Peter’s earlier reply based on his faith, now it is strengthened.
- 21 Delicious story-telling by Luke!
- 24 We know what happened - they don’t!
- 26 The police fear shows how strongly the people support the apostles.
- 29 Peter repeats his previous argument, but now he is strengthened by the angel’s command (5:20). He recognises the Sanhedrin’s authority, but pleads with them to avoid error and God’s wrath. The apostles serve God without counting the cost. We must obey our conscience, ie God’s law inscribed on our hearts. But how do we know what our conscience says? It needs to be informed by external codes and norms.
- 30 Jesus’ death on a Roman cross is described as the Jewish capital punishment of hanging: a hanged person must be a criminal (Deut 21:22-23, Josh 8:29, 10:26-27), and therefore cursed: so how could Jesus, a cursed criminal, be the Messiah? The only answer given here is the resurrection and the power of the Spirit seen in the apostles. (But Paul’s response to this problem is more direct, if complex! Gal 3:10-14).
- 33 So incensed they wanted the death penalty - presumably for leading the people astray (Deut 13:6-10).
- 34 Although the Pharisees had often appeared in Luke’s Gospel in opposition to Jesus, some of they were also shown in a sympathetic light, eating with him and warning him. They also believed in the resurrection, so perhaps we should not be surprised that the first reference to them in Acts is when one now intervenes on the apostles’ behalf (Cf also 23:9). We are told later that Gamaliel was Paul’s teacher (22:3).
- 36 Gamaliel appears in history AD 25-50, and this trial was about AD 36. His words appear anachronistic: Theudas’ revolt was later, AD 44-46, while Judas’ revolt was 30 years earlier, about AD 6. Luke’s census (Lk 2:1-2) has not been reconciled historically. Luke’s knowledge of events around Christ’s birth are somewhat vague! Gamaliel’s argument is that false movements died out when their leaders died.
- 38 In this case the plan is God’s, so it will continue.
- 39 Cf 2 Macc 7:19. This is a comment on history by an unbelieving outsider, not advice to Christian authorities on evaluating spiritual events! (EG apparitions, which are private revelations and not binding, whereas public revelation - scriptures and tradition - are binding). Need to test the fruits.
- 41 The flogging has the opposite effect - the apostles immediately rejoice and continue preaching.
- 42 Sanhedrin tacitly leaves them alone to teach Jesus as the Messiah. The old leaders of Israel are helpless, the new leaders are unstoppable.