Ananias and Sapphira (5:1–11)
The earliest church in Jerusalem gets off to a grand and exciting start. Incredible opposition comes from outside the church, but God works miracles, the proclamation of the gospel prevails, and the church continues to grow. Now there is a sudden change. There is a significant disruption from within when two members of the community sin and face sudden and direct divine retribution. But the opposition is not strictly from within. Satan is back on the scene attempting to derail what God is doing by exerting his powerful evil influence on these followers of Jesus.
Ananias (5:1). With a twist of irony, the name Ananias is derived from a Hebrew name meaning, “God is merciful.” Apart from his appearance here, we know nothing else about Ananias or his wife.
Sapphira (5:1). Her name is a common Hebrew name meaning “beautiful.” Her name is attested on a number of first-century Jewish ossuaries (containers for the bones of the dead).
He kept back part of the money for himself (5:2). Ananias and his wife own a valuable piece of property, sell it, and give a portion of the money to the apostles while retaining some of the money for themselves. So far, there is nothing at all wrong with their actions. In fact, they are another exemplary illustration of the wealthier members of the community contributing to the well being of the whole. The relatively uncommon word that Luke uses for “kept back” (nosphizō) highlights a similarity between this episode and the sin of Achan in Joshua 7. Joshua gave the people of Israel firm instructions not to take as personal plunder any of the articles of the city of Jericho that had been dedicated to the Lord (Josh. 6:18–19). Achan sinned by taking some of the devoted materials and hid them in his tent. He lied and deceived the community, suffering his own death as a consequence. In a similar way, Ananias keeps back what he represents to the apostles as devoted to the Lord and lies to the leaders of the community.
Satan has so filled your heart (5:3). Although Ananias devises the plan and suffers the consequence for acting it out, Satan plays a role in this drama as well. This is his first recorded appearance after the death and resurrection of Christ when he suffered a massive defeat. He is portrayed here as actively opposed to God by attempting to destroy the well-being of this new community. He does so by his classic activity of enticing an individual to sin and defy God. He tried to derail Jesus at the outset of his ministry by tempting him in the desert (Luke 4:1–13), by influencing Judas to betray Jesus (Luke 22:3), and by enticing Peter to deny Jesus (Luke 22:31–32). He will continue his efforts unabated against the church and its mission. For Luke, the contrast here is in being filled with the Holy Spirit (see 4:31 as well as 2:4; 4:8; 13:52).
You have lied to the Holy Spirit (5:3). The sin of Ananias does not have to do with what percentage of the sale price of his property he gives to the apostles. His transgression is in lying to Peter and the apostles by misrepresenting the gift as the entire sale price. His lie is interpreted as a lie to the Holy Spirit because of the Spirit’s dynamic presence in the body of believers and its leaders.
After it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? (5:4). This statement makes it clear that Ananias is under no obligation to give all or part of the money to the apostles. The practice of selling property to meet the needs of the community is strictly a Spirit-led voluntary expression of love for one another. It is not an experiment in communism or socialism. Neither is it an attempt to model the Christian community after the pattern of the Dead Sea community of Essenes as represented in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died (5:5). The language of this passage points to divine judgment (not simply a sudden heart attack caused by the stress of the situation55). The same unique verb used here for dying is also used to refer to the death of Herod Agrippa I (in 12:23) when the Lord strikes him down through an infestation of worms.
The young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him (5:6). These young men (neōteroi) do not hold any kind of special office. They are merely young believers who are willing to help serve the church in any way they can. It is customary for the deceased to be buried on the same day as the day of death. It is unusual for Ananias’ wife to know nothing of it. This can be explained, in part, by the supposition that Ananias is given a rapid and unceremonious burial without the traditional mourning as a result of the community’s recognition that he has been struck down by the hand of God (see Lev. 10:1–5), as happened also in Israel’s history with Achan (Josh. 7:25).56
TOMBS IN JERUSALEM
These burial places are located in the Hinnom Valley where it joins to the Kidron.
How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? (5:9) This deception goes beyond lying. They are “testing” (peirazō) the Spirit of God. The people of Israel have done the same through their rebellion in the desert after God redeems them from their bondage in Egypt (Ex. 17:2; Deut. 33:8).
The whole church (5:11). This is the first time that the word “church” (ekklēsia) is used to designate the Christian community in Luke’s writings. As tempting as it might be to base the meaning on the etymology of the word and arrive at “called out ones” (from ek, “out of,” and kaleō, “call”), this is clearly not the background of the word. The word has a long history of usage in the Greek language for simply designating an “assembly” of people (as it is used in Acts 7:38) or, specifically, the assembly of citizens of a Greek city-state (and thus parallel in meaning to the Greek dēmos, from which is derived the English term “democracy”).57 This Greek term was used by the Greek translators of the Hebrew Scriptures to render the Hebrew term qāhāl, referring to the “assembly” of Israel, the people of God. This can be illustrated by a passage such as Deuteronomy 31:30: “And Moses recited the words of this song from beginning to end in the hearing of the whole assembly (ekklēsia) of Israel.”58 Luke reflects the early Christian application of this term to the Christian community.
Signs, Wonders, and the Growth of the Church (5:12–16)
God works powerfully through the apostles to bring healing and deliverance to many unbelieving Jews. This makes the crowds more receptive to the message they are proclaiming and many turn their hearts to Christ. Nevertheless, great awe fills the hearts of the local Jews and causes them to be apprehensive about joining the Christian meetings in the temple courts.
SOLOMON’S COLONNADE
A portion of the Royal Stoa as it is reconstructed in the Jerusalem Temple model.
Solomon’s Colonnade (5:12). See comments on 3:11.
No one else dared join them (5:13). Because people in Jerusalem hear about the Ananias and Sapphira episode, they have great respect for the Christians (especially the apostles), but they are also somewhat fearful. Whenever the believers meet in the colonnaded area of the temple courts to worship and hear the teaching of the apostles, unbelieving Jews are afraid to join their meetings. They are probably concerned that a half-hearted allegiance may cause them to experience the same kind of demise as the couple who are struck dead.59 Nevertheless, many people continue to hear the gospel through the outreach and preaching of the apostles and the believing community and respond in faith to Christ.
So that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by (5:15). In Jewish and Hellenistic folk belief, a shadow was believed to carry spiritual power. This could be harmful as well as beneficial depending on who or what cast the shadow. Cicero relates a belief that by touching the shadow of a criminal, harm would come to a person.60 Another ancient writer wrote that a person or an animal could be injured if something violent was done to their shadow.61 The Mishnah warns Jews of the danger of passing under the shadow of an Asherah62 or the shadow of a corpse63; to do so rendered one unclean. In the present case, some of the people believe that Peter’s shadow will convey a miraculous and beneficial power of healing. This does not mean that Peter believes this or condones it. The apostles, as well as Luke, tend to oppose a magical way of viewing spiritual power. Nevertheless, God in his mercy allows these people to be healed—a sign that ultimately attracts them to the message of the gospel.
Those tormented by evil spirits (5:16). The word translated “tormented” (ochleō) was used in Judaism to refer to any kind of trouble or affliction an evil spirit might cause. The book of Tobit says: “If a demon or evil spirit gives trouble to any one, you make a smoke from these [a fish liver and heart] before the man or woman, and that person will never be troubled again.”64 The crucial difference here is that the apostles never burned fish entrails or used any other magical means of deliverance. They relied strictly on the power and authority of the resurrected Christ.
“Evil spirits” is literally “unclean spirits.” Jews commonly made a distinction between “clean” (katharos) and “unclean” (koinon or akathartos). Numerous laws determined what made a person ritually or morally impure. These included such things as the consumption of certain kinds of foods, contact with a corpse, idolatry, and sexual promiscuity. Jews also regarded evil spirits as unclean, presumably because they promoted idolatry and enticed the people of God to defile themselves through a variety of impure actions. One Jewish document notes, “If you continue to do good, even the unclean spirits will flee from you.”65 Zechariah looked forward to the day when God would remove the “unclean spirit” from the land (Zech. 13:7). Jesus commonly referred to demons with this phrase.66
The Apostles Are Arrested and Then Set Free By an Angel (5:17–26)
Continuing to disobey the orders of the Jewish leaders to quit talking about Jesus, Peter and John are arrested again, but this time with the rest of the apostles. God dramatically intervenes by sending an angel to free them from their custody.
The party of the Sadducees (5:17). See comments on 4:1.
Filled with jealousy (5:17). The Jewish leaders are certainly jealous, but the word zēlos implies more than this. Behind it stands an Old Testament and Jewish tradition of zeal for the law, the temple, and the honor of God. Phineas the priest, grandson of Aaron, became legendary in Israel because of the way he burned with zeal for the law. When the men of Israel were indulging in sexual immorality with Moabite women and began worshiping their idols, Phineas drove a spear through an Israelite man and his Moabite companion. God commended Phineas because “he was zealous for the honor of his God” (Num. 25:13). Phineas was extolled to the people of Israel during the time of the Maccabean revolt (1 Macc. 2:54). Here the high priest and the Sadducees are ready to resort to violence to squash this new movement that they perceive to be a threat to the honor of God.
They arrested the apostles (5:18). This time the Jewish officials arrest not only Peter and John, but all the apostles.
The public jail (5:18). In addition to Herod’s prison on the west side of the city and a prison in the fortress of Antonia, the Sanhedrin had a place of incarceration either in the temple or below the building where it met (i.e., the Xystus or “the Gazith”).67
An angel of the Lord (5:19). The entire group of apostles is able to escape from confinement in the prison through the direct intervention of an angel sent by God. In the Old Testament, “the angel of the Lord” appears at key times in Israel’s history to guide, guard, and to reveal. For example, the angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in the burning bush (Ex. 3:1–6). The angel of the Lord also stopped Abraham from slaughtering Isaac, encouraged and strengthened Gideon and Elijah, and fought the Assyrian forces of Sennacherib.68 Many have thought that some of the angel of the Lord passages in the Old Testament refer to the work of the preincarnate Jesus as the Logos.69 Here it is clearly not a reference to the risen Christ, who mediates his presence directly or through the Holy Spirit, but to a special unnamed angel dispatched directly from the Father.
Stand in the temple courts (5:20). The angel tells the apostles to proclaim the gospel not throughout the cities and villages of Judea, but specifically “in the temple.” The temple had been the center of spiritual life for the Jewish people, but that has now come to an end for God’s people. No longer is it necessary for the daily animal sacrifices to be performed: One final sacrifice has been offered. No longer will the people of God need to stream to Jerusalem annually for the Passover celebration: Jesus has offered himself as the ultimate Passover sacrifice. No longer will there be a need for the Day of Atonement ritual: Jesus has provided atonement through his blood shed on the cross. All that had been represented by the temple has now reached its final purpose and fulfillment in Christ.
The full message of this new life (5:20). The temple was sometimes described by Jews as “the house of our life.”70 God has now intervened to bring new life to his people but apart from the temple.
The officers (5:22). These are the “attendants” or “servants” of the stratēgos, the captain of the temple guard (see comments on 4:1). They were not a specially trained Roman police force, but a group of Jewish Levites and priests responsible for security in the temple precincts.
The Apostles Appear Before the Sanhedrin (5:27–42)
Confronted with yet another miraculous event, it seems that the leaders finally recognize the hand of God on this movement, yet they remain staunchly opposed. Some members of the council want the apostles put to death not only because of their opposition to the Messianic sect, but also due to their own vindictiveness at the apostles’ accusation of their complicity in the death of Jesus. One moderating voice among the Jewish rulers, however, advises proceeding with caution and discernment. Gamaliel’s counsel prevails and the Apostles are flogged and released.
Determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood (5:28). This is indeed the same council who a short time earlier sentenced Jesus of Nazareth to death. The chief priest and members of the Sanhedrin regarded Jesus’ death as just punishment due to him for blaspheming God (Mark 14:63–64). They vehemently object to the apostles’ accusation that there were other motives for inflicting the death penalty on Jesus.
The God of our fathers (5:30). This way of addressing God demonstrates that Peter does not now dissociate himself from his Judaism, but still embraces it as his heritage. “The Christian faith is the fulfilment, not the contradiction, of Judaism, if Judaism is rightly understood.”71 This was a common way of referring to God in the Old Testament and Judaism.72 The title distinguished the one true God from the gods of the nations and highlighted the personal nature of God, who directly revealed himself to the patriarchs.
By hanging him on a tree (5:30). The “tree” does not indicate a live tree, but the wood used to construct a stake or a pole. Peter’s remarks echo Deuteronomy 21:22–23: “If a man guilty of a capital offense is put to death and his body is hung on a tree, you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse.” Of course, Jesus was accursed, but thereby freed us from the curse that the law brought on us (see Gal. 3:13–14).
Prince (5:31). As used here, this title is similar to “Lord” (kyrios). In the Greek Old Testament, “prince” (archēgos) was also used to refer to the head of a tribe (Num. 10:4), a commander in an army (1 Chron. 26:26), or a leader among the people (Isa. 3:6–7) (see comments on 3:15).
Savior (5:31). The prophet Isaiah declares, “The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth, ‘Say to the Daughter of Zion, See, your Savior comes’ ” (Isa. 62:11). Peter now announces to the chief priest and all the members of the Sanhedrin that the Savior has arrived. The Old Testament often speaks of God as Savior for his mighty deliverance of the people of Israel from their slavery in Egypt (see Ps. 95:1). Now the title is applied to Jesus, the Son of God, who has delivered people from a different type of bondage.
A Pharisee (5:34). One of the three major sects of Judaism, the Pharisees constituted the single most important party and come closest to representing “normative Judaism.” In essence, Pharisaism was not a political party or a party of the “clergy.” It was a lay society that emphasized a rigorous commitment to obeying the Torah. Not only was every word of the written Torah binding, but also the interpretation and explanation of Torah provided by the Scribes. Josephus notes, “the Pharisees have imposed on the people many laws from the tradition of the fathers not written in the Law of Moses.”73 A strong rivalry existed between the Pharisees and the Sadducees because the latter saw only the Torah as binding, not the many oral traditions of the Pharisees. Although the Sadducees had significant influence because of their wealth and control of the priesthood, the great majority of the people sided with the Pharisees, seeing them as the upholders of the law (see “Pharisees” at Luke 5:24).
TORAH SCROLL
Theudas (5:36). There is no information about this Theudas outside of the New Testament. There were many insurgents after the death of Herod the Great (4 B.C.) and, presumably, he was one of them. This Theudas has sometimes been confused with another revolutionary leader of the same name who led an uprising during the procuratorship of Cuspius Fadus (A.D. 44–46), but this does not take place for another ten years (if Josephus’ dating of this Theudas can be trusted74). Nevertheless, the story of this later Theudas is instructive as an example of the insurgent activity.
Judas the Galilean (5:37). Gamaliel refers to the seditious activities of a man who came on the scene shortly after Herod the Great’s son Archelaus was deposed from his rulership of Judea and a Roman procuratorship was established (A.D. 6). Josephus explains what happened: “The territory of Archelaus was brought under direct Roman rule, and a man of equestrian rank at Rome, Coponius, was sent as procurator with authority from Caesar to inflict the death penalty. In his time a Galilean named Judas tried to stir the natives to revolt, saying that they would be cowards if they submitted to paying taxes to the Romans, and after serving God alone accepted human masters. This man was a rabbi with a sect of his own, and was unlike the others.”75 Josephus credits Judas the Galilean and his companion, Sadduk the Pharisee, with the rise of the entire Zealot movement—the fourth Jewish “philosophy” that ultimately led to the revolt against Rome.
In the days of the census (5:37). Josephus informs us that this census took place under the direction of P. Sulpicius Quirinius, the governor of the Roman province of Syria. This is the same Quirinius who earlier directed a census on behalf of Caesar Augustus at the time of Jesus’ birth (see comments on Luke 2:1). Quirinius came into Judea, now part of the Roman province of Syria, to take account of its wealth and to assess it for the purposes of taxation. The Jewish people were upset with this action, but the high priest Joazar intervened and quelled their fears somewhat with a stirring appeal. It was this census that prompted Judas to revolt and excited the Jews about fighting for liberty from foreign rule and oppression. He admonished the people to take action by insisting that “taxation was no better than an introduction to slavery.”76
But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men (5:39). Gamaliel gives sound and temporizing advice to the council—something that did not happen when Jesus stood before the same group. His comments echo the instructions given in the Torah about discerning a prophet that was sent from God: “You may say to yourselves, ‘How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?’ If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him” (Deut. 18:21–22). A later rabbi reflects a similar principle: “R. Johanan the Sandal-maker said: Any assembling together that is for the sake of Heaven shall in the end be established, but any that is not for the sake of Heaven shall not in the end be established.”77
Had them flogged (5:40). Rather than let the apostles go again with a stern warning, the council orders a severe beating. The word used here, derō, literally means to “flay, skin,” but it has come to be used in a figurative sense for a flogging. The law governing flogging is given in Deuteronomy 25:1–4, which limited the number of lashes to forty. This was later reduced by the synagogue to thirty-nine, as Josephus attests: “But for him that acts contrary to this law, let him be beaten with forty stripes, save one, by the public executioner; let him undergo this punishment, which is a most ignominious one for a free man.”78
From house to house (5:42). Apart from the large gatherings in the temple courts, the thousands of believers in Jerusalem regularly meet in smaller groups in private homes throughout the city. For those who have become Christians, there is a lot to learn—all that Jesus has said and done as well as a fresh perspective on the Hebrew Scriptures in light of their fulfillment in Christ. Apparently the apostles divide up the task of teaching by each going to a set group of homes where believers gathered. The teaching responsibilities for the apostles is enormous (see comments on 2:46).
A JERUSALEM HOME
The remains of the Herodian-era “Burnt House” destroyed when the Romans burned Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
The good news that Jesus is the Christ (5:42). The heart of the apostles’ evangelistic message is that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the longed-for Messiah of Jewish expectation.