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Acts 5:1–6. A certain man, named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, having sold their property, withheld from the price, with the knowledge of his wife, and brought some of it and laid it at the feet of the Apostles. But Peter said: Ananias! Why did you allow Satan to put into your heart the idea of ​​lying to the Holy Spirit and hiding from the price of the land? What you owned was not yours, and what was acquired by sale was not in your power? Why have you put this in your heart? You lied not to men, but to God. Hearing these words, Ananias fell lifeless; and great fear seized all who heard it. And, getting up, the young men prepared him for burial and, carrying him out, buried him. Intending to tell the story of what happened to Ananias and Sapphira, and wanting to show that they sinned, Luke first mentions a man who acted righteously - Josiah. Despite so many people who did the same - they sold property and gave money to the apostles, despite such great signs and such an abundance of grace, Ananias did not receive any edification from all this and brought upon himself destruction. But the surprising thing is that the sin was by agreement with the wife and no one else witnessed the sale. That's where this unfortunate man got the idea to do what he did. Some say that if Satan fulfilled the heart of Ananias, then why was he punished? Because he himself was to blame for the fact that Satan filled his heart, since he himself prepared himself to accept the action of Satan and to submit himself to his power. Was it really a consequence of violence that the believers demolished their estates to the apostles? Are we attracting you against your will? “Why have you put this in your heart?” Three miracles in one and the same case: one was that Peter learned what had been done in secret, another was that he determined the mental mood of Ananias, and the third was that Ananias lost his life by just one command. Many of the wicked, exposing what happened to Ananias and Sapphira, condemn the chief of the apostles to death. But the accusation does not concern Peter, but rather the Holy Spirit, who pronounced a fair sentence on them: because Peter only exposed them in lies, and deprived them both of their lives, as having equally sinned, the Holy Spirit, who has the power over life and death. The same must be said about Sapphira, because it was not Peter who killed her, but since the sin was the work of both, the Judge punished both equally. That is why Peter, as knowing about this and always speaking by the Holy Spirit, spoke this voice, which he received from the same Spirit. Acts 5:7–11. About three hours after this, his wife also came, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her: tell me, how much did you sell the land for? She said: yes, for that much. But Peter said to her: Why did you agree to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, those who buried your husband are entering the door; and they will carry you out. Suddenly she fell at his feet and gave up the ghost. And the young men entered and found her dead, and carried her out and buried her next to her husband. And great fear gripped the entire church and everyone who heard it. Three hours passed and the wife did not know what had happened to her husband, and none of those present told her because they were afraid. So, surprised by this, Luke explained both: the fact that three hours had passed, and the fact that she entered without knowing what had happened. Notice: Peter does not call her, but rather waits for her to come in when she wants, giving her time to voluntarily come to her senses. As for the fact that no one dared to tell her about what had happened, this happened out of fear of the teacher and out of obedience to him. “Tell me, how much did you sell the land for?” Peter wanted to save her because her husband was the instigator of sin. That's why he gives her time to justify herself and repent. Perhaps someone will say that Peter acted cruelly to them, but what kind of cruelty is that? If someone who collected wood contrary to the law was stoned (see Numbers 15:32–36), then the blasphemer should be punished much more, because this money was sacred. Why did she fall at the Petrovs’ feet? Because she was standing next to him. And she stood near him so that if she wanted to repent and confess her sin, she could do it without being ashamed of strangers who would otherwise hear her confession. “They found her dead and, carrying her out, buried her.” Look: they are no longer careful, by virtue of the law, to touch unclean objects, but directly and without any caution they touched the dead. Pay attention also to the fact that among their own the apostles are strict, but among strangers they refrain from punishment; both are natural. The latter was necessary so that they would not think that through fear of punishment they were forcing people against their desire to turn to the true faith, and the first - so that those who had already turned to faith and were worthy of heavenly teaching and spiritual grace would not be allowed to become despicable people and blasphemers, and especially at the beginning, because this would serve as a reason for the reproach of their preaching. “And great fear seized the whole church.” Ananias and Sapphira were punished, but others benefited. Before, although there were signs, there was no such fear. So, it is true that the Lord is known by doing judgments. Acts 5:12–16. By the hands of the Apostles many signs and wonders were performed among the people; and they all remained with one accord in Solomon's porch. No one from outsiders dared to pester them, and the people glorified them. The believers more and more joined the Lord, a multitude of men and women, so that they carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and beds, so that at least the shadow of Peter passing by would overshadow any of them. Many from the surrounding cities also converged on Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those possessed by unclean spirits, who were all healed. From the time they began to be afraid of them, Peter and the other apostles performed more miracles. "We were in Solomon's porch." The apostles no longer stayed in the house, but in the church. Since Luke said “in the porch of Solomon,” so that you do not wonder how the crowd allowed this, he says that “no one dared to pester them, but the people” of the Jews “glorified” the apostles. “They carried the sick out into the streets.” Under Christ it was not the case that the sick received healing in the streets and from the shadows. And if “no one dared to pester them,” then how is healing accomplished in this case? This was the work of the One who said: “He who believes in Me will do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do” (John 14:12). Amazement at the apostles grew on all sides: on the part of those who believed, and on the part of those healed, and on the part of those punished, and on the part of their boldness during the sermon, and on the part of their virtuous and impeccable life. Yes, this surprise stemmed not only from miracles, but also because the very life and virtues of these men were great and truly apostolic. Acts 5:17–25. The high priest and all with him who belonged to the Sadducee heresy were filled with envy, and laid their hands on the Apostles, and imprisoned them in the people's prison. But the Angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison at night and, bringing them out, said: go and stand in the church, speak to the people all these words of life. Having listened, they entered the church in the morning and taught. Meanwhile, the high priest and those with him, having come, called the Sanhedrin and all the elders from the children of Israel and sent them to the prison to bring the Apostles. But the servants, when they arrived, did not find them in the prison and, returning, reported, saying: we found the prison locked with all precautions and the guards standing in front of the doors; but when they opened it, they found no one in it. When the high priest, the captain of the guard, and the other high priests heard these words, they were perplexed as to what this meant. But someone came and reported to them, saying: Behold, the men whom you imprisoned are standing in the church and teaching the people. What does “filled with envy” mean? This means that they were excited, excited about what they were saying. Now they attack the apostles with great bitterness, but they do not immediately begin to judge them, thinking that the public guard will hit them harder. Please look at how the life of the apostles turns out. First - sadness due to the ascension of Christ, then - joy due to the descent of the Holy Spirit; again - sadness from the people who scolded them, and again joy - from the multiplication of believers and from the sign (miracle); further - again sadness due to the imprisonment of Peter and John (see Acts 4: 3), and again - joy due to justification; finally, now from the brilliance at the appearance of the Angel in prison and the signs - joy, and from the high priest and from those who captured them - sadness. Yes, their life, one might say, is the same as the life of everyone who lives according to God. “The angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison at night.” The angel brought them out both for their joy and for the benefit of the Jews. Acts 5:26–32. Then the captain of the guard went with the servants and brought them without coercion, because they were afraid of the people, lest they should stone them. Having brought them, they installed them in the Sanhedrin; and the high priest asked them, saying: Have we not strictly forbidden you to teach about this name? and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring the blood of that Man upon us. Peter and the Apostles answered and said: We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him with His right hand into the Leader and Savior, in order to give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are His witnesses of this, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him. After this, one should fear God, who protected the apostles, like chicks, from their hands. And the double strengthening of the prison, that is, the seal, and the people, and in general everything was enough to convince that what happened was the action of Divine power. And they say: “Didn’t we forbid you..?” What if you forbade it? Now, if the apostles had agreed with you then and decided to obey you, then your current demands would have been fair; if they said then that they would not obey, then what is the point of your current demands? “And you want to bring the blood of That Man upon us.” And now they still think that Christ was a simple man. They say this, wanting to show by this that the prohibition was necessary for them and that they ordered it this way, sparing their lives, but rather they said this in order to irritate the crowd against them. “We must obey God rather than men.” The apostles respond without cruelty, both because they were teachers and because they were not angry with the Jews, but regretted them and wanted to free them from deception and pride. “We and the Holy Spirit are His witnesses of this.” There was no longer any talk of resurrection. And that the Lord grants remission, “both we and the Holy Spirit” are witnesses, Who would not have descended if sins had not first been forgiven. And look how the apostles add the word about remission of sins to the mention of the atrocity, showing that their actions deserved death, and what they received they received as from a benefactor. As for the expression: “God exalted him... into the Chief and Savior,” they used it, attributing everything to the Father, so that they would not think that the Son was alien to the Father. But why did the high priests and others not immediately learn that the apostles had left prison? This is so that, remaining in bewilderment for some time, they can more easily understand and understand that this was the action of Divine power. “And the Holy Spirit, whom God gave to those who obey Him.” They did not say: “The Holy Spirit, whom God has given to us,” but “Whom God has given to those who obey Him,” at the same time showing humility, and revealing great truths, and in addition, declaring that the Jews themselves could receive the Spirit, because for this very reason God allowed the apostles to be led to the judgment seat, so that the Jews would learn and the apostles themselves would gain more boldness, and everyone generally received edification. Acts 5:33–36. Hearing this, they were torn with anger and plotted to kill them. Standing up in the Sanhedrin, a certain Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, ordered the Apostles to be brought out for a short time, and he said to them: Men of Israel! Think with yourself about these people, what you should do with them. For shortly before this, Theudas appeared, posing as someone great, and about four hundred people stuck to him; but he was killed, and all who obeyed him scattered and disappeared. Others, listening to the apostles, were embarrassed, and the high priest and those with him “were bursting with anger and plotted to kill them.” As for Gamaliel, he was Paul's teacher; and it is worthy of surprise that he, being a teacher of the law and a man of reasonable intellect, still did not believe. This is because Paul also did not believe yet. “Think to yourself about these people, what you should do with them.” Pay attention to the wise adaptation of speech - to how Gamaliel immediately plunged them into fear, and in order not to give rise to suspicion that he shares the thoughts of the apostles, talks with the Jews as with people of the same convictions and does not express himself particularly sharply, but says: “Think ... what you should do with them.” “For not long before this.” He gives two examples and mentions not ancient, but recent events, because these latter are stronger in the matter of persuasion. Therefore, pointing to them, Gamaliel said “not long before this.” Knowing other examples, he was content with these two, that is, with the example of Theudas and Judas the Galilean (see v. 37), because “by the mouth of two or three witnesses” “every word” is confirmed (Matthew 18:16). He didn’t say who killed them, but he says everyone left. Josephus also mentions Theudas in the nineteenth book of antiquities, as Eusebius says in the fourth book of church history. Here are the words of the latter: “During the governorship of Fada in Judea, one false teacher, named Theudas, convinced the people to take property and follow him to the Jordan River; Theudas said that he was a prophet, and claimed that he would cut the river and make it passable, and he deceived many. However, Fad did not allow them to carry out their unreasonable idea, but sent a detachment of cavalry, which beat many of them and took many alive; and Theudas himself was cut off and brought to Jerusalem.” Acts 5:37–42. After him, during the census, Judas the Galilean appeared and carried away quite a lot of people with him; but he died, and all who obeyed him scattered. And now, I say to you, get away from these people and leave them; for if this enterprise and this work are from men, then it will collapse; and if it is from God, then you cannot destroy it; Beware lest you also turn out to be enemies of God. They obeyed him; and calling the Apostles, they beat them and, forbidding them to speak about the name of Jesus, sent them away. They left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of the Lord Jesus. And every day in the church and from house to house they did not stop teaching and preaching the gospel about Jesus Christ. During the reign of Pilate, it seems that there was an uprising of the Galileans, carried away by the teachings of Judas the Galilean. The teaching of Judas was as follows. He said that one should not call anyone “master” 20 either for the sake of honor or for wisdom, that even a king should not be called that. And many of his followers were severely punished for not calling Caesar lord, and for their teaching that no other sacrifices should be offered to God than those prescribed in the law of Moses. Following this teaching, they forbade making sacrifices for the salvation of the king and the Roman people. Pilate, naturally, was indignant at the Galileans for this and ordered that at the time when they would offer what they considered to be legal sacrifices, they themselves should be killed, so that the blood of those offering would be mixed with the sacrifices, as can be seen from the Gospel of Luke (see Luke 13: 1-3). “Get away from these people.” Pointing to examples of dead false teachers, Gamaliel advises them to think about themselves: beware lest, in the midst of trying to destroy others, you yourself perish, because the one who goes against what is pleasing to God destroys not the enemy, but himself. “If this enterprise and this business are from people,” then what is the need for your harassment? And “if” it is “from God,” then even with all your efforts you cannot ruin it. He did not say directly that this work was “from God,” but he also did not say that it was a human work, because if he had said that it was “from God,” the high priest and those with him would have objected, and if he had said that it was “from men,” he would have delivered the apostles into their hands. With such a wise construction of his speech, Gamaliel forces them to wait for its end. But, look, he did not say: “if it does not go bankrupt, then it is from God,” but said: “if it is from God, then it will not go bankrupt.” "They listened to him". They obeyed because he did not say this in front of the apostles. How did the Jews beat the apostles if they obeyed him? They obeyed him in the sense that they abandoned the intention to kill them, because they wanted it and then abandoned this desire, but beat them, satisfying their anger. Our concept of “lord” among the Greeks was expressed by the same word as “Lord”. Judas thus rebelled against the custom of calling someone by the same name as that given to God. – Note. translator You might be interested in: