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Acts 5: Bible Study, Commentary and Summary

Acts 5: Bible Study, Commentary and Summary

Last updated on: May 25, 2016 at 7:10 pm by Jack Wellman

Acts 5: Bible Study, Commentary and Summary 2016-05-25T19:10:21-05:00 Jack Wellman

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Here is a Bible study, commentary, and summary of Acts chapter five.

Acts 5:1-2 “But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”

Acts chapter five begins with Ananias and Sapphira bringing money for the church to use, which others had just been doing (Acts 4), but the difference is they kept back some for themselves. There’s nothing wrong with that but they lied by saying they gave all the proceeds from the sale of property to the church when they actually kept part of it. When it was theirs, as Peter said, “did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal” but “You have not lied to man but to God” (Acts 5:4). Right after “Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it” (Acts 5:5). Tragically, Sapphira did the same thing and “Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things” (Acts 5:10-11).

What was so serious about lying to God?

Did Ananias and Sapphira have to give anything at all?

What was their motivation?

Acts 5:13-14 “None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.”

There was great fear, both within the church, and without, after Ananias and Sapphira had died because they had lied to God. Others might have thought of joining the church but dared not. Even so, the people held the church in high esteem, unlike today, and as a result of the fear of God sweeping Jerusalem, “believers were added to the Lord” with “multitudes of both men and women” and naturally, their children.

Why were the people afraid to join them?

Why did the people hold them in high esteem?

Did this have anything to do with God adding to the church, causing it to grow?

Acts 5:17-18 “But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.”

They Jewish authorities intended to bring the apostles before them the next day but “during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach” (Acts 5:19-21). They did as they were told, “And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people” (Acts 5:25-26).

Why were the authorities afraid of being stoned by the people?

Had some of the listeners said so?

What must the authorities have felt after seeing the apostles preaching in the temple again?

Acts 5:28-29 “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”

The Jews didn’t want to hear “We must obey God rather than man” and so “When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while” (Acts 5:33-34). Thankfully, calmer heads prevailed because it would have been unwise of them to kill them because the people held them in such high esteem. Gamaliel said that “in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice” (Acts 5:38-39).

What other choice did they have?

What did it mean that they had “filled Jerusalem with your teaching?”

Why did the Jewish authorities not want them “to bring this man’s (Jesus) blood upon” them?

Were they feeling guilty over Jesus death?

Summary

Isn’t that a good thing to fill Jerusalem with Jesus’ teaching? That’s exactly what happened and the Jews were jealous of the rise of Christianity (Acts 5:17). It wasn’t that their teaching was the problem. They were coveting the success of the apostles. Jesus’ Christ’s blood was on their hands but it’s also upon all have rejected the only way they can be saved (Acts 4:12). Jesus gives you only two options, along with the consequences: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36).

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.

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