Study Desk

But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property.

However, he kept back part of the proceeds with his wife's knowledge, and brought a portion of it and laid it at the apostles' feet.^(a)

Then Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart^(b) to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the proceeds from the field?

Wasn't it yours while you possessed it? And after it was sold, wasn't it at your disposal? Why is it that you planned this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God!"

When he heard these words, Ananias dropped dead, and a great fear came on all who heard.^(c)

The young men got up, wrapped his body, carried him out, and buried him.^(d)

There was an interval of about three hours; then his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.

"Tell me," Peter asked her, "did you sell the field for this price?" "Yes," she said, "for that price."

Then Peter said to her, "Why did you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out!"^(e)

Instantly she dropped dead at his feet. When the young men came in, they found her dead, carried her out, and buried her beside her husband.

Then great fear came on the whole church and on all who heard these things.

Many signs and wonders were being done among the people through the hands of the apostles.^(f) By common consent they would all meet in Solomon's Colonnade.^(g)

None of the rest dared to join them, but the people praised them highly.^(h)

Believers were added to the Lord in increasing numbers—crowds of both men and women.

As a result, they would carry the sick out into the streets and lay them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow⁽ⁱ⁾ might fall on some of them.

In addition, a large group came together from the towns surrounding Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Then the high priest took action. He and all his colleagues, those who belonged to the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.^(j)

So they arrested^[a] the apostles and put them in the city jail.^(k)

But an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail during the night, brought them out, and said,^(l)

"Go and stand in the temple complex, and tell the people all about this life."^(m)

In obedience to this, they entered the temple complex at daybreak and began to teach. When the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin—the full Senate of the sons of Israel—and sent orders to the jail to have them brought.⁽ⁿ⁾

But when the temple police got there, they did not find them in the jail, so they returned and reported,

"We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing in front of the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside!"

As^[b] the commander of the temple police and the chief priests heard these things, they were baffled about them, as to what could come of this.

Someone came and reported to them, "Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple complex and teaching the people."

Then the commander went with the temple police and brought them in without force, because they were afraid the people might stone them.^(o)

After they brought them in, they had them stand before the Sanhedrin, and the high priest asked,

"Didn't we strictly order you not to teach in this name?^(p) And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to bring this man's blood on us!"^(q)

But Peter and the apostles replied, "We must obey God rather than men.

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus,^(r) whom you had murdered by hanging Him on a tree.^(s)

God exalted this man to His right hand as ruler and Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.^(t)

We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit^(u) whom God has given to those who obey Him."

When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.^(v)

A Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered the men^[c] to be taken outside for a little while.^(w)

He said to them, "Men of Israel, be careful about what you're going to do to these men.

Not long ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about 400 men rallied to him. He was killed, and all his partisans were dispersed and came to nothing.^(x)

After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and attracted a following.^[d] That man also perished, and all his partisans were scattered.

And now, I tell you, stay away from these men and leave them alone. For if this plan or this work is of men, it will be overthrown;^(y)

but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even be found fighting against God." So they were persuaded by him.^(z)

After they called in the apostles and had them flogged, they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them.^(aa)

Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be dishonored on behalf of the Name.^[e](ab)

Every day in the temple complex, and in various homes, they continued teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

In those days, as the number of the disciples^(a) was multiplying, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews^[a] against the Hebraic Jews^[b] that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution.^(b)

Then the Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, "It would not be right for us to give up preaching about God to handle financial matters.^[c]

Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation,^(c) full of the Spirit^(d) and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty.

But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the preaching ministry."

The proposal pleased the whole company. So they chose Stephen,^(e) a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte from Antioch.^(f)

They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed^(g) and laid their hands on^(h) them.^[d]

So the preaching about God flourished, the number of the disciples in Jerusalem multiplied⁽ⁱ⁾ greatly, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.

Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.

Then some from what is called the Freedmen's Synagogue, composed of both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, came forward and disputed with Stephen.

But they were unable to stand up against his wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking.

Then they persuaded some men to say, "We heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God!"^(j)

They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; so they came, dragged him off, and took him to the Sanhedrin.

They also presented false witnesses who said, "This man does not stop speaking blasphemous words against this holy place and the law.^(k)

For we heard him say that Jesus, this Nazarene, will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us."^(l)

And all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

"Is this true?"^[a] the high priest asked.

"Brothers and fathers," he said, "listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran,^(a)

and said to him: Get out of your country and away from your relatives, and come to the land that I will show you. ^(b)[b]

"Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this land you now live in.^(c)

He didn't give him an inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, but He promised to give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him,^(d) even though he was childless.

God spoke in this way: His descendants would be strangers in a foreign country, and they would enslave and oppress them 400 years.

I will judge the nation that they will serve as slaves, God said. After this, they will come out and worship Me in this place. ^(e)[c]

Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision. After this, he fathered Isaac and circumcised^(f) him on the eighth day; Isaac did the same with Jacob, and Jacob with the 12 patriarchs.^(g)

"The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt, but God was with him^(h)

and rescued him out of all his troubles. He gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and over his whole household.⁽ⁱ⁾

Then a famine and great suffering came over all of Egypt and Canaan,^(j) and our ancestors could find no food.

When Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors the first time.

The second time, Joseph was revealed to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh.

Joseph then invited his father Jacob and all his relatives, 75 people in all,^(k)

and Jacob went down to Egypt. He and our ancestors died there,^(l)

were carried back to Shechem, and were placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.^(m)

"As the time was drawing near to fulfill the promise that God had made to Abraham, the people flourished and multiplied in Egypt⁽ⁿ⁾

until a different king who did not know Joseph ruled over Egypt.^[d]

He dealt deceitfully with our race and oppressed our ancestors by making them leave their infants outside, so they wouldn't survive.^[e](o)

At this time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in God's sight. He was cared for in his father's home three months,

and when he was left outside, Pharaoh's daughter adopted and raised him as her own son.^(p)

So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in his speech and actions.^(q)

"As he was approaching the age of 40, he decided^[f] to visit his brothers, the Israelites.

When he saw one of them being mistreated, he came to his rescue and avenged the oppressed man by striking down the Egyptian.

He assumed his brothers would understand that God would give them deliverance through him, but they did not understand.

The next day he showed up while they were fighting and tried to reconcile them peacefully, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why are you mistreating each other?'^(r)

"But the one who was mistreating his neighbor pushed him^[g] away, saying: Who appointed you a ruler and a judge over us?

Do you want to kill me, the same way you killed the Egyptian yesterday? ^(s)[h]

"At this disclosure, Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he fathered two sons.^(t)