Acts 5

     5:1-11.  Ananias and Sapphira are a visible demonstration to the church of what the judgment day will be like for the hypocrite.  It will mean exposure, shame, and loss of eternal life with God.  Note in v.3 that “the devil made me do it,” is not an excuse.  The question to Ananias is, “Why has your heart become Satan’s warehouse?”

     Keeping part of the price back, or even keeping all, would have been no sin (4).  A gift of charity is of grace, not of obligation.  The sin was not only in the lying pretense, but in the evident unbelief that God would see and know, which the lie betrayed (cf. Ps.10:3-4,11).  They had no fear of God (cf.11).

     5:17.  We are jealous over what we perceive as rightfully ours.  Jealousy can be godly, or very wrong, as here.  We are envious over what others have which we covet.  Envy is always wrong.  Jealousy is a word often used wrongly, when envy is meant.  But the Sadducees were jealous over what they perceived as their due honor, power, and security.

     5:28-32.  They deny guilt, but Peter boldly lays it directly on them, and he once again witnesses to the resurrection of the Lord, who is the ruler and savior of men.

     5:33-42.  The apostles were spared when Gamaliel, Paul’s teacher (Acts 22:3), persuaded them to act with caution.  Ironically, Saul (Paul) later acted against his teacher’s wisdom, and tried to stamp out the church with force, but found himself fighting against God (39; cf. 9:4).

     5:40-41.  A flogging was a bit more than suffering shame.  It was very brutal.  The natural man would question why God allowed his chosen ones to suffer such pain and disgrace, but these men rejoiced in the privilege.