NLT Illustrated Study Bible - Book of Acts - Flipbook - Page 18
A cts 4 : 3 1
1974
31 After this prayer, the meeting place
shook, and they were all filled with the Holy
Spirit. Then they preached the word of God
with boldness.
The Fellowship of the Church (4:32–5:16)
The Believers Share Their Possessions
32 All the believers were united in heart and
mind. And they felt that what they owned
was not their own, so they shared every
thing they had. 33 The apostles t testified
powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon
them all. 34 There were no needy people
among them, because those who owned
land or houses would sell them 35 and bring
the money to the apostles to give to those
in need.
36 For instance, there was Joseph, the one
the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which
means “Son of Encouragement”). He was
from the tribe of Levi and came from the
island of Cyprus. 37 He sold a field he owned
and brought the money to the apostles.
Ananias and Sapphira
Attempt to Deceive
But there was a certain man named
Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira,
sold some property. 2 He brought part of
the money to the apostles, claiming it was
the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he
kept the rest.
3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you
let u Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy
Spirit, and you kept some of the money for
yourself. 4 The property was yours to sell or
not sell, as you wished. And after selling it,
the money was also yours to give away. How
could you do a thing like this? You weren’t
lying to us but to God!”
5 As soon as Ananias heard these words,
he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who
heard about it was terrified. 6 Then some
young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet,
and took him out and buried him.
7 About three hours later his wife came
in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter
5
4:31
Acts 2:4; 16:26
4:32
Acts 2:44
4:3335
Acts 2:4547
4:33
t marturion (3142)
1
Cor 1:6
4:36
Acts 9:27; 11:1930;
12:25; 13:2
5:2
Acts 4:3435, 37
5:3
Deut 23:21
John 13:2
u satanas (4567)
Rom
16:20
5:5
Acts 2:43
PROFILE
BARNABAS Wise Encourager
Acts 4:3637
Acts 9:2628;
11:1930;
13:1–15:40;
Gal 2:114
Barnabas, like Stephen (see 6:5–8:2), is presented in Acts as a model Christian leader. A native
of Cyprus, Barnabas was active in the Jerusalem church and demonstrated unselfish generos
ity in meeting the needs of the poorer members of that community (4:3237). His given name
was Joseph, but he was nicknamed Barnabas (“Son of Encouragement,” 4:36), which indicates
his character. He was a suitable person to give a fair and o
pen-minded assessment of the new
work in Antioch (11:1922). Barnabas perceived God’s blessing there and “encouraged the
believers to stay true to the Lord” (11:23). His sterling character was clear in his transparent
goodness, abundant faith, and Spirit-filled life and work (11:24). The leaders of the Antioch
church chose him as their representative on the first missionary journey (13:13), confirming
their recognition of his worth.
Barnabas’s wisdom is clear in his trip to Tarsus to find Saul (11:25). Barnabas had been
impressed by the boldness of Saul’s preaching as a new Christian in Damascus and had taken
him to the apostles, providing a vital introduction for a man who was under suspicion for his
previous unrelenting attacks against believers. Through Barnabas’s intervention, Saul obtained
needed contact with the original apostles, received their acceptance, and preached fearlessly in
Jerusalem until he was forced out of the city (9:2630). Barnabas’s trip was successful, and for a
full year the two worked together in the Antioch church, drawing large crowds (11:26).
4:3235 The sharing of early believers
was remarkable (see also 2:4445; cp.
6:1). Being united in heart and mind,
they willingly offered anything they
possessed to meet the needs of other
believers. This sharing was voluntary
and without coercion, and it related to
pressing needs in the community and
was prompted by Christian love and con
cern for one another.
4:3637 Barnabas is held up as an
example of generous, unselfish giving
in response to the genuine needs in the
Christian community (see “Barnabas,”
4:3637).
T H E P E N TAT E U C H
5:111 Luke is fond of balancing a posi
tive example with a negative example. He
has just recorded the remarkable story of
Barnabas (4:3637). Now Luke presents
the opposite conduct of Ananias and Sapphira, who were tempted by the desire to
be held in high regard. Ananias had not
been forced to sell his property or to give
the proceeds away. The couple’s sin was in
their pretense and deception.
5:34 In lying about their property sale,
Ananias was not just lying to others but
to the Holy Spirit—that is, to God. His
actions compromised the transparent
sincerity, unity, and integrity of the
ISRAEL’S HISTORY
church at its very foundation, and thus
he fell under the direct judgment of God
(cp. Lev 10:15; Josh 7:1626).
5:11 Great fear gripped the entire church
and everyone else who heard what had
happened: The sudden judgment on Ana
nias and then on Sapphira had a sobering
effect on both the Christian community
and those who heard about this incident
(cp. Heb 10:31). Believers were forcefully
reminded that they needed to be pure,
and for non-Christians the believers’
integrity was reestablished, so that once
again “all the people had high regard
for them” (Acts 5:13). Yet it also made
POETRY & WISDOM
