NLT Illustrated Study Bible - Book of Acts - Flipbook - Page 19
A cts 5 : 2 1
1975
5:9
1 Cor 10:9
5:12
Mark 16:1520
John 10:23
Acts 3:10
Heb 2:4
5:13
Acts 2:47
5:14
v pisteuo- (4100)
Acts
18:8
5:17
Acts 4:1, 2
5:18
Acts 4:3
5:19
Acts 12:710
w angelos (0032)
Acts
8:26
5:20
John 6:63, 68
5:21
Acts 4:56
asked her, “Was this the price you and your
husband received for your land?”
“Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.”
9 And Pet er said, “How could the two of
you even think of conspiring to test the
Spirit of the Lord like this? The young
men who buried your husband are just
outside the door, and they will carry you
out, too.”
10 Instantly, she fell to the floor and died.
When the young men came in and saw that
she was dead, they carried her out and bur
ied her beside her husband. 11 Great fear
gripped the entire church and everyone else
who heard what had happened.
The Apostles Heal Many
12 The apostles were performing many
miraculous signs and wonders among the
people. And all the believers were meeting
regularly at the Temple in the area known
as Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 But no one else
dared to join them, even though all the
people had high regard for them. 14 Yet
more and more people v believed and were
brought to the Lord—crowds of both men
and women. 15 As a result of the apostles’
work, sick people were brought out into
the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s
shadow might fall across some of them as
he went by. 16 Crowds came from the vil
lages around Jer us al em, bringing their
sick and those possessed by evil* spirits,
and they were all healed.
The Second Clash with Judaism (5:1742)
The Apostles Arrested and Rescued
17 The high priest and his officials, who were
Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They
arrested the apostles and put them in the
public jail. 19 But an w angel of the Lord came
at night, opened the gates of the jail, and
brought them out. Then he told them, 20 “Go
to the Temple and give the people this mes
sage of life!”
21 So at daybreak the apostles entered the
5:16 Greek unclean.
Barnabas was an impressive figure (note his
reception in Lystra as Zeus, 14:818) and “a
good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in
faith” (11:24). He was John Mark’s cousin and
mentor and played a major role in giving John
Mark a second chance to make good as a Chris
tian leader (15:3640).
Barnabas knew peer pressure, and he gave in
to it on one occasion although he knew better
(Gal 2:1116). Paul’s reminder to the Romans
is helpful here: “Don’t copy the behavior and
customs of this world, but let God transform
you into a new person by changing the way you
think” (Rom 12:2). Barnabas wasn’t perfect, but
he was a Son of Encouragement to many and a
generous, unselfish man who fostered growth in
others and in the church.
outsiders wary of joining a movement
with such high standards (5:13). This
divine “pruning” (see John 15:111)
helped new growth to follow (Acts 5:14;
cp. 6:57; 11:24; 21:20).
5:1216 As in Jesus’ ministry, the
apostles’ preaching was accompanied
by many miraculous signs and wonders,
including convincing works of healing
and exorcism (see also 6:8; cp. Matt
4:24; 9:35; Mark 1:3234; Luke 4:4041).
5:13 no one else dared to join them:
Perhaps the high standards of belief
or what had happened to Ananias and
Sapphira (5:11) were daunting to the
PROPHETS OF ISRAEL
crowds. • though all the people had
high regard for them: Christians were
markedly different from the unbelievers
around them.
5:1740 The success of the apostles’
ministry again aroused strong oppo
sition (cp. 4:13). The wealthy and
powerful Sadducees controlled the
Temple establishment and had a
Temple police force at their disposal.
They opposed belief in the resurrection
(see “The Sadducees,” Matt 16:112)
and were determined not to allow
the apostles to proclaim their mes
sage about the resurrection of Jesus
GOSPELS & ACTS
Coastline of Cyprus, Greece
unchallenged. They also sensed that
their hold on the Jewish people was
loosening, so, filled with jealousy, they
attacked the apostles.
5:1920 The irony here is that the Sad
ducees denied the existence of angels
(23:8). Angels frequently intervened
in Acts (see also 10:3, 7, 22; 11:13;
12:611, 23; 27:2324). Luke presents
God as guiding his people in their
ministry, using angels to accomplish
his purpose.
L E T T E R S O F PAU L
OTHER LET TERS
