Chapter 5 of the book of Acts begins with a disturbing tale of deception and dishonesty. Two members of the church conspired to deceive the apostles and the church about their charitable character. Remember that chapter 4 ends with members of the church selling their land and houses to provide for the needs of other members. The money for these sold possessions was brought to the apostles for distribution among the saints. These disciples loved one another enough to provide for those who did not have (Acts 4:32,34-35).   

Safeguard Yourself from Satan 

Read Acts 5:1-6. Verse 3 is the most notable and requires that we give it special attention. First note that it was Satan who filled Ananias’ heart to lie about the price of the land. This is important to pay attention to because many do not understand how powerful Satan really is. We know that Satan is no match for God, but he still has power to influence mankind. Christians must study what power Satan has so that we can identify when we are under attack.  

Though Satan is referred to by other titles, it is easier to start with a word search of his name using a concordance or an online Bible. Much can be gleaned about Satan from the parables of Jesus Christ. For example, in the parable of the sower Jesus said, “And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.” (Mark 4:15) 

From Acts 5: 3 and Mark 4:15, we can see that Satan has power to put things in your heart and take things out of it. This is a serious issue!!! The implication of these verses is that we cannot trust our own hearts. Satan has the power to put things in it and take things out of it. This is part of the reason why it is written, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9)Jeremiah 17:10 goes on to explain that it is God who is able to search the hearts of men. King David understood this and begged God to clean his heart in Ps. 51:10.  

Keep in mind that Jesus taught a lot about what is in the heart of mankind. Spend some time doing a word search of heart in the gospel accounts to learn what Jesus taught. Jesus makes it plain that Satan can take the word of the kingdom out of the heart of the hearer. Additionally, Satan can put things into the heart that are against God as we see in Acts 5. Knowing this fact, should lead Christians to pray earnestly that God cleans our hearts out and that He replaces the evil with His law like He promises in the new covenant (Ezek. 11:19-20; Jer. 31:31-34).  

Did you know that Satan also has the ability to cause physical ailments in our lives? This might be obvious from reading the book of Job, but recognize that Job’s experience was not some one-off event recorded for dramatic and emotional effect. From Jesus’ own words, we can see that Satan was still exercising this power 2000 years ago (Luke 13:10-16). This particular account shows that a woman had a spirit of infirmity, meaning her sickness was not merely a natural consequence. Jesus also declared that it was Satan who had bound her for 18 years. Let that sink into your mind deeply. Satan has the power to afflict someone for over a decade if God allows it!!! Reflect on the fact that many of the people Jesus healed were ill because demonic spirits as indicated in the gospel accounts (see Luke 8:2; Matt 4:24; Matt. 12:22; Luke 6:17-19). Eph. 6:11-13 makes in plain that Christians are at war with demonic spirits. Safeguarding yourself from Satan’s attacks requires you to put on the armor of God!!! 

Now let’s read Mark 8: 31-33 and Matt. 16:21-23. These verses reveal Satan’s power to influence those around us. In Matthew’s account, we read that Jesus said, “thou art an offence unto me.” The Greek word translated into offence means a trap-stick i.e a snare. Jesus was pointing out that Satan was using Peter as a trap, tempting Him to sin. Satan has power to use our loved ones to trap us into sinful thinking and sinful actions. Matt. 16:22 shows what Peter said (Please reread it.) Satan used Peter to tempt Jesus into not willfully submitting Himself to the mission the Father laid out for Him. Generally speaking, humans do not want to die, let alone sacrifice themselves for others. This was an attempt to appeal to Jesus’ flesh. Jesus understood this and rebuked Peter for it.  

Just before His arrest, Jesus said, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matt. 26:41). Because the flesh is weak, Jesus spent His last hours in prayer to resist temptation and the weakness of the flesh. Keep in mind that verses 38-39 and 42 show us some of the words of Jesus. Though His flesh was weak, Jesus fully submitted Himself to the will of God the Father. Jesus resisted this subtle attack of Satan who tried to use Jesus’ disciple to trap Him. Job had to resist a similar trap during his trial (Job 2:9-10).  

Be on guard against Satan setting traps by using those who are close to you. This was not written to make anyone suspicious of family and friends. It was written to promote DISCERNMENT! Satan cannot get an advantage over you if you are knowledgeable about how he operates (II Cor. 2:11). You can safeguard yourself from Satan’s attacks by knowing what he is capable of! Be on guard against someone promoting the concern for things of men over concern for the will of God (Matt. 16:23). Learn to rebuke these subtle attempts to trap you with the TRUTH as Jesus and Job did.    

At this point, it is important to discuss what happened to Judas Iscariot. Recognize that Jesus Christ personally chose Judas as one of the twelve apostles, yet he allowed himself to be used by Satan to betray Jesus (John 6:70-71). How could this happen? Judas spent a tremendous amount of time with Jesus. He witnessed many miracles. He was there when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, yet his heart was turned against Jesus Christ the Son of God. We do not have to speculate about how this happened because the apostle John gave us the answer (John 13:2).  

Satan put it in Judas’ heart to betray Jesus! We have already discussed that Satan has power to put things into the hearts of men, but this issue outweighs Satan’s attempt to trap Jesus through Peter. Satan has power to turn people into murderers! Please reflect on this for a minute. This is serious business and is described in several places in the word of God. Notice Luke 21:16; Mark 13:12; Matt. 10:21; Matt. 24:48-49 as a few examples of this point. Now ask yourself what would make brethren, family members, and friends betray someone?  

Understand that murder originates from hate which does not come from God. Please know that the spirit of murder comes from Satan as indicated in John 8:44 (also read verses 37, 39-40). Satan has power to influence those who do not accept truth in a many that many do not recognize. If you chose to walk in truth, Satan and those under his influence will hate you. This is not written to scare you away from being a Christian who fully walks in the truth, but to warn you not to fear what is coming. We cannot stop what is prophesied to happen! 

Consider carefully that the third human being killed the fourth human being because of the influence of Satan. Read what the apostle John had to say about this issue of love and murder in I John 3:11-15. Cain was influence by Satan because he chose unrighteousness. That choice led to hating his brother and then murder. This is no different from the warnings Jesus gave about brethren (people in the church), family, and friends betraying those who choose to continue in the truth in the end times.  

Again, do not allow this to discourage you from living a life that is pleasing to God the Father by following the example of Jesus Christ. Do not allow fear to become a catalyst for turning away from the truth (Matt. 10:28). Even Jesus’ brothers did not believe and hold fast to the truth until after his death (John 7:1-5). If it is God’s will that you suffer such betrayal, know that it can be used to bring others into the truth just like Jesus’ suffering and steadfastness has brought us to God the Father. Your job is to endure until the end by not becoming someone whose love waxes cold.  

Satan will attempt to put evil things into your heart and to take the truth out of it. For this reason, we must examine our thoughts and deeds frequently to resist Satan’s influence through God’s helps. Do not take this lightly. Keep your eyes open for Satan’s influence over those who are close to you. Do not allow anyone to steer you off course and outside of the will of God. Ananias and Sapphira gave into Satan’s temptation to lie and suffered greatly for it.   

Acts 5:4 shows that Ananias could have kept whatever portion of the revenue for himself, yet he chose to deceive the brethren. He chose not to exercise love by telling the truth about what he did. Read Rom. 13:8-10 and I Cor. 13. If we live in and exercise the love of God, then we will not lie. Instead, Ananias’ actions were similar to Judas’ (John 12:1-6). It is God’s will that we develop character like His own and resist the character of Satan. Titus 1:2 tells us that God cannot lie and John 3:33 says God is true. This is the character Christians should strive to maintain, especially as the end approaches (Rev. 21:7-8). 

Thou Shalt Not Lie   

Three hours after Ananias attempted to deceive the church about his charitable nature, Sapphira comes in (Acts 5:7). When Peter asked her about the price of the land, it was revealed that she had full knowledge of the plan to lie about the matter. She obviously consented to the plan to lie because she told the same lie in the absence of her husband. Sapphira could have told the truth while Ananias was absent, but she did not. She was willfully a participant in a conspiracy to deceive the church about her family’s character.  

This was a clear violation of Ex. 23:1 and Lev. 19:11. Sapphira did not have to join her husband in this wicked attempt to deceive others, but she agreed with plan, so she lied to Peter just like her husband. As a result, she was killed just like her husband (Acts 5:9-10).  

Lying is a serious issue. Read Prov. 19:5,9 which contains a strong warning about lying. Also consider that lying is included in the seven abominations to the Lord (Prov. 6:16-19). It is mentioned within the previously cited verses twice!!! Remember that Revelation 21 places liars at the top of the list of those who will not enter into the kingdom of God.  

There is no love in lying. Jesus commanded His disciples to love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34-35). Love works no ill towards his neighbor (Rom. 13:10). Some may think that the punishment of Ananias and Sapphira was very harsh because they do not consider the long-term ramification of their actions. If God would have allowed them to get away with this deception, then they would have done it again and again until lying became an intricate part of their character. This would have damaged the early church greatly. Lying has cascading effects on those lied to. Think of what happened to Adam and Eve. They were told that they would not die from eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Acceptance of this lie led to open rebellion and the blatant violation of an explicit command of God. The negative consequences of this decision have been endless, including the bondage of the world under sin.  

Do not deny that this was Satan’s attempt to wreak havoc on the church from the inside. Remember that Peter asked Ananias why Satan has filled his heart to lie to the Holy Spirit. Ananias did not reject Satan’s temptation to lie. The lesson to learn is that we all should be on guard against these subtle attacks. We must yield our bodies to be instruments of righteousness rather than instruments of unrighteousness (Rom. 6:12-13). We must engage in a wholesale rejection of unrighteousness. Know that this course of action is evidence that you love God and His children (I John 5:1-3).  

The Fame of the Church of God  

“And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.” (Acts 5:11) 

In the KJV, the word fear typically means respect, but in this case the Greek word translated into fear truly means fear. Upon hearing what happened to Ananias and Sapphira, real fear came upon the church. The Greek word used here is phobos and it was used in verses such as Matt. 14:26, Matt. 28:4 and John 19:38. The church learned that their deeds would be scrutinized.  

This is a point that many professing Christians ignore. Remember the word church means a called-out assembly. God has called whom He chooses out of the world. Acceptance of the invitation of God requires us to adhere to the moral norms of God Almighty and reject the norms of Satan and the world. The logical conclusion is that the church began to realize how serious God is about maintaining His standard of living! 

Additionally, this verse tells us that fear came upon others who were not called into the church. Acts 5:13 shows that no man dared to join themselves to the assembled church. This implies that those who did not believe understood how serious of a commitment it was to be joined with the called-out ones. They did not take this lightly and understood that those who were not of one accord with the rest would be in danger of a similar fate as Ananias and Sapphira. This is not mere speculation. Read verse 14 which shows that believers were added to the church. This means that verse 13 is about nonbelievers not daring to infiltrate God’s church!! 

The word magnified in verse 13 means to make great. The nonbelievers highly esteemed the believers. They understood something powerful was taking place within and through this group of people. The nonbelievers saw the miracles and the unity of the church and recognized it as something great (see verse 12). It is interesting to consider that the nonbelievers could identify something powerful was happening around them.  

Real Faith Looks Different  

Acts 5:14-16 describes the tremendous faith displayed by the multitudes that believed the message of the apostles. Luke describes the number of believers as multitudes as opposed to giving a specific number as given in previous chapters. This indicates that these multitudes were too large to count. The number of believers was so great that these men and women had to lay their sick loved ones on beds in the streets of Jerusalem. This is shocking to think about. This group was too large to fit into any building so their sick loved ones laid in the streets!! (Keep in mind that verse 16 indicates that some of this multitude was made up of people who lived in the suburbs of Jerusalem.) 

This action was taken in faith. They believed that the mere shadow of Peter would heal them, so they brought their sick to let his shadow pass over them. This is another clear example in scripture that faith is not merely a claim to belief. Real faith is never unaccompanied by works. The natural consequence of true living faith is action. These multitudes believed so they did something. In this case, they brought their sick family members to be healed. This faithfulness to the message of the Lord Jesus Christ extended to the cities close to Jerusalem as indicated in verse 16. God rewarded the faith of these people by healing every one of them.  

If you truly understand what the Bible says about the end times, then you know the terrible things that will come. The faith displayed by these new believers is the same kind of faith Christians will need to survive the end times. Your belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ should stir you to action. Faith is not an effortless endeavor. The gospel accounts recorded plenty of examples of faith on display. There is not one example in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John of someone doing nothing after they believed Jesus’ message. Think of the centurion or the woman with the blood-borne disease. They did not sit around waiting for a miracle to happen because they believed. They took action based on their faith just like the multitudes in and around Jerusalem went to see Peter.  

Christians should learn to act on their faith rather than use it as a reason to do nothing. To do such a thing is to prove that you have dead faith!! (James 2:17-18). This is the same rationale supporting the rapture theory. Many professing Christians believe they will be evacuated from the earth at the time of the Great Tribulation. As discussed in previous installments, this is not true. The elect that are dead and alive at Jesus’ return will be resurrected at the last trump according to I Cor. 15:51-52. The dead shall rise first and then those alive will rise to meet Jesus Christ in the air (1 Thes. 4:15-16). These verses show that the dead are not in heaven and those of us who are alive will be gathered to Jesus Christ consecutively at the last trump. Carefully read Rev. 11:15-18. 

This is the description of the last trump being sounded. Notice that it says, “And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great…” 

John the apostle was shown that the seventh trumpet is the time that the saints should be rewarded with eternal life through the resurrection. The Bible is truly consistent and noncontradictory, yet many who claim to believe it do not truly believe what it says!!! It is going to take real living faith for Christians to survive the Great Tribulation. It will take great miracles to survive, and Christians must take action to receive those miracles just like Peter had to step off the boat to walk on water!!! 

They Will Hate You, But Speak the Words of Life   

Despite the obvious miracles done through the apostles, the religious leaders rejected the message of the resurrection of the dead through Jesus Christ and the coming of kingdom of God (Acts 5:17-18). Please note that this group was of the sect of the Sadducees. We read elsewhere in the Bible that this group did not believe in a resurrection (Matt. 22:23; Mark 12:18; Luke 20:27). The religious leaders of our time also reject this message. They use their platforms and pulpits to preach about going to heaven and a rapture. Neither Jesus Christ nor His apostles preached about going to heaven and they did not promote the idea that the saints will not experience tribulation (see Acts 23:6). They taught that if we are reconciled to God the Father, then Jesus will raise us from the dead at His return to the earth to establish the kingdom of God!!! 

Please do not ignore this distinction between what Jesus taught and what false disciples have been teaching for 2000 years. Unfortunately, false teachers are plenteous. If you teach what Jesus and the apostles taught, the religious establishment will brand you as a heretic. Be undeterred in this task. Jesus and the apostles were branded heretics, so you are in good company.  

“But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, ²⁰ Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.” (Acts 5:19-20) 

God sent an angel to encourage His apostles. The angel admonished them to go back to the temple and speak the words of life! We do not have to guess what the words of life are. John the apostle told us where we can find the words of life. Read John 6:47-69 with special attention on verse 54. 

Notice that Jesus did not promise His disciples entry into heaven. He promised to raise them up on the last day. He was telling them that He will resurrect them if they eat of His flesh and drink of His blood. We do not have to spiritualize this away with inaccurate interpretations. Jesus explains what He meant in verses 56-57. Jesus’ real disciples will live by Him, that is live by His words just as Jesus lived by the words of the Father. Remember, Jesus taught that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Living by the teachings of Jesus is the only way to live forever!!! 

Unfortunately, many of the disciples walked away from Jesus. Obviously, they did not want to live by His words. They considered it to be a hard saying to hear that they had to live by His words (verse 60). They did not accept that Jesus’ words are spirit and life (verse 63). Nevertheless, eleven of Jesus’ disciples recognized that Jesus taught the words of eternal life (verse 68).  

This means that those apostles who were placed in prison knew that the words of life are Jesus’ teachings which come straight from God the Father!!! They knew that they had to preach about how the loving Father wants us to live. They knew that this was the only way to be found worthy to stand before Jesus Christ at His return and the resurrection.  

The real disciples of Jesus Christ have taught this for 2000 years. If you are disciple of Jesus, you will continue in His words of eternal life (John 8:31). You will also speak the words of life as the angel commanded the early apostles. Do not become dismayed by the proliferation of the words of death as the world gets darker. Keep your eyes on the resurrection and the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Speak the words of life to anyone who will listen and don’t be afraid of the consequences.  

Obedience in Action 

Many ignore the powerful implications of Acts 5:21. This verse tells us that these apostles went to the temple upon exiting the prison they were placed in. They could have gone home, hid themselves, or fled Jerusalem. Instead, they went to the temple as commanded by the angel. How many of us exercise this level of obedience? This is faith in action. These men truly believed the message God sent them and they were obedient to it. Their lives were at risk, yet they chose to be obedient.  

Do not think this was easy to do. Fear can easily overcome any of us. Nevertheless, these apostles were found in the temple teaching the word of life as they were commanded (Acts 5:21-25). Will you be obedient to the commands of God? Will you continue to preach the word of life in the face of death? Please settle in your mind that the only way to overcome Satan is love not your life unto death (Rev. 12:11).   

Please read Acts 5:26-28 carefully. Notice what the chief priests were concerned with. The accusation of the high priest indicates that they were concerned that the doctrine being taught in Jesus’ name would bring His blood upon them. They were concerned with where the apostles’ doctrine would lead. They were afraid that the people would accuse them of being responsible for the murder of Jesus.  

Peter and the apostles’ response was to expose the truth about what these priests had done. In verse 30, they make it plain that these priests are responsible for the murder of Jesus. In verse 31, they make it clear that Jesus is the Messiah who is prophesied to be Prince and Savior. These priests should have known these prophecies since it was a part of their duties to study the word of God, yet they did not want to accept that Jesus had fulfilled some of those things and fulfill the rest in the future.   

The most critical piece of the apostles’ response is the issue of obedience. It is mentioned in verses 29 and 32. They open and close their statement with the issue of obedience. The difference between the apostles of Jesus and the chief priests is obedience to God. The chief priests merely claimed to be obedient to God. Jesus pointed this out on several occasions (Mark 7:1-13; Matt. 23). The chief priests did not have God’s Holy Spirit because they are willfully disobedient. These apostles were being obedient to what Jesus commanded them to do (Matt. 28:19-20; Luke 24:45-48).  

Surviving the end times is going to require REAL obedience to God. Do not live your life like the Pharisees and other secs during the first century. They outwardly showed themselves as being obedient while taking every opportunity to violate God’s prescription for righteous living. Obedience is not confessing the name of Jesus with your lips while living contrary to the way He lived. This is no different from what Jesus said about the scribes and Pharisees in Matt. 15:8-9. Do not allow yourself to merely become a professing Christian. Merely professing belief in the Lord Jesus Christ is an affront to the Father and the Son. As Christians, we have no authority to change the doctrine and commandments of God to suit our own interest. The book of Revelation teaches that those who are obedient to God’s commands are the only ones who have a right to the tree of life (Rev. 22:14).  

Work of Men or Work of God 

For their obedience, the apostles were staring death in the face (Acts 5:33). They undoubtedly knew that execution was a possibility as they saw what happened to Jesus for preaching the same message. Nevertheless, they showed the same obedience that Jesus showed towards God the Father. Jesus and His Apostles were diligent to carry out the work God commissioned them to do.  

Unfortunately, we live in a time when many have risen and are rising claiming to do some work for God. This was happening before Jesus Christ’s ministry and continues now (Acts 5:34-38). Be diligent in praying to God to help you test the spirit in men (I John 4:1). (Side note: Be sure to read the entire chapter of the previously cited verse. It shows that those who are of God will love the brethren. Loving the brethren is more than an emotion. It is the fulfilling of the law as written in Rom. 13:10.) Study what God says about love and how it looks. Compare what you know about the love of God to what you see in the ministries of the world. If you do not see the love of God exemplified in a ministry, stay clear of it. You do not have to fight against or denigrate those who work in it. If it is not of God, it will eventually come to nought.  

Likewise, we must scrutinize our own actions. If you believe God has called you for a specific body of work, then you need to fast and pray before executing. Make sure that it is the work of God and not your own desires driving you. This is something I have personally wrestled with many times. A desire to do good does not mean that the things you wish to accomplish are glorifying to the Father. If your good works will give you more praise than God, then it is not the work of God. Rest assured that if what you are doing is of God, nothing can stop (Acts 5:39). 

Suffer Shame for His Name’s Sake  

Verse 41 of Acts 5 seems to be overlooked often. Please read it several times. This verse gets lost in the conversation between the religious leaders. After these men listened to the advice of Gamaliel, they decided to threaten the apostles further (verse 40). Notice that this threat came with a beating which would make a faithless man depart from the truth. Nevertheless, the apostles left this beating rejoicing. Why? Because they were counted worthy to suffer for His (Jesus’) name.  

The Christian lifestyle is never described as pleasant. So many of the patriarchs suffered greatly during their lives. They had joy because they put their faith and trust in the promise of eternal life. (Matt. 5:10-12). Jesus warned them of what was to come in John 15:18-21. Also, read what Peter said about suffering in I Peter 2:17-21 with emphasis on verse 21. The apostle Peter makes it plain that the suffering of Jesus should be an example to us. He suffered though He did nothing worthy of it and we are to walk in His steps.  

We must learn to keep our minds on the fact that nothing we experience in this life can be compared with the reward God has prepared for us (Rom. 8:17-18). The apostles understood this so they rejoiced that they were following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. They knew that they would be counted as sons of God and joint heirs with Jesus if they suffered for His name’s sake. 

Read Acts 5:42. This verse should be inspiring to those who are afraid of the things to come. The apostles were put in prison, beaten, and threaten not to teach in the name of Jesus Christ, yet they continue to do the work God set before them. It says they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. Will you be as brave and bold as the early apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ? Remember that they prayed for this boldness and God empowered them (Acts 4:29-31). You can pray for this boldness. Every Christian is going to need God to strengthen him for the days that are coming. We must keep our eyes on the reward God has promised even under intense persecution. Only those who endure until the end shall be saved (Mark 13:13). 

It is natural for humans not to want to suffer, but you can prepare your heart and mind for what is to come. God has given us numerous warnings of the persecution to come in the last days; therefore, no Christian has an excuse not to be spiritually prepared. (James 4:7-10). God will lift us up if we humble ourselves in His sight. Cease not to teach in the name of Jesus Christ! Cease not to preach of the resurrection of the dead through Jesus Christ! Cease not to preach of the coming kingdom of God!