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HANDELINGE 5

Ananias en Saffira

1 Maar daar was ook 'n sekere man, Ananias, en sy vrou, Saffira, wat 'n eiendom verkoop het. 2 Met die medewete van sy vrou het hy van die verkoopprys vir hulleself agtergehou en net 'n gedeelte daarvan gebring en vir die apostels gegee. 3 Petrus sê toe vir hom: “Ananias, hoekom het jy jou deur die Satan laat omhaal om vir die Heilige Gees te lieg en van die verkoopprys van die grond vir jouself agter te hou? 4 Die grond was mos joune, en toe dit verkoop is, kon jy met die geld gemaak het wat jy wou. Wat het jou besiel om dit te doen? Jy het nie vir mense gelieg nie maar vir God.”

5 Toe Ananias dit hoor, het hy dood neergeval; en al die ander wat dit gehoor het, het baie bang geword. 6 'n Paar van die jonges het nader gekom, hom toegedraai en gaan begrawe.

7 Omtrent drie uur later het sy vrou daar aangekom, onbewus van wat gebeur het. 8 Petrus vra toe vir haar: “Sê vir my, het julle die grond vir soveel verkoop?” “Ja,” sê sy, “vir soveel.”

9 Toe sê Petrus vir haar: “Waarom het julle ooreengekom om die Gees van die Here uit te tart? Die mense wat jou man begrawe het, is nou net weer by die deur, en hulle sal jou ook uitdra.”

10 Sy het onmiddellik voor Petrus dood neergeval. Die jongmanne het ingekom, gesien sy is dood, en haar by haar man gaan begrawe.

11 Die hele gemeente en al die ander mense wat hiervan gehoor het, het baie bang geword.

Baie tekens en wonders

12 Deur die apostels het daar baie tekens en wonders onder die volk plaasgevind. En al die gelowiges het gereeld saamgekom in die Pilaargang van Salomo, 13 maar van die ander mense het niemand dit gewaag om by hulle aan te sluit nie al het die volk hulle hoog geag. 14 Tog is baie mense wat in die Here geglo het, mans sowel as vrouens, algaande by hulle getal gevoeg. 15 Die mense het selfs siekes op straat uitgedra en hulle daar op draagbare en beddens neergesit sodat, as Petrus daar verbygaan, al is dit maar net sy skaduwee op party van hulle kon val. 16 Daar het ook baie mense van die dorpe in die omgewing van Jerusalem af gekom en siekes gebring en mense wat onder onrein geeste gely het. Hulle is almal gesond gemaak.

Die vervolging van die apostels

17 Die hoëpriester en al sy ondersteuners, wat aan die party van die Sadduseërs behoort het, is met afguns vervul en het besluit om in te gryp. 18 Hulle het die apostels oop en bloot laat vang en in die tronk gestop. 19 Maar 'n engel van die Here het in die nag die tronkdeure oopgemaak, die apostels uitgelei en vir hulle gesê: 20 “Gaan staan in die tempel en verkondig aan die volk die volle boodskap van hierdie nuwe lewe.”

21 Hulle het gehoor gegee en die môre vroeg na die tempel toe gegaan en die mense geleer. Intussen het die hoëpriester en sy ondersteuners die leiers van Israel vir 'n volle vergadering van die Joodse Raad bymekaargeroep en wagte na die tronk toe gestuur om die apostels te gaan haal.

22 Maar toe die wagte daar kom, het hulle hulle nie in die tronk gekry nie. Hulle het teruggekom en vertel: 23 “Ons het die tronk behoorlik toegesluit gekry en die bewaarders op hulle pos voor die deure; maar toe ons oopmaak en ingaan, was daar niemand nie.”

24 Toe die bevelvoerder van die tempelwag en die priesterhoofde dit hoor, was hulle uit die veld geslaan en hulle het gewonder wat van die apostels geword het. 25 Net toe kom daar iemand en sê vir hulle: “Weet julle, die mans vir wie julle in die tronk gesit het, staan daar in die tempel en leer die volk!”

26 Toe het die bevelvoerder en die wagte die apostels gaan haal, maar sonder geweld, omdat hulle bang was die volk steek hulle onder die klippe. 27 Hulle het hulle voor die Raad gebring, en die hoëpriester sê toe vir hulle: 28 “Het ons julle nie uitdruklik belet om die mense in hierdie Naam te leer nie? En nou lê die hele Jerusalem vol van julle leer! Boonop wil julle ons ook nog verantwoordelik hou vir hierdie man se dood.”

29 Petrus en die ander apostels het geantwoord: “'n Mens moet eerder aan God gehoorsaam wees as aan mense! 30 Die God van ons voorvaders het Jesus uit die dood opgewek nadat julle Hom vermoor het deur Hom aan die kruis te hang. 31 God het Hom verhoog tot Leidsman en Verlosser aan sy regterhand, sodat Hy Israel tot bekering kan bring en hulle sondes kan vergewe. 32 En ons is getuies hiervan, ons en die Heilige Gees wat deur God gegee is aan dié wat aan Hom gehoorsaam is.”

33 Toe die Raad dit hoor, was hulle woedend, en hulle wou die apostels doodmaak. 34 Een van die Fariseërs in die Raad, 'n man met die naam Gamaliël, wat as leermeester van die wet van Moses by die hele volk in hoë aansien was, het toe opgestaan en gevra dat die apostels 'n rukkie buitentoe gevat moet word. 35 Daarna sê hy vir die Raad: “Israeliete, julle moet versigtig wees wat julle met hierdie mense gaan doen. 36 'n Tyd gelede was daar die geval van Teudas, wat in opstand gekom en daarop aanspraak gemaak het dat hy iemand van betekenis is. Hy het 'n aanhang gekry van omtrent vier honderd man. Hy is doodgemaak, en al sy volgelinge is verstrooi, en die opstand het op niks uitgeloop nie. 37 Daarna was dit Judas die Galileër, wat in die tyd van die volkstelling in opstand gekom het met 'n deel van die volk agter hom aan. Ook hy is om die lewe gebring, en al sy volgelinge is uitmekaar gejaag. 38 Wat die huidige geval betref, my raad aan julle is: Laat staan hierdie mense en laat hulle los, want as wat hulle wil en wat hulle doen, mensewerk is, sal daar niks van kom nie. 39 Maar as dit van God kom, sal julle hulle nie kan keer nie. Moenie dat dit dalk later blyk dat julle selfs teen God gestry het nie!” Die Raad het na hom geluister.

40 Hulle het die apostels ingeroep, hulle laat slaan en hulle belet om weer in die Naam van Jesus te praat. Daarna het hulle hulle losgelaat.

41 Die apostels het van die Raad af weggegaan, bly dat hulle bevoorreg was om ter wille van die Naam van Jesus vernedering te ly. 42 En hulle het nie opgehou om die mense elke dag in die tempel en in hulle huise te leer en die evangelie te verkondig dat Jesus die Christus is nie.

Acts 5

1  BUT A certain man named Ananias with his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property,2  And with his wife’s knowledge and connivance he kept back and wrongfully appropriated some of the proceeds, bringing only a part and putting it at the feet of the apostles.3  But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart that you should lie to and attempt to deceive the Holy Spirit, and should [in violation of your promise] withdraw secretly and appropriate to your own use part of the price from the sale of the land?4  As long as it remained unsold, was it not still your own? And [even] after it was sold, was not [the money] at your disposal and under your control? Why then, is it that you have proposed and purposed in your heart to do this thing? [How could you have the heart to do such a deed?] You have not [simply] lied to men [playing false and showing yourself utterly deceitful] but to God.5  Upon hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died. And great dread and terror took possession of all who heard of it.6  And the young men arose and wrapped up [the body] and carried it out and buried it.7  Now after an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not having learned of what had happened.8  And Peter said to her, Tell me, did you sell the land for so much? Yes, she said, for so much.9  Then Peter said to her, How could you two have agreed and conspired together to try to deceive the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out [also].10  And instantly she fell down at his feet and died; and the young men entering found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.11  And the whole church and all others who heard of these things were appalled [great awe and strange terror and dread seized them].12  Now by the hands of the apostles (special messengers) numerous and startling signs and wonders were being performed among the people. And by common consent they all met together [at the temple] in the covered porch (walk) called Solomon’s.13  And none of those who were not of their number dared to join and associate with them, but the people held them in high regard and praised and made much of them.14  More and more there were being added to the Lord those who believed [those who acknowledged Jesus as their Savior and devoted themselves to Him joined and gathered with them], crowds both of men and of women,15  So that they [even] kept carrying out the sick into the streets and placing them on couches and sleeping pads, [in the hope] that as Peter passed by, at least his shadow might fall on some of them.16  And the people gathered also from the towns and hamlets around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those troubled with foul spirits, and they were all cured.17  But the high priest rose up and all who were his supporters, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and being filled with jealousy and indignation and rage,18  They seized and arrested the apostles (special messengers) and put them in the public jail.19  But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and, leading them out, said,20  Go, take your stand in the temple courts and declare to the people the whole doctrine concerning this Life (the eternal life which Christ revealed).21  And when they heard this, they accordingly went into the temple about daybreak and began to teach. Now the high priest and his supporters who were with him arrived and called together the council (Sanhedrin), even all the senate of the sons of Israel, and they sent to the prison to have [the apostles] brought.22  But when the attendants arrived there, they failed to find them in the jail; so they came back and reported,23  We found the prison quite safely locked up and the guards were on duty outside the doors, but when we opened [it], we found no one on the inside.24  Now when the military leader of the temple area and the chief priests heard these facts, they were much perplexed and thoroughly at a loss about them, wondering into what this might grow.25  But some man came and reported to them, saying, Listen! The men whom you put in jail are standing [right here] in the temple and teaching the people!26  Then the military leader went with the attendants and brought [the prisoners], but without violence, for they dreaded the people lest they be stoned by them.27  So they brought them and set them before the council (Sanhedrin). And the high priest examined them by questioning,28  Saying, We definitely commanded and strictly charged you not to teach in or about this Name; yet here you have flooded Jerusalem with your doctrine and you intend to bring this Man’s blood upon us.29  Then Peter and the apostles replied, We must obey God rather than men.30  The God of our forefathers raised up Jesus, Whom you killed by hanging Him on a tree (cross). 31  God exalted Him to His right hand to be Prince and Leader and Savior and Deliverer and Preserver, in order to grant repentance to Israel and to bestow forgiveness and release from sins.32  And we are witnesses of these things, and the Holy Spirit is also, Whom God has bestowed on those who obey Him.33  Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and infuriated and wanted to kill the disciples.34  But a certain Pharisee in the council (Sanhedrin) named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, highly esteemed by all the people, standing up, ordered that the apostles be taken outside for a little while.35  Then he addressed them [the council, saying]: Men of Israel, take care in regard to what you propose to do concerning these men.36  For before our time there arose Theudas, asserting himself to be a person of importance, with whom a number of men allied themselves, about 400; but he was killed and all who had listened to and adhered to him were scattered and brought to nothing.37  And after this one rose up Judas the Galilean, [who led an uprising] during the time of the census, and drew away a popular following after him; he also perished and all his adherents were scattered.38  Now in the present case let me say to you, stand off (withdraw) from these men and let them alone. For if this doctrine or purpose or undertaking or movement is of human origin, it will fail (be overthrown and come to nothing);39  But if it is of God, you will not be able to stop or overthrow or destroy them; you might even be found fighting against God!40  So, convinced by him, they took his advice; and summoning the apostles, they flogged them and sternly forbade them to speak in or about the name of Jesus, and allowed them to go.41  So they went out from the presence of the council (Sanhedrin), rejoicing that they were being counted worthy [dignified by the indignity] to suffer shame and be exposed to disgrace for [the sake of] His name.42  Yet [in spite of the threats] they never ceased for a single day, both in the temple area and at home, to teach and to proclaim the good news (Gospel) of Jesus [as] the Christ (the Messiah).