5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,

2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.

6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.

7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.

8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.

9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.

10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.

11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

Five: “But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession.” And the words mean “rich” and “beautiful,” I think. The two words? Has anybody got them in a margin there? Ananias and Sapphira? What? “Grace” and “beauty” — something like that? Or “wealth” and “beauty.”

You never see “Sapphira” without thinking of Amos and Andy! Get those Bible names. You know, “Amos” — all those Bible names — “Amos” and “Sapphira,” “Jezebel.”

“But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it.” Secret to it. Privately. And hence sometimes a reference to the parts of the body — “privates” — in the Old Testament.

“Also being privy.” In our world we also use for an outhouse, an enclosed house, an enclosed place, put aside.

“Also being privy.” Privately. Secretly.

“Kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.” Now, this fellow’s sin is not withholding the tithe, as some of the preachers preach. And this fellow’s sin is not refusing to give God anything. His sin is pretending to be more spiritual than he is. He’s a spiritual pretender.

Three: “But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart.” There’s a Christian where the devil’s filled his heart.

“To lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own?” Private ownership. “And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power?” Capitalism. That isn’t communism. It’s capitalism. In the Bible, your land is your land. And while you got it, it’s yours, and after you sell it, the money you get is yours. The Bible doesn’t teach communism. The Christian did that thing voluntarily. The Bible teaches capitalism.

“Whiles it remained, was it not thine own?” It wasn’t the government’s

“And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power?” Nobody forced him to hand over the money.

“Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.” Now, here’s what happened. Take this thing back to verse 34 in the previous chapter, and notice Ananias and Sapphira, what they’ve done here, is they’ve sold a piece of property, say, for $40,000 and they brought $10,000 to the church. And they take that thing and laid it down there and said, “Here it is!”

They said, “That’s all you got?”

“Yep, that’s the whole thing.”

But they kept back part of it.

Now, their sin is in professing to be holy, dedicating when they’re not. And if the Lord killed every Christian these days that pretended to be holy and dedicated that’s not, there’d be corpses lying all over the building, man. You couldn’t get out the back door!

But that fellow was killed for putting on spiritual front. He was trying to make all the people down at the church think he had made this tremendous sacrifice, and he hadn’t made it.

Verse 4: “After it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up...” wrapped him up to bury him... “and carried him out, and buried him.”

Notice, “wound him up.” Folks think the King James Bible is archaic. Isn’t that what they say every night on the ten o’clock newscast: “Well, that about winds it up.” Well, what do they mean by that? It’s no reference to a clock. When you wind up a clock, you make the thing run. What do they mean, “That about winds it up”? See? And given the sportscast, “Well, that winds it up for tonight.” Just go right on quoting the King James Bible until hell freezes over.

In the Bible, when you wind the thing up, that’s the end of it. Because, when you wrap a fellow, you wrap him from graveclothes this way, wrap them around him, and then bury him. So, to this day, they still quote the King James and not the bibles.

“And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much?” For the total price. “And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost.” That’s some power, you know that?

The pastor might enlighten the congregation and tells them to drop dead, and they go WHOOOP! and flop over now! You can exercise church discipline with that!

QUESTION: I just noticed that Acts 5, verse 5, it’s death. Five again.

ANSWER: That’s right. Genesis 5:5 and Acts 5:5.

All right, “Then Peter said,...shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.” I guess it did! Boy, that acts as a purifying influence in your church. Those lying about their income.

5:12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.

13 And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them.

14 And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)

15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.

16 There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.

“And by the hands of the apostles were many signs.” Apostolic signs. “And wonders.” Apostolic signs and wonders. Wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.” They met there.

“And of the rest durst.” Old English, meaning “dared.”

“And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them.” Talked about them. Common gossip all over town.

I got a note here that says the First Baptist Church of Jerusalem, First Baptist Church of Ammodel, Brazil, wanted to change the name because the priest had cursed the town, and they wanted to change the name of it to Los Sotris Senor de la Conceptiones —what’s that? “Our Lady of the Conception”? What a name for a First Baptist Church! “Our Lady of the Conception” Baptist Church! Boy!

All right, “And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. And believers were the more added to...” what? “The Lord.” See that? There’s the Body of Christ years and years before Paul was saved. And Luke has the Pauline epistles on the table. When Luke writes the Book of Acts, he’s got the Pauline epistles — he’s traveling with Paul! He knows what that expression means. “Added to the Lord.” And when a man gets saved he’s “added to the Lord.” There are believers part of the Body back in Acts chapter 5 — years before Paul got saved. All that Stamite nonsense.

“Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.” Now, it doesn’t say they were healed, but it implies that’s what healed them. It implies his shadow going by healed them.

Now, I wonder where the healers are that do that? “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever” — why don’t they have a healing service like that? Bring all the sick folks out to Oral Roberts University, Kathryn Kuhlman with them, and lay ‘em out there. She’s been dead, but they ought to be able to raise the dead. And then lay ‘em out there on the ground, you know, and stretch ‘em down by that big highway and have Oral walk by there at high noon and let his shadow drop across ‘em. Don’t you know that’d be a wipeout!

All right, he says, verse 16: “There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits:...” Underline this: “And they were healed every one.” There are no duds! There are no mistakes. There are no short rounds, wet peelers, they all fire.

QUESTION: So faith wasn’t a requirement?

ANSWER: Doesn’t say so. They got enough faith to come there, and they got healed. And there are no miscarriages, no half-healings, no “hang on to your healing and turn loose your faith.” They’re all healed!

5:17 Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation,

18 And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.

19 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.

21 And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

22 But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told,

23 Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.

24 Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow.

25 Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.

“Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,).” A fellow said they called them “Sadducee” because they didn’t believe in the Resurrection, so they were sad — you see?

“Which is the sect of the Sadducees, and were filled with indignation.” Now, I’ve always appreciated that contrast in chapter 4 verse 31, with 5:17. The believer is filled with the Holy Ghost, and the religious fathers are filled with indignation. Isn’t that a good contrast?

“Filled with indignation. And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.” The only time in the Bible it’s given of that way. But “this life” is the life that comes from Christ.

“Speak...to the people all the words of this life.” So-called “this way” a little bit later.

“And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council.” Every time you find a council, there’s trouble afoot.

You had church history last year, and you studied the Council of Nicea, 325 a.d., where they got involved in all those arguments about the Trinity, and never did get the mess straightened out, and went into apostasy. The Council of Trent in 1546 pronounced everybody accursed that didn’t accept the Apocrypha. And the first problem of the Federal Council of Churches in 1908 was the mistreatment of Negro natives in the Belgian Congo. Sound familiar? They met in Andrew Carnegie’s home in New York, and they got there and tried to get as much money as they could from Andrew Carnegie to back them up in there, to liberate the poor natives in the Belgian Congo. That’s that bunch.

Always messing with the colored man! Down South they have an old saying, “Leave the colored fellow alone. The only thing wrong with the colored man is a white man messing with him.” And there’s a lot of truth in it. A lot of truth in it. You’d be amazed how well those people get along if you just leave ‘em alone and let ‘em work for a white man, and let a white man help ‘em tell ‘em what to do and guide ‘em and watch ‘em and take care of ‘em. They get along a lot better that way.

You take that bunch and get to messing and get ‘em liberated, and then a white man don’t know what to do with ‘em.

I saw a picture the other day in Philadelphia of a woman going down the street in Philadelphia about 60 years old, a well-dressed lady. Evidently an heiress of quite a family. And two colored guys have ahold of her by the arms, and she’s screaming, her face white with rage and fright, and she’s trying to bang them with her pocketbook. Behind her about thirty more Negroes back there laughing at her. And you know what the aftermath of that thing is? That white woman will never go downtown in Philadelphia again. She’ll never go downtown again. She’ll leave downtown. And so all the white folks are leaving downtown.

A white man will not walk in a place where a colored man’s gonna push him off the street. He’ll leave it. Now, he can stay there and fight. But you can’t win!

I was driving down the street with Brother Rawlings one time, about fifteen years ago, and had been up to Cincinnati in a meeting. And some colored dude came around in front of us and liked to have drove us off the roadway. And Rawlings blew his horn at him, and he shook his fist out the window and cursed him. And said, “You white s.o.b. blankety-blank!”

And, you know, I felt the blood going up my head. And I said to Rawlings, “Just why don’t you just chase that guy and wreck him!”

And he said, “It won’t do you any good.” He said, “I got insurance. He don’t have any insurance.”

I thought to myself, that’s right. You know, that’s right.

And Rawlings had a brand new car, about a year old, a Buick. And that thing that other guy was driving was about ten years old. What’s the point, man?

I was in Philadelphia with Alex Dunlap driving around, and a white guy came up about, oh, three or four cars ahead of us. And a colored fellow there by the light, waiting for the light to change three times. The white guy stuck his head out the window and said, “Hey about going on?”

Up there in the front car, the colored fellow turned around and said, “You shut your mouth, you white so-and-so, I’ve got a knife here and I’ll cut your throat just as quick as look at you!”

Got back in the car and waited for two more changes then took off.

Well, what are you going to do?

All right, you shoot ‘em, and you’re in the Negro section, ain’t nothin’ around there but 5,000 witnesses to swear that you murdered him! No, there’s nothing you can do any way to win, see? See, what a white man will do is, he’ll just move out. And when he moves out, then that colored guy left down there, no friends and no money and hating each other and a low opinion of each other. Nobody will run down a colored fellow like a colored fellow! And leave him down there all by himself, fighting among himself, and they starve and start stealing and killing each other. And the white man from the City Department goes down and takes a few bodies out of the alley every morning and buries them — you never hear about it in the newspaper. And that’s the end of ‘em! It just don’t work.

QUESTION: You was talking about them not trusting each other. I worked with someone named James Perry. I witnessed to him for a little over two years. And then, when he got promoted to a market manager and moved over to one of the other Winn Dixies, and just before he left, he called me aside, back in the back where it couldn’t anybody else hear what was going on. And he told me, he said, “I want to tell you something before I leave.” He said, “I’m not saved.” He said, “You know.” But he says, “Since I’ve been here, before I came here I didn’t think I could trust anybody.” He said, “I know I still can’t trust a black man,” but he said, “I found one white man I can trust.”

ANSWER: Yes. And they’ll call him “Uncle Tom,” you know. Think he’s stupid. He’s the only one who’s got any sense.

QUESTION: I led a colored man to the Lord a little while ago, and I went over to his house. He lived in a black neighborhood, and I went over there, and sat and talked with him. And he came from ‘Nam. He was a soldier in ‘Nam for awhile. He had a complex, and he said all the blacks who hated him were from the city. And I tried to tell him, you know, “Don’t worry about it.” He compared blacks in Pensacola, I’ll never forget him, he compared them to a barrel of crayfish. And when one crayfish tried to get out of the barrel, the others grabbed at it and pulled it back down. And that’s how he compared them to. He said he wanted to get out of here so bad.

All right, Acts chapter 5, verse 21, a council: “called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel.” That is, the Sanhedrin, the scribes, the Pharisees, the elders, the whole bunch.

“And sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told, Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within. Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow.” Notice how it progressed.

“Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.”

5:26 Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.

27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,

28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.

29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

33 When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.

34 Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;

35 And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men.

36 For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.

37 After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.

38 And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:

39 But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.

40 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

“Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, Saying, Did not we straitly command you...” That is, “strait” in the sense of “strict, hard.”

“Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine.” Did you ever hear that one? You’re preaching the truth. “That’s your doctrine, just your interpretation.”

“Your doctrine.” Why, it wasn’t their doctrine. It was the Lord’s. “And intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” Isn’t that hypocritical? You know what that crowd yelled the day they had him crucified? They said, “His blood be upon us and upon our children!” Now they’re saying, “You’re going to bring his blood upon us.” Why, they asked for his blood to be upon ‘em!

“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” That’s a bold answer. And, of course, where they conflict, then obey God.

QUESTION: In verse 29, is that an example of the church stand, where the church sets up a rule, and then puts you between a rock and a hard place...

ANSWER: Yeah. You have to go ahead and get the axe. Yeah, that’s right. “If when ye do well, ye suffer for it, it’s acceptable to God.”

QUESTION: So they just ignored the miracle?

ANSWER: Yeah, that’s something. Ignoring the miracle. Ignoring the hand of the Lord in it.

“The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things.” P.S.: “And so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.” Look at that slam in there, boy! I mean, “You haven’t obeyed Him!”

“And so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.” See?

“When they heard that, they were cut to the heart.” That’s as much as saying, “You’re disobedient! And you don’t have the Holy Ghost!”

“And took counsel to slay them. Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space.” Now this man was supposed to be a very wise philosopher and a great teacher. He was supposed to be the only rabbi who ever had the degree of “Rabban.” “Rabbuz” is bachelor, and “Rabbi” is master, and “Rabbac” is doctor — and he’s the only “Rabban,” the “doctor of doctors,” according to the history books.

And Paul was supposed to have studied under him. He sat at the feet of Gamaliel. And all the commentators go into raptures over Gamaliel. I’ve read this passage through 79 times, and I cannot see where that fellow had enough sense to come in out of the rain on a dark night. If he was a “great man,” he sure didn’t exhibit any of it here. If you can tell me the wisdom of what you’re about to read, I’ll accept it. I’ve been looking for it for a long time!

“And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men. For before these days rose up Theudas —” a news item — “boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought. After this man rose up Judas of Galilee —” another news item — “in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.”

“And to him they agreed.” They did??? “When they had called the apostles, and beaten them.” That’s agreeing with him, was it? I don’t see where anybody paid attention to what he said anyway. He said, “Let them alone.” “Refrain from these men, and let them alone.” Well, they took them and beat them, verse 40 — I wouldn’t call that letting them alone!

And the thinking is — to me, that’s a thing like, you know, “What is will be, shall be,” or, “Look up,” or, “Every cloud has a silver lining.” I don’t see any wisdom in that advice! Look at that thing: “And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought.” Is that true? They let Hitler alone for ten years. Did it come to nought? It came to twenty-two million casualties!

“Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought.” Well, it will at the White Throne Judgment! It won’t here.

“But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.” They overthrew every Protestant church in China; there isn’t a one of them open. They closed over 800 of them, and they’re gone! They closed over 2,000 in Russia. What does it mean, “You cannot overthrow a work of God”? I know where a work of God had been overthrown many times.

It won’t in eternity. See? I mean, what he’s saying is true, out here, you don’t pass the White Throne Judgment. But for advice right then, that doesn’t come to anything. And they didn’t pay attention to it anyway.

“But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it.” Yeah? Yeah, Constantine overthrew it. Hitler overthrew it. Lenin overthrew it. And the Antichrist will overthrow it. Not permanently, but he’s not talking about permanent anyway.

“And when they had called the apostles, and beaten them.” That isn’t letting them alone. “They commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.” That isn’t refraining from them.

“And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.” Now, that’s the right response to persecution. And God help us to have that response when our time comes. “They departed...rejoicing.” They said, “Bless God! We finally got it in the neck!”

“And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.”