Acts 5 - Acts 5

Acts 5 is the fifth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It records the growth and obstacles in the early church. The book containing this chapter is anonymous but early Christian tradition uniformly affirmed that Luke composed this book as well as the Gospel of Luke.

Text

The original text is written in Koine Greek and is divided into 42 verses. Some most ancient manuscripts containing this chapter are:

• Uncial 0189 (ca. AD 200 M)
• Codex Vaticanus (AD 325-350)
• Codex Sinaiticus (AD 330-360)
• Papyrus 8 (4th century; extant: verses 2-9)
• Papyrus 57 (4th century; extant: verses 1-2, 8-10)
• Codex Bezae (ca. AD 400)
• Codex Alexandrinus (ca. AD 400-440)
• Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (ca. AD 450; extant: verses 35-42)
• Codex Laudianus (ca. AD 550)

Structure

This chapter can be grouped:

• Acts 5:1-11 = Ananias and Sapphira: Lying to the Holy Spirit
• Acts 5:12-16 = Continuing Power in the Church
• Acts 5:17-21 = Imprisoned Apostles Freed
• Acts 5:22-32 = Apostles on Trial Again
• Acts 5:33-42 = Gamaliel’s Advice

Verse 29

But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men."

Verse 34

Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while.

St. Luke had mentioned (Acts 4:1 and Acts 5:7) that there was an influential party of Sadducees in the Sanhedrin. He, therefore, now specially notes that Gamaliel was a Pharisee. There can be no doubt that this alone would rather dispose him to resist the violent counsels of the Sadducean members, and the more so as the doctrine of the Resurrection was in question (see Acts 23:6-8). Moreover, Gamaliel was noted for his moderation. That Gamaliel here named is the same as that of Acts 22:3, at whose feet St. Paul was brought up at Jerusalem, and who is known in the Talmud as Rabban Gamaliel the elder (to distinguish him from his grandson of the same name, the younger), the grandson of Hillel, the head of the school of Hillel, and at some time president of the Sanhedrin, one of the most famous of the Jewish doctors (as the title Rabban, borne by only six others, shows), seems certain, though it cannot absolutely be proved. The description of him as a doctor of the law, had in ho nor of all the people; the allusion to him as a great teacher, learned in the perfect manner of the Law of the fathers, and one whose greatness would be as a shield to his pupils, in Acts 22:3; the exact chronological agreement; the weight he possessed in the Sanhedrin, in spite of the Sadducean tendencies of the high priest and his followers; and the agreement between his character as written in the Talmud and as shown in his speech and in the counsel given in it, seem to place his identity beyond all reasonable doubt.

Verse 42

And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.