od Biblica1Aj istý muž zvaný Ananiáš predal svoj pozemok.2Ale so svojou manželkou Zafirou sa dohodol, že časť utŕžených peňazí si ponechajú pre seba a zvyšok donesú apoštolom.3Peter mu však povedal: „Ananiáš, to satan ťa naviedol na tento podvod. Ak tvrdíš, že to sú všetky peniaze, čo si dostal, klameš nie nás, ale samého Svätého Ducha.4Nik ťa predsa nenútil predať pole. A keď si ho už predal, peniaze si si mohol pokojne nechať. Nik by ti nebol nič vyčítal. Ako si sa len mohol odhodlať na také čosi? Neoklamal si nás, ale samého Boha!“5Keď to Ananiáš počul, zrútil sa a na mieste bol mŕtvy. Všetci, čo to počuli, sa zdesili.6Mladší z mužov ho prikryli plachtou, vyniesli a pochovali.7Asi o tri hodiny prišla jeho žena Zafira, ktorá netušila, čo sa stalo.8Peter sa jej spýtal: „Počuj, Zafira, za toľko a toľko ste predali pole?“ Odpovedala: „Áno, presne za toľko.“9Peter namietol: „Ako ste sa len mohli dohodnúť a pokúšať Božieho Ducha. Pozri, práve sa vracajú tí, čo pochovali tvojho muža. Ten istý údel stihne aj teba.“10A Zafira padla Petrovi k nohám a umrela. Keď mládenci vošli dnu, našli ju už mŕtvu. Odniesli ju a pochovali k jej mužovi.11Táto správa sa ihneď rozletela po meste a všetkých, veriacich aj ostatných, čo to počuli, zachvátila veľká hrôza.
Boh sa priznáva k svojej cirkvi
12Apoštoli sa pravidelne schádzali v Šalamúnovom stĺporadí v chráme a konali veľké divy a zázraky.13Ostatní sa neodvážili k nim pripojiť, ale všetci o nich hovorili s veľkou úctou.14Pribúdalo čoraz viac mužov a žien, ktorí uverili v Pána.15Došlo to tak ďaleko, že ľudia vynášali na ulice chorých na rohožiach a nosidlách, aby na nich mohol padnúť aspoň Petrov tieň, keď bude prechádzať okolo.16Ba mnohí prichádzali do Jeruzalema aj zo širšieho okolia a prinášali svojich chorých a posadnutých zlými duchmi. A všetci boli uzdravení.
Apoštoli znova vo väzení
17Pribúdanie veriacich vyvolalo veľkú žiarlivosť a strach vo veľkňazovi a jeho prívržencoch – saducejoch. (Tí totiž učili, že sa nijaké zázraky, a najmä vzkriesenie z mŕtvych, nedejú.)18A tak dali apoštolov znova zatknúť, tentoraz do mestského väzenia.19Ale anjel otvoril v noci dvere žalára, vyviedol apoštolov von a povzbudil ich:20„Nebojte sa, choďte naspäť do chrámu a hovorte všetkým, ako môžu získať nový život v Kristu.“21Poslúchli ho a už na svitaní boli v chráme a učili. Medzitým veľkňaz a jeho stúpenci zvolali zasadnutie rady a kázali predvolať apoštolov.22Ale keď strážcovia došli do väzenia, našli ho prázdne. Vrátili sa23a ohlásili: „Dvere žalára sú zamknuté aj dobre strážené, ale keď sme odomkli, nikoho sme vnútri nenašli.“24Veliteľ chrámovej stráže aj veľkňazi boli celkom zmätení. Nijako si to nevedeli vysvetliť.25Ale vtom ktosi pribehol a oznámil: „Tí muži, ktorých ste včera uväznili, sú zasa v chráme a pokojne vyučujú ľudí.“26Veliteľ ta ihneď utekal aj so strážcami, ale nezmocnili sa ich násilne, lebo sa báli, že ich ľud ukameňuje. Apoštoli sa dobrovoľne dali predviesť pred židovskú radu.27Veľkňaz ich obvinil:28„Predsa sme vám prísne zakázali hovoriť o Ježišovi. A pritom celý Jeruzalem o ničom inom nehovorí ako o ňom. A navyše na nás zvaľujete zodpovednosť za jeho smrť!“29Peter odpovedal aj v mene ostatných apoštolov: „Boha predsa musíme poslúchať väčšmi ako ľudí!30To Boh našich praotcov vzkriesil z mŕtvych Ježiša, ktorého ste vy potupne pribili na kríž a usmrtili.31Ale jemu Boh zveril veľkú úlohu Mesiáša a Vysloboditeľa, aby svoj izraelský ľud zmenil od základu a odpustil mu hriechy.32A my sme toho svedkami a takisto Duch Svätý, ktorého Boh dá každému, kto ho poslúcha.“
Čo je z ľudí – zanikne, čo je z Boha – pretrvá
33Tieto slová rozzúrili všetkých v rade a chceli ich zabiť.34No tu sa o slovo prihlásil známy farizej zvaný Gamaliel, učiteľ Zákona a človek veľmi vážený medzi ľuďmi. Dal pokyn, aby obžalovaných na chvíľku odviedli,35a potom povedal: „Izraeliti, dobre si rozmyslite, čo urobíte s týmito ľuďmi.36Spomínate si na rozruch okolo Teuda? Robil zo seba veľkú osobnosť a podarilo sa mu zhromaždiť okolo seba štyristo ľudí. Ale keď ho zabili, jeho stúpenci sa rozpŕchli a všetko zaniklo.37Alebo si spomeňte na povstanie Júdu Galilejského za sčítania ľudu. Aj on zahynul a jeho prívrženci boli rozprášení.38A tak vám radím: „Nechajte týchto ľudí na pokoji. Ak je to zasa len nejaké ľudské hnutie, čoskoro sa samo rozpadne.39Ale ak za ním stojí Boh, nič proti nemu nezmôžete a vlastne by ste bojovali proti samému Bohu.“40Poslúchli jeho radu. Predviedli apoštolov, dali ich zbičovať a znova im prísne zakázali hovoriť o Ježišovi. Potom ich prepustili.41Apoštoli šli zo súdu a radovali sa, že smeli trpieť pre Pána Ježiša.42Nezastrašilo ich to, ale každý deň ďalej učili aj v chráme, aj po domoch a šírili radostnú zvesť o tom, že Ježiš je dlho očakávaný Mesiáš.
1But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,2and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. (Sk 4,35; Sk 4,37; Sk 5,3)3But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? (Lk 22,3; Jn 13,2; Jn 13,27; Sk 5,2; Sk 5,4; Sk 5,9)4While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” (Sk 5,3; Sk 5,9)5When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. (Ez 11,13; Sk 5,11)6The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. (Ez 29,5; Jn 19,40; Sk 8,2)7After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.8And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you[1] sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.”9But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” (Sk 5,3; Sk 15,10; 1 Kor 10,9)10Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.11And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. (Sk 5,5)
Many Signs and Wonders Done
12Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. (Mk 16,20; Jn 10,23; Sk 1,14; Sk 2,43; Sk 3,11; Sk 4,30; Sk 14,3; Sk 19,11; Rim 15,19; 2 Kor 12,12; Hebr 2,4)13None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. (Sk 2,47; Sk 4,21; Sk 5,26)14And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, (Sk 6,1)15so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. (2 Kr 4,29; Mt 14,36; Mk 6,55; Sk 19,12)16The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed. (Mk 16,17)
The Apostles Arrested and Freed
17But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy (Mt 22,23; Sk 7,9; Sk 13,45; Sk 17,5; Jak 3,14; Jak 3,16)18they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. (Lk 21,12)19But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, (Sk 8,26; Sk 12,10; Sk 16,26)20“Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” (Jn 6,63; Jn 6,68; Sk 3,15; Sk 11,18; Sk 13,46; Sk 22,4; Sk 28,28; Flp 2,16)21And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach. Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. (Jn 8,2; Sk 5,25; Sk 5,42)22But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported,23“We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.”24Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. (Sk 4,1; Sk 5,26)25And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” (Sk 5,21)26Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. (Sk 4,21; Sk 5,13; Sk 5,24)27And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them,28saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” (Mt 27,25; Sk 2,23; Sk 2,36; Sk 3,15; Sk 4,10; Sk 4,18; Sk 7,52)29But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. (Sk 4,19)30The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. (Lk 24,20; Sk 2,24; Sk 3,13; Sk 10,39; Sk 13,29; Gal 3,13; 1 Pt 2,24)31God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. (Lk 2,11; Lk 5,32; Lk 24,47; Sk 2,33; Sk 3,15; Sk 11,18; Rim 2,4; 2 Tim 2,25)32And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” (Lk 24,48; Jn 15,26; Sk 2,4; Sk 15,28; Hebr 2,4; 1 Jn 5,7)33When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. (Sk 2,37; Sk 7,54)34But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. (Lk 5,17; Sk 22,3)35And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men.36For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. (Sk 8,9; Sk 21,38; Gal 2,6; Gal 6,3)37After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. (Lk 2,2)38So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; (Nár 3,37)39but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, (2 Krn 13,12; Prís 21,30; Iz 8,9; Nah 1,9; Sk 11,17)40and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. (Mk 13,9; Lk 23,16; Sk 4,18; Sk 22,19)41Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. (Lv 24,11; Lv 24,16; Mt 5,12; Jn 15,21; Sk 9,16; Sk 21,13; Rim 1,5; Flp 2,9; 1 Pt 4,13; 1 Pt 4,16; 3 Jn 1,7)42And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus. (Sk 2,46; Sk 8,35; Sk 11,20; Sk 17,18; Sk 18,5)