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1-2A man named Creator Shows Kindness (Ananias) , along with his wife, Stone of Beauty (Sapphira) , sold some of their land. He, with his wife knowing about it, gave the money to the message bearers. They let them think they had given all , but they secretly held back some for themselves.
3But Stands on the Rock (Peter) said to Creator Shows Kindness (Ananias) , “Why did you let Accuser (Satan) , that evil trickster snake, fill your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit? You have kept back some of the money from the sale of your land for yourself!
4You did not have to sell your land, and even after selling it you still could do whatever you wanted. So why did you try to deceive us? You have lied not only to human beings but to the Great Spirit himself!”
5When Creator Shows Kindness (Ananias) heard this, he fell to the ground and breathed out his last breath. Great fear and awe fell on all who heard what had happened.
6Some of the young men wrapped his body in a blanket, carried him out, and buried him.
7About three hours later the wife of Creator Shows Kindness (Ananias) came in, but she did not know what had happened.
8Stands on the Rock (Peter) asked her, “Was this how much you sold the land for?”
“Yes,” she said, “That is the right amount.”
9Stands on the Rock (Peter) then said to her, “How could both of you agree to put Creator’s Spirit to the test? Look! The ones who buried your husband are coming to do the same for you.”
10Right then she fell down in front of him and breathed her last. The young men came in, and when they saw she had crossed over to death, they carried her away and buried her next to her husband.
11Once again great fear and awe took hold of all in the sacred family and also of all who heard what had happened.
12The message bearers were performing many powerful signs among the people. The people were all gathering together under the entryway at the sacred lodge named after the great chief Stands in Peace (Solomon) .
13The people respected them greatly, but many did not dare to join in with them.
14Even so, the crowds grew, and more and more people put their trust in Creator and his Son.
15The people carried the sick into the village pathways and laid them on their sleeping bundles and mats so that when Stands on the Rock (Peter) walked by, his shadow might fall on them.
16The crowds came from the villages near Village of Peace (Jerusalem) . They brought the sick and the ones tormented by evil spirits—and all of them were healed!
17When the chief holy man and other spiritual leaders of the Upright Ones (Sadducees) heard what was happening, the fire of jealousy burned in their bellies.
18They took hold of the message bearers and put them in the local jail.
19But a spirit-messenger from Creator came in the night and set them free.
20“Go and stand in the sacred lodge,” the spirit-messenger instructed them, “and speak all the words of this new life to the people.”
21They did what they were told and went to the sacred lodge, and just as the sun was rising, they began to teach the people.
When the chief holy man arrived, along with the spiritual leaders, they called together the Grand Council and the elders of the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel) . They sent some lodge soldiers to the local jail to have the message bearers brought before the council.
22When the lodge soldiers arrived at the jail, they could not find the prisoners, so they returned to report to the Grand Council.
23“When we arrived at the jail,” they said to the council, “we found the jail doors locked and guarded. But when we opened the doors, there was no one to be found!”
24The head lodge soldier and the head holy men could not believe their ears! While they were wondering about this,
25a messenger came up to them.
“Look!” the messenger said, “the ones you put in jail are standing in the sacred lodge and teaching the people!”
26The head lodge soldier, along with his soldiers, went to arrest the message bearers again, but not by force, for they were afraid the people might throw stones at them.
27So they took the message bearers to stand before the Grand Council to be questioned by the chief holy man.
28“We clearly instructed you not to speak representing this man’s name or his teaching. Now Village of Peace (Jerusalem) has been filled with your teaching. Do you mean to bring this man’s blood upon our heads by blaming us for his death ?”
29Stands on the Rock (Peter) and the other message bearers answered back, “We must obey the Great Spirit instead of weak human beings.
30The Great Spirit of our ancestors has raised up Creator Sets Free (Jesus) , the one you killed by hanging him on a tree.
31Creator has honored him to the highest place, at his own right hand to be our Chief, the one who will set us free and give us a new path to walk. This is how we, the people of the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel) , will be set free from our bad hearts and broken ways.
32We have seen these things with our own eyes! The Holy Spirit also agrees with these things, the one Creator will give to those who walk in his ways.”
33When the Grand Council heard this, the anger in them burned like a fire—they wanted to kill them.
34But then, Creator Has Honored (Gamaliel) stood up to speak. He was a highly respected council member, a Separated One (Pharisee) and a teacher of tribal law. He instructed them to remove the message bearers outside for a while.
35Then he said to the council, “You men of the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel) , think carefully about what you plan to do with these men.
36Remember when Flows with Water (Theudas) made himself out to be a great one, with a following of four hundred men? He was killed, and all his followers were scattered and came to nothing.
37After him, Speaks Well Of (Judas) from Circle of Nations (Galilee) rose up during the days of the census. He also had many follow him, but he was also killed and his followers scattered.
38“My counsel to you is to let these men go and trouble them no longer. If what they do is a weak human idea, then it will come to nothing.
39But if Creator is with them, you will not be able to stand against them, and you may find yourselves fighting the Great Spirit!”
The Grand Council listened to his wisdom.
40They brought the message bearers back in, beat them with a whip, and instructed them to speak no longer in the name of Creator Sets Free (Jesus) or represent his teachings .
41So the message bearers left the Grand Council. Their hearts were glad that they had been considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the reputation of Creator Sets Free (Jesus) .
42Day by day, in the sacred lodge and from house to house, they kept telling the good story about Creator Sets Free (Jesus) and showing the truth that he is the Chosen One.