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Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Wiersbe says "We must face the fact that Satan is a clever foe. If he does not succeed as the "devouring lion" (1 Peter 5:8+), then he attacks again as the "deceiving serpent" or an "angel of light" (2 Cor. 11:3, 13-14). Satan is both a murderer and a liar (John 8:44), and the church must be prepared for both attacks. (Wiersbe Commentary on Acts) But (de) - This striking term of contrast begs the question, what is Luke contrasting? To answer this question we are almost always forced to examine the preceding context (context is king for accurate interpretation). In this case we find Luke's description of Barnabas is the relevant context... Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement), 37 and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet. (Acts 4:36-37). So the clear and dramatic contrast is between two men who are "polar opposites," the positive example of Barnabas (Son of Encouragement) and the negative example of Ananias (Jehovah is Gracious). Barnabas lived up to his name, while Ananias did not live up to his name and died as a result! Barnabas is an example of sharing of the saints and Ananias and Sapphira an example of the sins of the saints. We see a stark contrast between a man filled with the Holy Spirit (Barnabas) and a couple filled with the unholy spirit. This deceptive duo desired the praise accorded Barnabas but were unwilling to pay the price he paid. Barnabas was guided by his generous spirit, while A&S were guided by selfish motives. Robertson suggests a reason for the actions of Ananias and Sapphira - The praise of Joseph was too much for Ananias, but he was not willing to turn over all. He wanted praise for giving all and yet he took care of himself by keeping some. Thus he started the Ananias Club that gave a new meaning to his lovely name (God is gracious). (Word Pictures in the New Testament) A man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira - Names in Scripture often convey something about the character of the person, but in this case, the names fail to do so. As noted Ananias means "Jehovah is Gracious" or "The Lord has favored" (cf Hebrew - ; In the Septugaint "Ananias" translates chananyah = "Lord is gracious" and also Ananiah [Neh 8:4] = "Lord protects"). Sapphira means beautiful. Perhaps to others Ananias appeared gracious and generous, but he would soon find out that God was holy! And Sapphira may have been beautiful on the exterior, but not on the interior for she was ugly with sin. Their names were "too good" for them!
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Wiersbe - Daniel Defoe called pride "the first peer and president of hell." Indeed, it was pride that transformed Lucifer into Satan (Isa. 14:12-15+), and it was pride ("Ye shall be as God!") that caused our first parents to sin (Gen. 3:1-4+). Pride opens the door to every other sin, for once we are more concerned with our reputation than our character, there is no end to the things we will do just to make ourselves "look good" before others. (Wiersbe Commentary on Acts) And kept back some of the price for himself - This would have been no problem had they not pretended to give the entire sum from the sale. But when they pretended to give the apostles the total selling price, they proved themselves to be hypocrites who were boasting in their gift, even though they had deceptively withheld some of the sale proceeds. So A&S were not just lying and deceiving but were in effect robbing from God! Ananias and Sapphira clearly did not know (or did not heed) the OT teachings on giving, for Solomon was very clear when he stated The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination (Heb = toebah; Lxx = bdelugma) to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight. (Pr 15:8). Comment - The word bdelugma gives us vivid picture of God's "opinion" regarding the offerings of the wicked. Bdelugma is derived from bdelusso which means to emit a foul odor, or to turn away from someone on account of the "stench". It describes a divine loathing or disgust. The root word is bdeo which means to stink. In sum, sacrifices like that of Ananias and Sapphira were foul, and were extremely disgusting and abhorrent to God! This is strong language but it shows what God thinks of the horrible sin of hypocrisy! Kept back (3557)(nosphizo from nósphi = apart, separated) means to set apart or separate for oneself. In Titus 2:10 it conveys the idea is stealing in small quantities or practicing petty theft. Nosphizo means to keep back or misappropriate something for one's self that which should or does belong to someone else. Nosphizo was found in secular Greek writings in reference to embezzlement of public treasures. It speaks of secretly appropriating and setting apart for one’s self the property of another. In this case, this couple pretended to give it all to God and His needy people, but it was a lie. This verb is very interesting and while only used 3 times in the NT (Acts 5:2,3, Titus 2:10+) it is used one time in the Septuagint. In Joshua 7:1 we read But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the things under the ban (a vow or pledge under which property or persons devoted to pagan worship were destroyed), for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the things (Lxx = nosphizo) under the ban, therefore the anger of the LORD burned against the sons of Israel. Comment - So just as Ananias and Sapphira had made a vow to give all of the sales proceeds to God, they, like Achan, broke their vow. And nothing like SIN IN THE CAMP (of CONGREGATION) will sap spiritual power from God's congregated people, be it an army like Joshua or an "army" like the Church! Little wonder the church in American lacks spiritual power in a society gone bonkers! Keep in mind that Israel had just crossed into the promised land and defeated Jericho, which suggested they would easily conquer the pagan tribes in the land God had promised they would possess. And so just as the birth of the Church in Acts marked God's doing a "new thing," the nation of Israel also was beginning anew (after 40 years of wilderness wandering), but sin crept into Israel through the covetousness of one man named Achan. And what was the impact of this one man's sin on the entire nation? It resulted in a devastating, unexpected defeat for Israel So about three thousand men from the people went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai. 5 The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of their men, and pursued them from the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them down on the descent, so the hearts of the people melted and became as water. (Joshua 7:4-5) (Read the full story in Joshua 7:10-26) F F Bruce - “The story of Ananias is to the Book of Acts what the story of Achan is to the book of Joshua. In both narratives an act of deceit interrupts the victorious progress of the people of God.” The sin of one man affected the power of the entire nation. Satan (although his name is not mentioned in Joshua 7, the event has all the earmarks of his handiwork) had used the covetousness of one man (Achan) to bring about defeat of the entire nation. Similarly here in Acts 5 Satan sought to do the same with this infant church. But this time God's Spirit thwarted Satan's attempts to corrupt the Body of Christ and also to give a strong warning to any who might be tempted to carry out a similar deception. Related Resources: Who was Achan in the Bible? Why did God judge the sin of Achan so severely? With his wife's full knowledge - Literally "his wife also knowing it together with him." She was complicit. They were partners in this deception. They desire the praise of men for their generosity, without actually being remarkably generous. We call that hypocrisy. Horton sadly nails us all (at least from time to time) with his comment that "“Once the love of money takes possession of a person, there is no evil that he cannot or will not do.” (BORROW Acts Commentary) I agree with F F Bruce who suggests "There may indeed be the further implication that Ananias and Sapphira had vowed to give the whole proceeds of the sale to God, but then changed their mind and handed over only part.” And bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles' feet - The early church brought their gifts and laid them at the apostles' feet (Acts 4:35, 36, 5:2). This is interesting because presumably this would be done in front of the other believers and would be noticed by them. Today giving is done less publicly and many pastors have no idea who gives what or how much (which I think is a great practice). Portion is meros which has the basic meaning of a part in contrast to the whole. In mathematics meros describes fractions (they gave a "faction" of the proceeds). Meros describes the prodigal son who said to his father "Father give me the share (meros) of the estate that falls to me." (Lk 15:12) In Lk 24:42 the disciples gave the resurrected Jesus "a piece of broiled fish." Acts 5:3 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? KJV Acts 5:3 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? why has Satan filled your heart Ge 3:13-17; 1 Kings 22:21,22; 1 Chr 21:1-3; Mt 4:3-11; 13:19; Luke 22:3; John 13:2,27; Eph 6:11-16; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8; Rev 12:9-11 to lie to the Holy Spirit. Acts 5:9; Job 22:13; Ps 94:7-9; Isa 29:15; Jer 23:24; Hosea 11:12 to keep back some of the price of the land Nu 30:2; Dt 23:21; Pr 20:25; Eccl 5:4; Ro 2:21,22 Acts 5 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries FILLED WITH AN EVIL SPIRIT Satan is a great counterfeiter and here seeks to contaminate and corrupt the church by causing Ananias to pretend to give the entire sum from the sale of their property. Satan was behind the hypocritical action and words (lies) of A&S. This results in a most dramatic contrast between Ananias and Barnabas, Son of Encouragement, who Luke later describes as "a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord." (Acts 11:24) One man controlled by the Holy Spirit and the other man controlled by the unholy spirit. One might question whether Ananias and Sapphira were genuine believers, but most commentators agree that they were indeed born again (see comment below by MacArthur). How can a couple whose bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (cf Ro 8:9-11; 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19), make room for an evil spirit? John writes "You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He Who is in you (THE SPIRIT OF JESUS CHRIST) than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4) So while I believe that Scripture does not support the premise that a true believer can be possessed by a demon, it is clear from this passage in Acts that a believer can be controlled by a demonic spirit. I believe that this occurred with Ananias and Sapphira. They became jealous or envious of Barnabas, but they did not want to give all their money to God. In order to "look good" before the saints they pretended to give all their money to God. They may have even initially vowed to give all the proceeds from their sale to God. We cannot be certain of what went on in their mind. MacArthur on whether A&S were genuine believers (I agree with MacArthur) - It is best to see them as genuine Christians for several reasons. First, they were included in the "congregation of those who believed" in Acts 4:32. Second, they were involved with the Holy Spirit, thus indicating a relationship to Him. Third, if they were not Christians, what lesson about sin did this give to teach all the rest who were true believers? Fourth, Satan can become personally involved with believers (cf. Mt. 16:21-23; Eph 6:12; 1 Pe 5:8-9). Finally, death can be divine chastening for a believer (1 Cor 11:30-32; 1 Jn 5:16). (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Acts)
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Wiersbe - It is easy for us to condemn Ananias and Sapphira for their dishonesty, but we need to examine our own lives to see if our profession is backed up by our practice. Do we really mean everything we pray about in public? Do we sing the hymns and Gospel songs sincerely or routinely? "These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me" (Matt. 15:8, NIV). If God killed "religious deceivers" today, how many church members would be left? (Wiersbe Commentary on Acts in Pdf ).
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Wiersbe - If we are lying to the Spirit (Acts 5:3), grieving the Spirit (Eph. 4:30) or quenching the Spirit (1 Th 5:19), He will not assist us; but if we are walking in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16), He will not fail us. (Wiersbe Commentary on Acts in Pdf) Life Application Bible Commentary - The church has always attracted people with impure motives: hucksters who want to profit financially from religion, power mongers seeking control, the self-centered who want to be pampered and cared for, and glory seekers who want to be noticed and affirmed for their "holy" acts. Steven
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Wiersbe - We must keep in mind that their sin was not in robbing God of money but in lying to Him and robbing Him of glory. They were not required to sell the property; and, having sold it, they were not required to give any of the money to the church (Acts 5:4). Their lust for recognition conceived sin in their hearts (Acts 5:4, 9), and that sin eventually produced death (James 1:15). (Wiersbe Commentary on Acts) James warned us... Let no one say (present imperative) when he is tempted (peirazo), “I am being tempted (peirazo) by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt (peirazo) anyone. 14 But each one is tempted (peirazo) when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust (epithumia). 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived (planao in the present imperative with a negative - the only way to successfully obey this command continually is to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit - Eph 5:18+, cf Gal 5:16-17+), my beloved brethren. (James 1:13-16+) Comment - A&S failed to heed this warning, were deceived and died just like the passage predicts! Acts 5:10 And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. KJV Acts 5:10 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. NET Acts 5:10 At once she collapsed at his feet and died. So when the young men came in, they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Acts 5 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Immediately marks Sapphira's death as supernatural. God's judgment is swift and sure! Immediately (at once) (3916)(parachrema from pará = at, and chrḗma = something useful or needed) means suddenly, immediately, at the very moment, on the spot, forthwith, directly after something else has taken place. Note how most of the uses are in the context of a miraculous event and emphasize the absence of delay in the performance of the miracle. She fell at his feet and breathed her last - She did not put any money at Peter's feet, but just her body! Breathed his last (1634)(see discussion of ekpsucho)
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Wiersbe observes that hear we see "the age-old conflict between living truth and dead tradition. The new wine could not be put into the old wineskins nor could the new cloth be sewn on the worn-out garments (Mt 9:14-17). The English martyr Hugh Latimer said, "Whenever you see persecution, there is more than a probability that truth is on the persecuted side."" (Wiersbe Commentary on Acts) And put them in a public jail - The apostles apparently give no resistance to the arrest. And given their popularity with the people at this time, they could have organized a protest, but they did not. And keep in mind that they are going before the very ones who had Jesus crucified, so this is not with some life and death implications! This time it is not just Peter and John who are arrested and put in jail, but all 12 apostles. One wonders if they harmonized hymns in jail like Paul and Silas in the jail at Philippi (Acts 16:25+)? The arrest with the whole crowd looking on. Think about this for a moment -- what would be the effect of this arrest on the disciples looking on? Fear? Intimidation? Hesitancy about sharing the Gospel? We cannot state with certainty because the text does not say, but when the crowd saw them the next day preaching again they were surely emboldened by the apostle's Spirit enabled bold persistence in proclaiming the Gospel! Public (1219)(demosios from demos = people) can function as an adjective (public) or an adverb (publicly). The word means belonging to the public or for public use. Demosios is used as an adverb in Acts 16:37; 18:28; 20:20 meaning in a public place. There are no uses in the Septuagint. Jail (5084)(teresis from tereo = to keep) means the action of watching or holding in custody by metonymy prison, jail (Acts 4.3, 5:18); figuratively, of commandments and precepts, keeping them with obedience or observance ( 1 Co 7.19). Life Application Commentary - DANGER! TROUBLE AHEAD! The apostles experienced power to do miracles, great boldness in preaching, and God's presence in their lives, yet they were not free from hatred and persecution. They were arrested, put in jail, beaten, and slandered by community leaders. Faith in God does not make troubles disappear; it makes troubles appear less frightening because it puts them in the right perspective. Don't expect everyone to react favorably when you share something as dynamic as your faith in Christ. Some will be jealous, afraid, or threatened. Expect some negative reactions, and remember that you must be more concerned about serving God than about the reactions of people (see Acts 5:29). (Life Application Bible Commentary – Acts) Acts 5:19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said, KJV Acts 5:19 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Acts 12:7-11; 16:26; Ps 34:7; 105:17-20; 146:7; Isa 61:1 Acts 5 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries DIVINE DELIVERANCE BY AN ANGEL This is the first of 3 supernatural prison escapes in the book of Acts - Peter in Acts 12:6-10; Paul and Silas in Acts 16:26-27 But - Term of contrast. What is Luke contrasting? In one moment by the hands of men, but out the next moment by the hand of God through His messenger an angel. In this passage we see "Divine Deliverance" number one. But Satan prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he might devour, so he is not about to give up his attempts to destroy the apostles. And so later in this chapter we see them jailed a second time. But while here in Acts 5:19 God uses a divine messenger to deliver this chosen men, in Acts 5:34-39+ He raises up a human messenger to deliver the disciples in "Divine Deliverance" number two. During the night an angel of the Lord - During the night indicates the apostles did not even have to spend the night in jail! Presumably they went home and got a good night's rest in preparation for their early morning preaching in the Temple! The phrase angel of the Lord is found in both the Old and the New Testaments. In the OT, the angel of the Lord usually refers to a Theophany, specifically probably a Christophany, or appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ. Luke uses the phrase angel of the Lord 6 times (more than any other NT writer) (Lk. 1:11; Lk. 2:9; Acts 5:19; Acts 8:26; Acts 12:7; Acts 12:23). All of Luke's uses (with one possible exception) refer to a created angel, a divine spirit sent as the Lord's messenger. The one possible exception is in Acts 8:26 where the phrase "angel of the Lord" is in parallel with "the Spirit" in Acts 8:29. Don't you love the irony here! The Sadducees did not believe angels (Acts 23:8), and yet here Luke describes an angel freeing the apostles from prison! God's Spirit has a sense of humor! Since angel can mean messenger some commentators (probably those who do not accept the supernatural) interpret this as a human messenger carrying out some kind of inside job! That takes more faith to believe than the truth, because the guards in this day were fearful of losing their life if they lost a prisoner. An inside job would be virtually impossible! Larkin notes that the Sadducees "who believed all history was the result of human decisions...were in for a surprise." (IVP Commentary-Acts) Have you ever been surprised by an angelic deliverance? I have but the story is too long to tell here -- ask me when we are all in glory and perhaps God will allow me to tell this God glorifying supernatural story. Remember beloved the words of David who wrote that "The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues (Lxx = rhuomai = Draw or snatch to oneself, invariably from danger, evil or an enemy) them." (Ps 34:7) Paul Apple - God holds the keys to whatever prison may be giving you problems, may be enslaving you, may be persecuting you; He has angels sufficient to minister grace and deliverance to you – whatever the depth of your dungeon Angel (32)(aggelos/angelos) literally means a messenger (one who bears a message - Lk 1:11, 2:9, etc or does an errand). Most of the NT uses refer to heavenly angels (messengers) who are supernatural, transcendent beings with power to carry out various tasks. One exception is Acts 7:30, 35, 38 where "angel" is a reference to the Angel of the LORD. All uses of aggelos that refer to angels are masculine gender (the feminine form of aggelos does not occur.) Acts 5:19 is an excellent illustration of Hebrews 1:14+ where the writer asks "Are they (ANGELS) not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?" The word "ministering" is leitourgikos which in Classic Greek referred especially to those who performed public duties or works of public use (public servants). The angels are literally "spirits for serving" and we see them doing so repeatedly in Acts (Acts 8:26; 10:3, 7, 22; 11:13, 12:7-11, 23; 27:23). Related Resources: Angel of the LORD What does the Bible say about angels? Are angels male or female? What are the different types of angels? Do we have guardian angels? What do angels look like? When did God create the angels? Do angels have wings? Do angels sing? Do angels have free will? What are the names of angels in the Bible?
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Wiersbe - As the "Pioneer of life," Jesus saves us and leads us into exciting experiences as we walk "in newness of life" (Rom. 6:4). There are always new trails to blaze. Hebrews 2:10 calls Him "the Pioneer [captain] of their salvation," for our salvation experience must never become static. The Christian life is not a parking lot; it is a launching pad! It is not enough just to be born again; we must also grow spiritually (2 Peter 3:18) and make progress in our walk. In Hebrews 12:2, Jesus is called "the Pioneer [author]... of our faith," which suggests that He leads us into new experiences that test our faith and help it to grow. One of the major themes of Hebrews is "let us press on to maturity" (Heb. 6:1), and we cannot mature unless we follow Christ, the Pioneer, into new areas of faith and ministry. (Wiersbe Commentary on Acts)
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Wiersbe - D.L. Moody was fearless in his witness for Christ and sought to speak about spiritual matters to at least one soul each day. "How does your soul prosper today?" he would ask; or, "Do you love the Lord? Do you belong to Christ?" Some were offended by his blunt manner, but not a few were led to Christ then and there. "The more we use the means and opportunities we have," he said, "the more will our ability and our opportunities be increased." He also said, "I live for souls and for eternity; I want to win some soul to Christ." He was not satisfied only to address great crowds; he also felt constrained to speak to people personally and urge them to trust Jesus Christ. (Wiersbe Commentary on Acts) In the temple (hieros) - Don't miss the fact that they are boldly witnessing about Jesus in the very center of Jewish religion! The Temple complex, probably Solomon's portico (picture of Portico) and the surrounding grounds as this area allowed for large crowds. (See this diagram of the Temple grounds - note the right side of the picture faces East and that is the location of Solomon's Portico on the diagram.) As an aside, this is the last time Luke mentions ministry in the Temple. Their horizons would soon expand in Acts 8:1+ in accord with Jesus' charge to be His witnesses "in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8+). In Solomon's portico - The Portico of Solomon consisted of a set of magnificent pillars supporting a roof and open on the inner side facing the center of the temple complex. (picture of Portico) The Temple grounds adjacent to the Portico of Solomon would have been approximately 4 football fields in size which could have easily provided room for several thousand people. And from house to house (cf Acts 2:46) - "So once again Satan outwitted himself." (William MacDonald) Perhaps this is going from one house church to another, but it does not exclude that they were going from one Jewish house to another! The apostles were blanketing the city. This reminds me of "cold turkey" evangelism. Have you ever gone door to door in a neighborhood to share the Gospel? The Mormons do it for a lie (for up to 2 years), and most Christians never do it for the truth! But not these apostles. They were men on mission! Some commentators feel the phrase house to house describes "house churches" scattered throughout the city and that is certainly a possibility. While they could meet in the Temple, it would be more practical to follow up the Temple meetings and "do life" with the brethren in smaller, more intimate settings. AN ANCIENT STRATEGY - The apostles taught from house to house. Home Bible studies are not new. As the believers needed to grow in their new faith, home Bible studies met their needs while introducing new people to the Christian faith. During later times of persecution, meeting in homes became the primary method of passing on Bible knowledge. Christians throughout the world still use this approach when under persecution. Meet regularly in a small group with other believers. (Life Application Bible Commentary – Acts) They kept right on teaching and preaching (evangelizing about) Jesus as the Christ - They are teaching and preaching a Person, Jesus the Christ (cf Acts 8:35, Acts 11:20, Acts 17:18, 1 Cor 2:2, 2 Cor 4:5). Both these verbs (teaching and preaching) are in the present tense picturing these activities as their habitual practice, their lifestyle, if you will. How were they able to do this? The short answer is THEY weren't able! It was not them but it was the One in them, the Spirit Who was continually giving them the desire and the power to teach and preach the Good News that Jesus was the Messiah (cf Jn 16:14)! So when you begin going from house to house, do not attempt this as some legalistic endeavor but first pray and yield to the Holy Spirit Who will empower you for the task, even going before you to prepare hearts and then taking the Gospel Words you speak to convict hearts, regenerating those who receive the Gospel of their salvation. Wiersbe on teaching and preaching - Proclamation (Ed: evangelizing) must be balanced with instruction (see Acts 2:42) so that the sinners know what to believe and the new converts understand why they believed. The message cannot produce fruit unless the person understands it and can make an intelligent decision (Matt. 13:18-23). Believers cannot grow unless they are taught the Word of God (1 Peter 2:1-3). (Wiersbe Commentary on Acts) It is worth noting that the very last verse in the book of Acts echoes the truth in Acts 5:42 And he (PAUL) stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, 31 preaching (kerusso - present tense) the kingdom of God (THE GOSPEL) and teaching (present tense) concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness (parrhesia = BOLDNESS), unhindered. (Acts 28:30, 31) Comment - Clearly Paul was a Spirit filled man to the very end of his race! He was filled with the Spirit and thus filled with boldness to continually proclaim the Gospel. A good pattern for all of us saints nearing the end of our race. What do we have to lose? Maybe a little "face" with those who hate Jesus, but what difference should that make given that we shall soon be standing forever in His glorious presence!!! Teaching (1321)(didasko) in the present tense means the apostles were continually teaching in such a way that the will of the hearers might become conformed to the Gospel they taught. They were doing exactly what the Sanhedrin had ordered them not to do! In Acts 5:28 the Sanhedrin reminded the apostles "We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this Name." Preaching (the Gospel, good news)(2097)(euaggelizo/euangelizo from eu = good, well + aggéllo = proclaim, tell; English = evangelize) means to announce good news concerning something. Euaggelizo in its original sense could be used to refer to a declaration of any kind of good news, but in the NT it refers especially to the glad tidings of the coming kingdom of God and of salvation obtained through Jesus Christ's death, burial and resurrection. Most of NT uses of euaggelizo are translated "preach" or "preach the gospel," whichever fits more smoothly into the context. It is surprising that this is Luke's first use of this great verb in the book of Acts. Here are all of Luke's uses of euaggelizo - Matt. 11:5; Lk. 1:19; Lk. 2:10; Lk. 3:18; Lk. 4:18; Lk. 4:43; Lk. 7:22; Lk. 8:1; Lk. 9:6; Lk. 16:16; Lk. 20:1; Acts 5:42; Acts 8:4; Acts 8:12; Acts 8:25; Acts 8:35; Acts 8:40; Acts 10:36; Acts 11:20; Acts 13:32; Acts 14:7; Acts 14:15; Acts 14:21; Acts 15:35; Acts 16:10; Acts 17:18; Jesus (Iesous) as the Christ - Or "as the Messiah." The word Christos is translated Christ (both mean the "Anointed One"), but was obviously a synonym for Messiah. And especially in a Jewish context (the early church composed of Jews and in a Jewish city) would signify that they were teaching and preaching that Jesus was the Messiah that the Jews had been taught about and for Whom they had been waiting. He had arrived and which most of the nation missed Him when He was present on earth, now in the early days of the church thousands of Jews had come to a knowledge that Jesus was the Messiah and that He had come to save them from their sins, not from the Romans. In light of this truth, it is not surprising that some versions like the NLT and the HCSB render this verse as "Jesus is the Messiah."