This chapter starts with one of the most difficult stories to stomach in the entire New Testament. A married couple pulls some treachery and winds up dead for it. There's so much to comment on and wonder about - I'm not sure where to begin. Why did they do what they did? Why was it punishable by death? How did Peter know Sapphira would die too? Who were the young men who had the job of wrapping up and carrying out dead bodies, and how did they get that gig? What is the significance of the 'great fear' that seized the whole church, and what, if any, are our modern parallels to this great fear?
How wild is it that Peter, he of the denial and subsequent restoration from the end of John's Gospel account, is now so Spirit-filled that his shadow has healing powers?
Finally, as Peter and the other apostles continue to obey God rather than men (v. 17-32), we can see the storm continuing to brew. The leaders of the young church are forcing the hands of those in charge, and the confrontation is coming to a head.
Comment below with your thoughts and impressions on chapter 5, and we'll see you next week for chapter 6.
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