Atos 5

Bede

Atos 5:3

Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart? In another translation, according to the Greek text, it reads: Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart? It should be noted here that no creature can fill the soul and mind of a man according to essence, but only the Creator Trinity. For it is only according to operation and the instinct of the will that the mind is filled with things that are created. Satan indeed fills the mind of someone and the chief part of the heart, not by entering into him and into his senses, and entering the access of the heart (so to speak), since this power is peculiar to divinity alone, but as a cunning, wicked, deceitful, and fraudulent deceiver, dragging the human soul into evil affections through thoughts and the incitements of vices, with which he himself is full. Satan thus filled Ananias's heart, not by entering himself, but by inserting his venom of malice. — Commentary on Acts

Atos 5:4

You have not lied to men but to God. Before, he had said he lied to the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is indeed God, and the error of Macedonius was condemned before it existed. — Commentary on Acts

Atos 5:5

Hearing these words, Ananias fell down and expired. The severe sentence was given to the transgressor not for the sake of profit, but foresaw in spirit the future weeds that would adulterate the Church's simplicity with corrupt morals (from these, the most detestable race of the Sarabaites is said to have sprung, who, not abandoning their possessions, falsely pretend to keep apostolic strictness), he did not allow the culprits to be cured by repentance, but took care to completely uproot the harmful seed to instill fear in future generations. Subsequently it follows: — Commentary on Acts

Atos 5:11

And great fear came upon the whole Church and upon all who heard these things. No one else dared to join them. The punishment of the two who fraudulently sought to join them provided an example to others. — Commentary on Acts

Atos 5:15

So that as Peter came along, at least his shadow might fall on some of them and they would be healed. At that time, Peter visibly raised the sick with the shadow of his body, and even now he does not cease to strengthen the infirmities of the faithful with the invisible shadow of his intercession. And since Peter is the type of the Church, he indeed walks upright himself, but by his shadow accompanying him he raises those that lie down, because the Church, with its mind and love intending towards heavenly things, seemingly runs through the earth shadow-like, and here renews those by temporal sacraments and figures of heavenly things, whom it rewards there with perpetual gifts. Some connect to this place what the Lord said in the Gospel: He who believes in me will do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do (John 14). — Commentary on Acts

Atos 5:17

But the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him, etc. This reading in Greek begins thus, looking back at the previous events: And seeing these things, the high priest rose up. — Retractions on Acts

Atos 5:17

But the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him, which is the sect of the Sadducees, etc. Heresy is called in Greek from election, because each one, having rejected the sayings of others, chose what he thought should be followed. But the Sadducees, who are called just (for they claimed for themselves what they were not, as we read below), entirely denying the resurrection of the body, said that the soul perishes with the flesh. They did not believe there was an angel or any spirit, and accepting only the five books of Moses, rejected the proclamations of the prophets. And therefore these chiefly supported the leaders in persecuting the apostles, being led by zeal, because those with great power and signs of miracles gave testimony to the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord. — Commentary on Acts

Atos 5:19

But the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison by night, etc. So that Thomas might not doubt it was the Lord bearing flesh and bones, whom he had seen entering while the doors were closed, behold, He Himself with his companions, still clothed in mortal flesh, went out through closed doors. — Commentary on Acts

Atos 5:23

We found the prison indeed closed with all diligence, and the guards standing before the doors; but opening it, we found no one inside. Why, profane Jew, are you driven by blind madness, saying that the apostles stole the Lord from the tomb? Say, I ask, do you believe the same apostles were stolen from your closed prison by theft? — Commentary on Acts

Atos 5:24

They were in doubt about what would happen to them. They were not willing to give themselves to faith even in this way. For inborn malice hardens an unfaithful heart even against manifest signs. — Commentary on Acts

Atos 5:24

But when the temple magistrates and the chief priests heard these words, they were perplexed about what was to happen concerning them. And here "magistrate" should be read in singular form, as also in the following passages where it says: Then the magistrate went into the temple with the ministers. For the Greek exemplar has "στρατηγὸς," that is, "praetor," in the singular in both places. It should be noted that this passage has more in Greek, for it is written thus: But when the priests heard these words, as well as the temple magistrate and the chief priests, they were amazed and perplexed about them, wondering what this might mean. — Retractions on Acts

Atos 5:27-28

And the high priest questioned them, saying: Did we not strictly command you, etc. In the Greek it is more consistent: Did we not strictly command you? For it is more fitting for one questioning to speak thus. — Retractions on Acts

Atos 5:28

You want to bring this man's blood upon us. The high priest forgot the obligation he had imprecated on himself and his own, saying: His blood be on us and on our children. — Commentary on Acts

Atos 5:29

We must obey God rather than men. It is read interrogatively in Greek: Should we obey God rather than men? and the Apostles fittingly refuted the foolish and rash questioning of the high priest with a firm and prudent response. — Retractions on Acts

Atos 5:30

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus. In Greek, it has His Child Jesus, according to the psalmist: Give power to your child; save the son of your handmaid (Psalm 85). — Retractions on Acts

Atos 5:32

And we are witnesses of these words, and the Holy Spirit whom God gave to all who obey Him. We are witnesses because we have seen the glory of His resurrection, because we have followed with our eyes as He ascended into the heavens. The Holy Spirit is also a witness, because as we proclaim to you the great works of God with unyielding proclamation, He has strengthened us with His presence, He has formed these words in us as He speaks within us. And this is what the Lord promised them, saying: But when the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness of me, and you will bear witness (John 15), that is, He by inspiring you to speak, and you by providing outward testimony, will bear witness of me. — Retractions on Acts

Atos 5:34

But a certain Pharisee named Gamaliel rose in the council. This Gamaliel, as Clement indicates, was a companion in faith with the apostles, but remaining with the Jews by their counsel, so that he might calm their madness in such a commotion. — Commentary on Acts

Atos 5:34

Then stood up one in the council, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, etc. Of this Gamaliel, we read in the book of Saint Clement, that he was secretly a disciple of the apostles, but by their counsel, he was commanded to remain among the Jews to mitigate their fury where necessity required; but this has been most certainly made known today as a true account through the revelation of the relics of the most blessed protomartyr Stephen, which was made widely known to the Church of Christ through the divine dispensation by the same man. For he appeared in a vision to the holy servant of God and priest Lucian, as the same priest Lucian later wrote to all the Churches; and he taught most sweetly where Saint Stephen was buried, along with Nicodemus, who buried the Lord with Joseph, as well as Gamaliel himself with his son Abibam. — Retractions on Acts

Atos 5:36

For before these days Theudas rose up, etc. This Theudas persuaded many, as Josephus reports, taking their possessions from the city, to occupy the banks of the Jordan. And since he was a magician, he claimed to be a prophet and that he could provide a passage through the divided stream by his command. But a troop of horsemen, by the order of the procurator Fadus, coming upon him, killed many, captured others, and brought his head back to Jerusalem. — Commentary on Acts

Atos 5:37

After him rose up Judas the Galilean. Josephus also writes about this man from the city of Gamala, who, taking up with a certain Pharisee named Sadduc, urged the people not to lose their freedom by paying taxes to the Romans, citing the law that service should be given only to the Lord and that those who brought tithes to the temple should not pay taxes to Caesar. This heresy grew so greatly that it even disturbed the Pharisees and a large part of the people, so that they believed it necessary to ask the Lord Christ whether it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not. — Commentary on Acts

Atos 5:37

After this arose Judas the Galilean in the days of the registration. In Greek, it is written, In the days of ἀπογραφῆς, that is, in the days of the census registration, as we also have interpreted in ecclesiastical history in Latin. — Retractions on Acts

Atos 5:38

And now therefore I say to you: Depart from these men, and leave them alone. In the Greek, it is added: Not defiling your hands. — Retractions on Acts

Atos 5:39

Lest you be found to be fighting against God. For what we have as fighting against God, or, as some have interpreted, opposing God, in Greek one word is used, θεομάχοι. I thought this worth mentioning, so that when we find θεομάχος or θεομαχίαν in histories, we can more surely know the meaning of the term. — Retractions on Acts

Atos 5:39

But if it is from God, you will not be able to destroy them. And in the Greek, more is added here: Neither you, nor your rulers. — Retractions on Acts