Acts 5 — Clausal Layout (Greek)

independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecontentconditionaldashed = verbless / suspended

Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)

The judgment of Ananias and Sapphira 5:1–11

vv. 1–2 — the sale and the secret withholding

Ἀνὴρ δέ τις Ἁνανίας ὀνόματι σὺν Σαπφείρῃ τῇ γυναικὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπώλησεν κτῆμαindependent — δέ against Barnabas (4:36–37) — the counterfeit of the same gesture; husband and wife introduced together

καὶ ἐνοσφίσατο ἀπὸ τῆς τιμῆς,independent — ἐνοσφίσατο — the verb of Achan's sin (Josh 7:1 LXX), a deliberate echo

συνειδυίης καὶ τῆς γυναικός,participial — genitive absolute — Sapphira's complicity flagged in advance

καὶ ἐνέγκας μέρος τιparticipial — preposed participle — μέρος τι, the incompleteness of the gift; leans on ἔθηκεν

παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τῶν ἀποστόλων ἔθηκεν.independent — the gesture of 4:35, 37 performed as theater

vv. 3–6 — Peter's interrogation and the first death

εἶπεν δὲ ὁ Πέτρος·independent — the speech-frame — no inquiry precedes; the knowledge is prophetic

Ἁνανία, διατί ἐπλήρωσεν ὁ Σατανᾶς τὴν καρδίαν σουcontent — πληρόω of Satan (cf. Luke 22:3) — the dark filling, against the Spirit-filling of 4:31

ψεύσασθαί σε τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιονpurpose — infinitive of result — the lie's true addressee named first

καὶ νοσφίσασθαι ἀπὸ τῆς τιμῆς τοῦ χωρίου;purpose — the verb of v. 2 repeated — act and verdict tied by the echo

οὐχὶ μένον σοὶ ἔμενενcontent — the property was free — the sin is not withholding but deceiving

καὶ πραθὲν ἐν τῇ σῇ ἐξουσίᾳ ὑπῆρχεν;content — second rhetorical question — even the money was his to keep

τί ὅτι ἔθου ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο;content — ἔθου answers ἔθηκεν — what he laid at the feet he had first laid in his heart

οὐκ ἐψεύσω ἀνθρώποις ἀλλὰ τῷ θεῷ.content — the verdict — the Spirit of v. 3 is God; the chapter's theological fulcrum

ἀκούων δὲ ὁ Ἁνανίας τοὺς λόγους τούτουςparticipial — present participle — judgment falls in the very act of hearing; leans on ἐξέψυξεν

πεσὼν ἐξέψυξεν·independent — ἐκψύχω — Luke's rare expiry-verb: Ananias, Sapphira (v. 10), Herod (12:23)

καὶ ἐγένετο φόβος μέγας ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς ἀκούοντας.independent — the first φόβος-μέγας refrain — completed at v. 11

ἀναστάντες δὲ οἱ νεώτεροιparticipial — preposed participle — the burial detail moves at once; no mourning is narrated

συνέστειλαν αὐτὸνindependent — συστέλλω — the shrouding

καὶ ἐξενέγκαντεςparticipial — ἐκφέρω — the carrying-out verb that will toll through the chapter (vv. 9, 10, 15)

ἔθαψαν.independent — one word — the judgment sealed in the ground

vv. 7–11 — three hours later: the matched panel

Ἐγένετο δὲ ὡς ὡρῶν τριῶν διάστημαindependent — διάστημα — NT hapax; time enough for the burial to be finished

καὶ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ μὴ εἰδυῖα τὸ γεγονὸς εἰσῆλθεν.independent — μὴ εἰδυῖα — ignorant of the death, not of the plot (v. 2, συνειδυίης); the irony is total

ἀπεκρίθη δὲ πρὸς αὐτὴν Πέτρος·independent — ἀπεκρίθη — he 'answers' her unspoken assumption with a test

Εἰπέ μοι,content — the offered chance to speak the truth

εἰ τοσούτου τὸ χωρίον ἀπέδοσθε.content — indirect question with εἰ — the named sum is the trap

ἡ δὲ εἶπεν·independent — her one chance

Ναί, τοσούτου.content — verbless — two words confirm the lie

ὁ δὲ Πέτρος πρὸς αὐτήν·independent — verbless speech-frame — the verb of saying elided; the verdict comes faster this time

Τί ὅτι συνεφωνήθη ὑμῖν πειράσαι τὸ πνεῦμα κυρίου;content — συνεφωνήθη — the conspiracy named; πειράσαι echoes Israel testing God (Ps 95:9 LXX)

ἰδοὺ οἱ πόδες τῶν θαψάντων τὸν ἄνδρα σου ἐπὶ τῇ θύρᾳcontent — verbless — the audible footsteps as omen; 'feet' answers the feet of v. 2

καὶ ἐξοίσουσίν σε.content — predictive future — the sentence pronounced before the death

ἔπεσεν δὲ παραχρῆμα πρὸς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦindependent — παραχρῆμα — Luke's instant; at Peter's feet, where the money had been laid

καὶ ἐξέψυξεν·independent — the verb of v. 5 verbatim — the two panels close in matched form

εἰσελθόντες δὲ οἱ νεανίσκοιparticipial — the burial detail returns on cue; leans on εὗρον

εὗρον αὐτὴν νεκράν,independent — the discovery narrated without comment

καὶ ἐξενέγκαντεςparticipial — ἐκφέρω again — exactly as promised in v. 9

ἔθαψαν πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα αὐτῆς.independent — πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα — together in the plot, together in the ground

καὶ ἐγένετο φόβος μέγας ἐφ᾽ ὅλην τὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς ἀκούοντας ταῦτα.independent — the refrain of v. 5 expanded — ἐκκλησία, its first appearance in Acts

Signs and wonders — Solomon's portico and Peter's shadow 5:12–16

Διὰ δὲ τῶν χειρῶν τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐγίνετο σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα πολλὰ ἐν τῷ λαῷ·independent — summary panel (cf. 2:43; 4:30) — iterative imperfect ἐγίνετο, an ongoing pattern

καὶ ἦσαν ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἅπαντες ἐν τῇ Στοᾷ Σολομῶντος.independent — ὁμοθυμαδόν — Luke's unity-adverb; the east colonnade (3:11) as the revived Israel's gathering place

τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν οὐδεὶς ἐτόλμα κολλᾶσθαι αὐτοῖς,independent — the paradox of holy dread — the fear of vv. 5, 11 operating socially

ἀλλ᾽ ἐμεγάλυνεν αὐτοὺς ὁ λαός.independent — μεγαλύνω — distance and esteem together

μᾶλλον δὲ προσετίθεντο πιστεύοντες τῷ κυρίῳ, πλήθη ἀνδρῶν τε καὶ γυναικῶν·independent — divine passive — God does the adding (2:47); men and women, Luke's inclusive pairing

ὥστε καὶ εἰς τὰς πλατείας ἐκφέρειν τοὺς ἀσθενεῖςpurpose — ὥστε + infinitive — actual result (typed pur; no result key); ἐκφέρειν, the corpse-verb of vv. 6–10, now carries the living

καὶ τιθέναι ἐπὶ κλιναρίων καὶ κραβάττων,purpose — coordinate result infinitive — κλινάριον, a Lucan hapax

ἵνα ἐρχομένου Πέτρου κἂν ἡ σκιὰ ἐπισκιάσῃ τινὶ αὐτῶν.purpose — ἐπισκιάζω — the overshadowing verb of Luke 1:35 and 9:34; κἄν, the minimal hope

συνήρχετο δὲ καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν πέριξ πόλεων Ἰερουσαλήμ,independent — iterative imperfect — the stream widens beyond the city; πέριξ, an NT hapax

φέροντες ἀσθενεῖς καὶ ὀχλουμένους ὑπὸ πνευμάτων ἀκαθάρτων,participial — plural participle with singular πλῆθος — constructio ad sensum

οἵτινες ἐθεραπεύοντο ἅπαντες.relative — qualitative ὅστις with emphatic final ἅπαντες — none went away unhealed

The second arrest and the angelic release 5:17–26

vv. 17–21a — imprisoned by night, recommissioned by night

Ἀναστὰς δὲ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς καὶ πάντες οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ, ἡ οὖσα αἵρεσις τῶν Σαδδουκαίων,participial — preposed participle — leans on ἐπλήσθησαν; the resurrection-deniers move against resurrection preachers

ἐπλήσθησαν ζήλουindependent — πίμπλημι — the Spirit-filling verb (2:4; 4:8, 31) darkly inverted: filled with ζῆλος

καὶ ἐπέβαλον τὰς χεῖρας ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀποστόλουςindependent — the arrest idiom (4:3) — the second arrest

καὶ ἔθεντο αὐτοὺς ἐν τηρήσει δημοσίᾳ.independent — δημοσίᾳ — a public jail, heightening the coming miracle

ἄγγελος δὲ κυρίου διὰ νυκτὸς ἤνοιξεν τὰς θύρας τῆς φυλακῆς,independent — ἄγγελος κυρίου — the OT deliverance formula; the opening narrated without drama

ἐξαγαγών τε αὐτοὺςparticipial — ἐξάγω — the Exodus verb (7:36); leans on εἶπεν

εἶπεν·independent — the angel's commission-frame

Πορεύεσθεcontent — present imperative — mission movement, not escape

καὶ σταθέντες λαλεῖτε ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ τῷ λαῷ πάντα τὰ ῥήματα τῆς ζωῆς ταύτης.content — back to the very place of arrest; 'this Life' — ζωή all but a title for the resurrection reality

ἀκούσαντες δὲparticipial — obedience without a word — leans on εἰσῆλθον

εἰσῆλθον ὑπὸ τὸν ὄρθρον εἰς τὸ ἱερὸνindependent — ὑπὸ τὸν ὄρθρον — dawn-early obedience

καὶ ἐδίδασκον.independent — inceptive imperfect — the command of v. 20 in execution

vv. 21b–26 — the empty prison and the quiet re-arrest

Παραγενόμενος δὲ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷparticipial — the counter-movement — leans on συνεκάλεσαν

συνεκάλεσαν τὸ συνέδριον καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γερουσίαν τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ,independent — γερουσία — only here in the NT; the full solemn assembly, convened for absent prisoners

καὶ ἀπέστειλαν εἰς τὸ δεσμωτήριονindependent — the stage set for the discovery

ἀχθῆναι αὐτούς.purpose — purpose infinitive — the order that cannot be executed

οἱ δὲ παραγενόμενοι ὑπηρέται οὐχ εὗρον αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ φυλακῇ,independent — the ironic pivot — stated with studied flatness

ἀναστρέψαντες δὲparticipial — leans on ἀπήγγειλαν

ἀπήγγειλανindependent — one bare verb — the report itself follows

λέγοντες ὅτιparticipial — speech-participle with recitative ὅτι

Τὸ δεσμωτήριον εὕρομεν κεκλεισμένον ἐν πάσῃ ἀσφαλείᾳcontent — perfect participle — the lock still in place; the forensic detail heightens the miracle

καὶ τοὺς φύλακας ἑστῶτας ἐπὶ τῶν θυρῶν,content — second object of εὕρομεν — everything in order except the prisoners

ἀνοίξαντες δὲparticipial — preposed participle — leans on the εὕρομεν below

ἔσω οὐδένα εὕρομεν.content — οὐδένα — the punchline of the report-comedy

ὡς δὲ ἤκουσαν τοὺς λόγους τούτους ὅ τε στρατηγὸς τοῦ ἱεροῦ καὶ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς,conditional — temporal ὡς (typed cnd; no temporal key) — leans on διηπόρουν

διηπόρουν περὶ αὐτῶνindependent — διαπορέω — Luke's verb for bafflement before divine action

τί ἂν γένοιτο τοῦτο.content — indirect question with ἄν + optative — genuine bewilderment

παραγενόμενος δέ τιςparticipial — the anonymous messenger — leans on ἀπήγγειλεν

ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτοῖς ὅτιindependent — recitative ὅτι — the perplexity resolved

Ἰδοὺ οἱ ἄνδρεςcontent — the subject suspended — the relative interrupts before the verb lands

οὓς ἔθεσθε ἐν τῇ φυλακῇrelative — ἔθεσθε — the verb of v. 18, quoted back at the council

εἰσὶν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ ἑστῶτες καὶ διδάσκοντες τὸν λαόν.content — ἑστῶτες — the angel's σταθέντες (v. 20) fulfilled to the letter

τότε ἀπελθὼν ὁ στρατηγὸς σὺν τοῖς ὑπηρέταιςparticipial — leans on ἦγεν

ἦγεν αὐτούς, οὐ μετὰ βίας,independent — imperfect ἦγεν — the escorted walk; the re-arrest without force

ἐφοβοῦντο γὰρ τὸν λαόν,cause — the authorities' fear — of the crowd, not of God (cf. v. 13, the people's esteem)

μὴ λιθασθῶσιν.content — clause of fearing — the would-be stoners fear stoning

Before the Sanhedrin — God rather than men 5:27–33

vv. 27–28 — the threefold charge

Ἀγαγόντες δὲ αὐτοὺςparticipial — leans on ἔστησαν

ἔστησαν ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ.independent — causative ἵστημι — the dock; the body that condemned Jesus faces his witnesses

καὶ ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτοὺς ὁ ἀρχιερεύςindependent — the formal interrogation opens

λέγων·participial — pleonastic speech-participle — frame for the threefold charge

Παραγγελίᾳ παρηγγείλαμεν ὑμῖνcontent — cognate dative — a Hebraism of intensity; the prohibition of 4:18 invoked

μὴ διδάσκειν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τούτῳ,content — indirect command — 'this name': the high priest will not say 'Jesus'

καὶ ἰδοὺ πεπληρώκατε τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ τῆς διδαχῆς ὑμῶν,content — perfect — the mission's success stated as the second charge

καὶ βούλεσθε ἐπαγαγεῖν ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς τὸ αἷμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τούτου.content — blood-guilt — 'this man,' the second circumlocution; cf. Matt 27:25

vv. 29–32 — the reply: the axiom and the kerygma

ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ Πέτρος καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοιparticipial — leans on εἶπαν — the reply is collective

εἶπαν·independent — the answer-frame

Πειθαρχεῖν δεῖ θεῷ μᾶλλον ἢ ἀνθρώποις.content — the axiom — 4:19 sharpened to a maxim; δεῖ, divine necessity

ὁ θεὸς τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν ἤγειρεν Ἰησοῦν,content — the kerygma opens with the covenant formula (Exod 3:15) — and the name the high priest avoided

ὃν ὑμεῖς διεχειρίσασθεrelative — emphatic ὑμεῖς — the accusation reversed; διαχειρίζομαι, laid violent hands on

κρεμάσαντες ἐπὶ ξύλου·participial — Deut 21:22–23 — the curse-death, re-read as redemptive (cf. 10:39; Gal 3:13)

τοῦτον ὁ θεὸς ἀρχηγὸν καὶ σωτῆρα ὕψωσεν τῇ δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ,content — fronted τοῦτον — the killed one is the exalted one; Ps 110:1 behind τῇ δεξιᾷ

τοῦ δοῦναι μετάνοιαν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν.purpose — τοῦ + infinitive of purpose — what the court needs is what the exalted one offers

καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν μάρτυρες τῶν ῥημάτων τούτων,content — the programmatic word of 1:8

καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιονcontent — verbless — the second witness; human and divine testimony paired

ὃ ἔδωκεν ὁ θεὸς τοῖς πειθαρχοῦσιν αὐτῷ.relative — πειθαρχοῦσιν echoes v. 29 — the obedient receive the Spirit; the court excluded by its own posture

v. 33 — the rage

Οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντεςparticipial — leans on διεπρίοντο

διεπρίοντοindependent — διαπρίω — 'sawn through'; at 7:54 the same rage will kill

καὶ ἐβούλοντο ἀνελεῖν αὐτούς.independent — conative imperfect — the intent forms; Gamaliel will interrupt it

Gamaliel's counsel 5:34–39

vv. 34–35 — the intervention and the caution

ἀναστὰς δέ τις ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ Φαρισαῖος ὀνόματι Γαμαλιήλ, νομοδιδάσκαλος τίμιος παντὶ τῷ λαῷ,participial — the credentials stacked before the verb — a Pharisee (resurrection-believer) checks the Sadducees; Paul's teacher (22:3)

ἐκέλευσεν ἔξω βραχύ τι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ποιῆσαι,independent — his authority commands without debate

εἶπέν τε πρὸς αὐτούς·independent — the frame — the whole speech hangs beneath it

Ἄνδρες Ἰσραηλῖται, προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τούτοιςcontent — the opening caution — prudence, not sympathy

τί μέλλετε πράσσειν.content — indirect question — the momentum toward execution arrested

vv. 36–37 — the two precedents: Theudas and Judas the Galilean

πρὸ γὰρ τούτων τῶν ἡμερῶν ἀνέστη Θευδᾶς,content — γάρ — the first precedent; Josephus dates a Theudas later (Ant. 20.97–98), the noted chronology crux

λέγων εἶναί τινα ἑαυτόν,participial — the pretender's self-assertion — εἶναί τινα

ᾧ προσεκλίθη ἀνδρῶν ἀριθμὸς ὡς τετρακοσίων·relative — προσκλίνω — NT hapax; a modest following

ὃς ἀνῃρέθη,relative — continuative relative — the leader dies

καὶ πάντες ὅσοι ἐπείθοντο αὐτῷ διελύθησανcontent — the pattern stated: leader dead, movement dispersed

καὶ ἐγένοντο εἰς οὐδέν.content — εἰς οὐδέν — the verdict of history on merely human causes

μετὰ τοῦτον ἀνέστη Ἰούδας ὁ Γαλιλαῖος ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τῆς ἀπογραφῆςcontent — the second precedent — the revolt against the census of Quirinius (AD 6; cf. Luke 2:2)

καὶ ἀπέστησεν λαὸν ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ·content — ἀφίστημι transitive — he made a people revolt

κἀκεῖνος ἀπώλετο,content — κἀκεῖνος — the parallel hammered home

καὶ πάντες ὅσοι ἐπείθοντο αὐτῷ διεσκορπίσθησαν.content — διασκορπίζω — stronger than v. 36's διελύθησαν; the same end

vv. 38–39 — the paired protases and the let-them-alone counsel

καὶ τὰ νῦν λέγω ὑμῖν,content — the application — τὰ νῦν, Luke's turn to counsel

ἀπόστητε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων τούτωνcontent — the first imperative — withdrawal

καὶ ἐάσατε αὐτούς·content — the let-them-alone counsel — inaction as prudence

ὅτι ἐὰν ᾖ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἡ βουλὴ αὕτη ἢ τὸ ἔργον τοῦτο,conditional — ἐάν + subjunctive — the human origin merely entertained; leans on καταλυθήσεται (ὅτι grounds the counsel)

καταλυθήσεται·cause — divine-passive future — the grounds for letting alone: such things fall of themselves

εἰ δὲ ἐκ θεοῦ ἐστίν,conditional — εἰ + indicative against v. 38's ἐάν + subjunctive — the divine case stated as the real one; the reader knows it is

οὐ δυνήσεσθε καταλῦσαι αὐτούς,cause — the negated future — no capacity against the βουλή of God (cf. 2:23; 4:28)

μήποτε καὶ θεομάχοι εὑρεθῆτε.purpose — θεομάχοι — NT hapax; Gamaliel does not know how truly he warns

ἐπείσθησαν δὲ αὐτῷ,independent — πείθω passive — the council yields; the speech works

Flogged, charged, released — and rejoicing 5:40–42

καὶ προσκαλεσάμενοι τοὺς ἀποστόλουςparticipial — leans on παρήγγειλαν

δείραντεςparticipial — δέρω — the synagogue flogging (Deut 25:3, the thirty-nine); persuasion did not mean mercy

παρήγγειλανindependent — the verb of v. 28 — the prohibition merely renewed

μὴ λαλεῖν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Ἰησοῦcontent — indirect command — now the court itself must say the name

καὶ ἀπέλυσαν.independent — Gamaliel's counsel executed

Οἱ μὲν οὖν ἐπορεύοντο χαίροντες ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ συνεδρίου,independent — μὲν οὖν — Luke's resumptive; the beaten men leave in joy (Luke 6:22–23)

ὅτι κατηξιώθησαν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος ἀτιμασθῆναι·cause — the paradox — deemed worthy (divine passive) of shame; 'the Name' absolute, the chapter's Christological concentration

πᾶσάν τε ἡμέραν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ καὶ κατ᾽ οἶκον οὐκ ἐπαύοντοindependent — negated imperfect — unbroken continuance; temple and house, the church's two settings in Acts

διδάσκοντες καὶ εὐαγγελιζόμενοι τὸν χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν.participial — supplementary participles with παύομαι — the chapter's last word is the name the high priest refused

Analysis. Acts 5 alternates a flat narrative mainline with three speech-events, and the layout shows both rhythms. In the Ananias and Sapphira panels (vv. 1–11) the two death-scenes are built to match: Peter's interrogations hang blue beneath their frames (the second frame, ὁ δὲ Πέτρος πρὸς αὐτήν, is verbless — dashed), the two collapses land as bare purple verbs sharing the rare expiry-word ἐξέψυξεν, the young men's burial-participles lean forward twice in identical shape, and the φόβος-μέγας refrain closes each panel — the second time over ὅλην τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, the word's first appearance in Acts. Peter's question climaxes in οὐκ ἐψεύσω ἀνθρώποις ἀλλὰ τῷ θεῷ: the lie to the Spirit (v. 3) restated as a lie to God, the passage's theological fulcrum, which the layout keeps flush in the quotation catena. The summary panel (vv. 12–16) chains result on result (ὥστε … ἵνα) down to Peter's shadow — with ἐκφέρειν, the corpse-verb of vv. 6–10, now carrying the living sick. The arrest sequence (vv. 17–26) runs on forward-leaning participles; the officers' report (v. 23) is the comedy of the locked, guarded, empty prison, and the messenger's Ἰδοὺ οἱ ἄνδρες is split so that 'whom you put in prison' dangles before the verb lands them standing and teaching in the temple, the angel's σταθέντες fulfilled to the letter. Before the Sanhedrin (vv. 27–33) the reply Πειθαρχεῖν δεῖ θεῷ μᾶλλον ἢ ἀνθρώποις stands first in the catena under εἶπαν, followed by the kerygma in miniature — raised, whom you killed hanging on a tree (Deut 21:22–23), exalted as ἀρχηγὸν καὶ σωτῆρα to give the very repentance the court refuses. Gamaliel (vv. 34–39) speaks in one long cnt catena under εἶπέν: the Theudas and Judas precedents run level (the tag names the Theudas/Josephus chronology crux), then the paired protases lean forward — ἐὰν ᾖ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων with the subjunctive, merely entertained, against εἰ ἐκ θεοῦ ἐστίν with the indicative, which the reader knows to be the case — with the θεομάχοι warning hanging beneath the apodosis. The close (vv. 40–42): flogged, the apostles depart rejoicing ὅτι κατηξιώθησαν ἀτιμασθῆναι — counted worthy to be dishonored for the Name — and the chapter ends on the negated imperfect οὐκ ἐπαύοντο with its supplementary participles: they never stopped, and the last word is the name the high priest refused to speak.