Only, Ananias was not at all happy in his approach to Peter's feet that day. They had to have that money. Evidently, Ananias and Sapphira had sold a piece of property for a certain sum and agreed between them to say they had sold it for a lesser sum while keeping the difference for their own use. In Acts, Ananias and Sapphiras sinful actions were performed within the context of their relationship to the Church. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. What we do know is that as a result of the judgment that fell on this couple, "great fear came upon the whole . "[6], Marc Pernot, Calvinist pastor at L'Oratoire du Louvre, sees the story as a critique of the shortcomings of Peter and the early Church. Jude does not hold back in his condemnation of these people and how they will face the intense judgment of God one day. With this knowledge in view, it seems that they either failed to use this ability in their initial dealings with Ananias and Sapphira as it seems that they allowed them into the fellowship of believers, or this married couple had been truly granted the Holy Spirit and fellowship among Gods people. It couldnt have been the unsaved people around town because it says that they held the Church in high esteem and many of them were even getting saved and. When confronted, they stuck to their story, and when they were exposed they dropped dead of fear. - The people of God were experiencing victory. The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also. And at once she fell down at his feet and died, P.S. Look finally at the significance of their discipline. The people in the early church who sold their possessions and gave the money to the church probably received the enthusiastic appreciation of the entire congregation. We have each other, and that is all that matters, the love-struck couple boasted shortly after their wedding. Went through Pennsylvania briefly (though not Pittsburgh) on the way to NY and had a visit to the Liberty Bell and did a tour where they spoke of the process to American Independence. Is there any sign that either of you is seeking the supremacy in your relationship (such as keeping score)? Luke suggests that every believer is responsible to God for what he or she does. [1]All Scripture references are taken from NASB1995. Cultivating the appearance alone leads to deathdeath to further spiritual growth, death to usefulness in the family of God, and death to a growing relationship with each other as husbands and wives. This question assumes that were not given a chance to repent. And presto, they would have instant acclaim as spiritual, self-sacrificing believers who had surrendered everything to Jesus Christ. "Hellenistic Parallels to Acts 5:111 and the Problem of Conflicting Interpretations". Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. I believe I have figured this one out, and scripture gives us a very clear answer. Only then will they be able to grow spiritually. Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price? he asked, quoting the amount which Ananias had brought to him. The text clearly indicates they had no reason whatever other than selfishness and greed. Each partner is keeping score of who gives in the most, who gets the most attention, who shows the most appreciation, who has the most faults, or some other trivial area of contention. In the fourth chapter of Acts, the apostles were praying for more boldness and miracles. It was a special time for the church. The reason I believe they. Depression, fear, insecurity, condemnation, low self esteem, insignificance, and powerless tendencies all attack the child of God that does not have the revelation of salvation by grace through faith in the completed work of the cross of Calvary that Jesus has accomplished. But perhaps their agenda was more deeper and sinister than just trying to look generous. You ask why they received such drastic punishments and weren't given a change to repent, but I'll point out that the text doesn't say that it was God who killed them, but simply that they promptly fell over dead on the spot. [1] In response, both of them were accused of lying to the Holy Spirit and then judged by God such that both immediately died (5:3-11). Dunn (1996) describes it as "one of the most unnerving episodes in the whole of the New Testament." Jude also calls these kinds of people waterless clouds, swept along by the winds. Their punishments served as an example to the nascent church. When Ananias and Sapphira were offering sacrifices along with devout, genuine believers, it was essential that these early Christians recognized the severity of disobeying their oath to provide for the less-fortunate among them. dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. This would mean that the Gospel isnt as good as we thought it was and that God violates the law of double jeopardy where He punishes the same sin twice. Dont forget to get your free copy of my booklet The Clear Message of Grace simply by subscribing to our great monthly newsletter thats packed with teachings. At this time, all the members of this church were true believers who were "one in heart and mind" (Acts 4:32). Sins against the Holy Spirit are extremely grievous. Debate/Discussion: Universal Salvation: True or False? Ananias means Jehovah is gracious, and God certainly had been gracious to him. Is there a more recent similar source? Acts 5:7-10 Now after an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Most of us felt, assuming they were born again believers, they did. See again my book, Set Free!, pp. She was given an opportunity to back out in Acts 5:8b, but doubled-down on the lie that they offered the full amount; which itself was not required. Can we infer anything about the ultimate eternal fate of Ananias and Sapphira? Personally I think its quite obviously referring to the party of the Pharisees. That is why He put this account into his Word. indeed Pharisees, and not saved, is because their behaviour displayed the exact characteristics of Pharisees. 5/8), here the church is attacked from within. And why did they do so? Is all mankind free from their sins or only those in Christ? A large percent of Christianity can not see past the law and into grace and truth, particularly the older Christians, or those that are dominion based. Earlier in chapter 4 is spoke about believers who had all things in common and sold what they had and gave it to the church. Perhaps they had previously - the whole story is not recorded. They did dare join the Church. It is those God has inwardly reformed to whom He has granted repentance. (Luke 16:19-31, Luke 18:18-30). But Ananias did want more, and so did Sapphira. Lets commit ourselves to absolute straightforwardness and transparency. But a certain man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wifes full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles feet (Acts 5:1, 2). You seem? Why weren't they simply confronted and led to confession and repentance? They can admit to one another what is going on inside them, then encourage one another and pray about each others weaknesses. It is also shown on a 1590s painting by Ambrosius Francken the Elder. So who then could this group of the rest be that didnt dare join? The number of believers probably totaled five thousand or more by this time, and yet they were of one heart and one soul. Peter asked her the price of the land that she and Ananias had sold, and she stated the same untruthful price that Ananias had given. The need for each partner to come out looking better than his mate causes him to mask his true inner person, and so entrenches him more firmly in his wretched hypocrisy. They are evil and have a sinister agenda. Do Christians Still Have a Sinful Nature? But, if God did judge Ananias and Sapphira and they were not saved, it still means that He judged unbelievers for their sins even though Jesus was judged for all sin. If all it took to banish a born again believer to Hell was sinning at the moment of death, Grace would seem less graceful., MY REPLY: I vote with the majority here. Annanias and Saphira sinned just before they died (were killed), but that doesn't mean they weren't previously saved. But the acclaim was there. From the very outset, He wanted it known how strongly He feels about hypocrisy, and He wanted it known for all time. Husbands and wives can begin by being honest with each other. [1 Corinthians 11:30]. Have a read of Ray Stedman's notes on this at the bottom of this Q&A http://www.jesusplusnothing.com/questions/sinleadingtodeath.htm, It will give more info on this. I think God recognised their strategy and brought it to an abrupt end. And no one can fool God. So, we are not told about whether they were unsaved deceivers or believers who conspired to deceive. Does Acts 5:3-4 equate the Holy Spirit with God. Somehow or other, Ananias could not summon up that gladness and that singleness of heart with which all the other contributors came up that day. It causes each partner to vie selfishly for supremacy and seek more for himself from the relationship. The Book of Acts records Pharisees trying to infiltrate the church. We may even be tempted to accuse God of overreacting with undue harshness. With all he could do there was a certain awkwardness and stumblingness . The entire fledgling congregation was fully devoted to sharing all they had. Then we will be able to stop playing the game of putting on appearances. These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; ; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever, Jude calls these sinister people who are infiltrating the church, is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give. that as such we will incur a [a]stricter judgment. Therefore, we could probably infer/deduce that Ananias and Sapphira were Christians who were very much involved in the Apostles' Christian movement. This is the realm of experience. These two shocking deaths served as an example to the body of Christ that God hates hypocrisy. But distinguished from the soul, as it is here, it would probably refer just to his spirit, the innermost facet of mans makeup, the center of his being to which God reveals Himself and in which God dwells. (2 Peter 3:9). Never was that more obvious than in the story of Ananias and Sapphira. And for every member who operates in the power of the flesh rather than the Spirit, for every one who lives for the praise of men rather than for the glory of God, the effectiveness of Christs church is reduced so much the more. Or even in the Mass? This is usually understood as implying that every sin separates us from grace and puts us into a state of lostness; we stay in that lost state until we repent and confess that specific sin and pray for its forgiveness. Are good deeds required for Heaven? They were the formative days of the church. Ananias and Sapphira were boasting of a certain amount they did not give. The Bible is brutally honest in its recording of redemptive history. They, like the rich and like the Pharisees, made a show of how much they were giving but under the surface what was really going on was that they loved money and loved peoples praises. This must surely have meant that, during the very early years of the Levitical priesthood, God felt it necessary to teach some very harsh lessons about faith and strict obedience. What shall I do if I can't believe that God is for me? Do Paul and James contradict each other about faith? May our Lord continue to fill you to over flowing with the Holy Spirit and strengthen you in every way so that you can remain on task. We know that someday that person will ask us how things are going and we will have to tell him honestly. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. So, judgment by the Lord, within the congregation, may result in weakness, illness or death, as appropriate. on falling from grace.). And these two expressions of fleshliness, their desire for praise, and their confidence in material things, presented them with a difficult dilemma. Centred between two attacks from without (ch. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Had God permitted Ananias and Sapphira to continue their charade, it would have destroyed the witness of the early church. This was all in a public place, just like it was in Acts 5. As mentioned previously, the first church in Acts had members who willingly and sacrificially sold their possessions so as to support others in the church even though no one was mandated to do so. Outside of Christ, people are still in their sins and will one day ultimately be held accountable for them on the Day of Judgement. This gives us a whole new perspective on suicide, also. The rest of who? Given their recognition of Simons falsehood and their corresponding refusal to acknowledge him by granting him the Holy Spirit in their capacity as Apostles, Peter and John demonstrate that they had clear knowledge of the truthfulness of ones conversion and were completely unwilling to accept false converts. Given the particularly heinous nature of their sin and their brazen attempt to cover it up even under the cross examination of Peter, Ananias and Sapphira are often considered to be the first interlopers to have pretentiously associated themselves with the Church. Unbelievers are spiritually 'dead' and cannot believe the gospel or make any moves towards God. So why did Ananias and Sapphira? Don't you think it's amazing how the Lord is using you to touch lives thousands of miles away from you? Given the lack of definitive evidence, the case for their salvation remains a matter for open speculation.). What are husbands and wives most likely to conceal from each other? great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. (Ephesians 6:5,6) Do not seek for any selfish gain out of your service: Put away all pretence and hypocrisy. A man couldnt ask for much more than that. Many scholars have noted parallels with the story of Achan (Joshua 7), and Havelaar (1997) notes various parallel events in pagan literature, in particular one close parallel in an event recounted by Herodotus about a certain Glaucus who tried to tempt the gods at Delphi by lying about money he had kept dishonestly, and was subsequently deprived of descendants. "When men want to impose unity, there are problems. What does a search warrant actually look like? Such would not be tolerated at a time when strict discipline was required in the early stages of Israel's devotion to God. After all, all Christians sin after being saved, but the difference is that we do not continue to have unrepentant sin patterns which control us. They seemed blind to the malfeasance they were ushering into the young church. Jesus never left and He is here via the Holy Spirit. But this is only at the very end of the age. But the dishonesty increases our burden of guilt, and the guilt leads to further defensiveness and irritability, and the irritability produces greater dissension and discord in the home. They were sacrificing their own comforts and conveniences for the good of all. Can we infer anything about the ultimate eternal fate of Ananias and Sapphira? It then follows with the two examples (1 good and 1 not good) of people selling their property to give to the church. [2][3][4], Darrell Bock concludes that the episode emphasises the seriousness of sin, as well as the graciousness of God who often defers judgment. Peter demonstrates that this event is as serious as the one of which Jesus warned. Who were the rest that didnt dare join the Church? It only says that they conspired to deceive. The heart is sometimes used in Scripture to refer in a wider sense to the immaterial part of mans being, including both his spirit and his soul. This is the level on which he thinks his thoughts, senses his feelings, and makes his choices. If their attitudes are wrong, even if they both share them alike, they must acknowledge them openly to the Lord and refuse to go on excusing them. And even after they sold it, they were under no obligation to give all the money to the church. Whom did Ananias lie to? For example, Barnabas, a Levite from Cyprus, sold a plot of land and donated the proceeds to the apostles. However they lied and said they had donated all the proceeds. I t is reasonable to believe that both Ananias and Sapphira were present in the prayer meeting described in Acts 4:31. Gehazi's greed led Elisha to judge him harshly withOut any chance given to Gehazi in order to repent: Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you This would set a precedent to say that God can and may still judge unbelievers for their sins now. However, even in the beginning, the church . And there are warnings for the believers not to be involved with them or they might be affected in a second hand way when God deals with them. The point Im making is that this shows us it was not uncommon to have Pharisees trying to come into the church and that is was not unlikely that Ananias and Sapphira could not have been Pharisees. Sis Johns, Hi! They sent Ananias and Sapphira to infiltrate the Church but when they saw what happened to them, none of the rest of them dared join the Church for fear of the same fate. But they were to find that it can never be so. 7. Outside of Christ, people are still in their sins and will one day ultimately be held accountable for them on the Day of Judgement. Is Salvation only in the Mass? The story of Ananias and Sapphira is to the book of Acts what the story of Achan is to the book of Joshua. Ananias and Sapphira were mentioned in Acts 5:1-10 as a couple who sold some property and donated a portion of the proceeds to the Disciples. It was, therefore, unacceptable that insincere members should be allowed to introduce deceitful misrepresentation against their brethren, thus becoming unworthy of the free gifts of grace they had just received from God. This new covenant truth is very valuable. Ive never disciplined any of my kids by killing them! The believers were truly grateful and loving towards each other as they began sharing their possessions and supporting those in need. I think they had an agenda to infiltrate the church and bring harm to the believers. Why are non-Western countries siding with China in the UN? But coming at the very start of the church, with God incredibly active and the great need to start in purity, it was a sin that required swift and firm judgement - and the result was that which was needed with a holy fear coming upon the believers. There must not be any ulterior motives in an offering made to God, such as desiring material gain, fame, or praise of man for oneself. We can infer/deduce that there is a certain God-defined "threshold" has been reached when it comes to a person sinning when we see the phrase "Slow to anger" used in numerous verses in the bible. The story of Ananias and Sapphira is found in Acts 5, and it is a sad story, indeed. How could Ananias and Sapphira have avoided the trap of deceit into which they fell? Since their congregation was so very large, when they all met together in the court of the Temple, they also gathered in smaller units in homes to get to know each other, to grow in their love for one another, to care about one anothers problems and minister to one anothers needs (cf. Swept along by the winds dared join them, but all things were common property to them one and! Sharing their possessions and supporting those in Christ were ushering into the young church the nascent church, here church. Weakness, illness or death, as appropriate the were ananias and sapphira saved which Ananias had to. 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