The Fatal Sin Of Ananias And Sapphira
This week, I'd like for us to take a look at a very interesting event that occurred in the early days of the church. Soon after the Day of Pentecost, as the church was in its formative state, the disciples who gathered together were all of the same mind, and many of them chose to sell their possessions in order to distribute among the believers as the apostles saw fit. It was at this time that a man named Ananias, along with his wife, Sapphira, made a fatal error in judgment. We'll read Acts 5:1-11, and then take a closer look at what occurred, and the reasoning behind it...
"But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. 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? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then she fell 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. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things."
First, a little background on what may have motivated Ananias and Sapphira to do what they did...we read in Acts, chapter 4, verses 32-37..."And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul; neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet." The disciples had decided amongst themselves, Ananias and Sapphira included, that they would sell their possessions in order to have a common source of income, that is, to allow the apostles to distribute among the believers according to their needs. This was a very noble undertaking on the part of the disciples, but as we see, hypocrisy can infect even the most pious and generous of exploits. Even the early church, though full of zeal, was not immune to the damaging effects of jealousy, greed, and hypocrisy. Because there were those among the disciples who had sold their possessions, and actually given the entire amount of the proceeds directly to the apostles, Ananias and Sapphira became envious of the praises that these selfless acts had generated. A plan was then devised between the two of them, that they would sell their land, but hold back some of the money. After all, who would know? Certainly the apostles would not be aware of it, nor would the other disciples, and how bountifully benevolent and charitable they would appear to be!
Their deceitful plan is revealed in verse 3 as Peter confronts Ananias..."But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God." The first thing that we notice here is that Peter questions Ananias as to why he has allowed Satan to fill his heart. Satan has no power over us, except we give it to him. He cannot force us to do anything, he can only coerce. He can tempt, seduce, and persuade, but he cannot overpower our will. It is only when we allow his enticements to overtake us that we are defeated.
Let us next take note of the fact that these disciples were not under any obligation to sell their land, nor to give any or all of the money for the common good of the church. We know this because Peter eludes to the fact that the land, as well as the proceeds from it, was in Ananias' own power. The selling of their possessions, as well as the giving of the money, was entirely voluntary. This scheme was contrived as a result of envy because the Spirit had led some of the disciples to sell their land, or their homes, and to give the money to the church. Ananias and Sapphira became jealous of the attention that was given to the sacrifice made by these disciples. Their motivation in selling their land was not to further the kingdom, but rather to garner esteem and commendations. Their actions also reveal an alarming lack of faith, because they trusted in money rather than in the provision of God. It would seem that, as disciples, Ananias and Sapphira would have been aware of the fact that God is omniscient, that He knows all, and sees all. However, in this instance, they coveted the praises of men rather than transparency and fellowship with God.
We now come to the sentence passed down upon Ananias in verses 5 and 6..."And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him." Notice that Peter did not pronounce judgment upon Ananias on his own behalf. Peter had himself denied Jesus three times not very long before this incident occurred. It would seem that Peter, having been forgiven for his own trespass, would have had compassion upon Ananias. This leads us to conclude that it was not Peter who passed sentence upon Ananias, but that it was an act of the Spirit of God. After all, it was the Holy Ghost that had been lied to, and it was the Spirit that took the life of Ananias.
With verses 7-11, we find Sapphira meeting her doom in the same manner as her husband, and the reaction of the people to these events..."And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then she fell 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. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things." Sapphira came in about three hours later, fully expecting to be received with praise and commendation for her selfless act of charity. Peter even gives her the opportunity to set things right, in order to avoid the terrible fate that had befallen her husband. However, she maintains the lie originally told by Ananias, thereby sealing her fate. With a chilling final disclosure, Peter tells her that the men who buried her husband are at the door, and will carry her out. What horror she must have felt at the realization that not only had their lie been found out, but also that her husband was dead, and the Spirit of God had pronounced judgment upon them both, and now she would meet the same demise! We read that great fear came upon the church, as well as all those who heard about this event. Certainly, this sudden and severe punishment would have been quite shocking, and definitely would have instilled fear into all those who became aware of it.
So, what can we learn from the account of Ananias and Sapphira? It is much more than simply a cautionary tale, it is an actual firsthand account of what can happen when we lie to God. We must never allow pride, or greed, or jealousy, to cloud our judgment. God knows all, and He sees all. Paul tells us in Hebrews 4:12-13..."For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." May we strive for transparency with God, because He already knows all that there is to know about us. There is no point in trying to conceal anything from God. He knows our deepest thoughts, He understands our emotional state, and He calms our darkest fears. We are His creation, the work of His hands, and He loves us in spite of our shortcomings. May our intimacy with God grow deeper as we are led by His Spirit to become all that He would have us to be.
"But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. 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? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then she fell 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. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things."
First, a little background on what may have motivated Ananias and Sapphira to do what they did...we read in Acts, chapter 4, verses 32-37..."And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul; neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet." The disciples had decided amongst themselves, Ananias and Sapphira included, that they would sell their possessions in order to have a common source of income, that is, to allow the apostles to distribute among the believers according to their needs. This was a very noble undertaking on the part of the disciples, but as we see, hypocrisy can infect even the most pious and generous of exploits. Even the early church, though full of zeal, was not immune to the damaging effects of jealousy, greed, and hypocrisy. Because there were those among the disciples who had sold their possessions, and actually given the entire amount of the proceeds directly to the apostles, Ananias and Sapphira became envious of the praises that these selfless acts had generated. A plan was then devised between the two of them, that they would sell their land, but hold back some of the money. After all, who would know? Certainly the apostles would not be aware of it, nor would the other disciples, and how bountifully benevolent and charitable they would appear to be!
Their deceitful plan is revealed in verse 3 as Peter confronts Ananias..."But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God." The first thing that we notice here is that Peter questions Ananias as to why he has allowed Satan to fill his heart. Satan has no power over us, except we give it to him. He cannot force us to do anything, he can only coerce. He can tempt, seduce, and persuade, but he cannot overpower our will. It is only when we allow his enticements to overtake us that we are defeated.
Let us next take note of the fact that these disciples were not under any obligation to sell their land, nor to give any or all of the money for the common good of the church. We know this because Peter eludes to the fact that the land, as well as the proceeds from it, was in Ananias' own power. The selling of their possessions, as well as the giving of the money, was entirely voluntary. This scheme was contrived as a result of envy because the Spirit had led some of the disciples to sell their land, or their homes, and to give the money to the church. Ananias and Sapphira became jealous of the attention that was given to the sacrifice made by these disciples. Their motivation in selling their land was not to further the kingdom, but rather to garner esteem and commendations. Their actions also reveal an alarming lack of faith, because they trusted in money rather than in the provision of God. It would seem that, as disciples, Ananias and Sapphira would have been aware of the fact that God is omniscient, that He knows all, and sees all. However, in this instance, they coveted the praises of men rather than transparency and fellowship with God.
We now come to the sentence passed down upon Ananias in verses 5 and 6..."And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him." Notice that Peter did not pronounce judgment upon Ananias on his own behalf. Peter had himself denied Jesus three times not very long before this incident occurred. It would seem that Peter, having been forgiven for his own trespass, would have had compassion upon Ananias. This leads us to conclude that it was not Peter who passed sentence upon Ananias, but that it was an act of the Spirit of God. After all, it was the Holy Ghost that had been lied to, and it was the Spirit that took the life of Ananias.
With verses 7-11, we find Sapphira meeting her doom in the same manner as her husband, and the reaction of the people to these events..."And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then she fell 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. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things." Sapphira came in about three hours later, fully expecting to be received with praise and commendation for her selfless act of charity. Peter even gives her the opportunity to set things right, in order to avoid the terrible fate that had befallen her husband. However, she maintains the lie originally told by Ananias, thereby sealing her fate. With a chilling final disclosure, Peter tells her that the men who buried her husband are at the door, and will carry her out. What horror she must have felt at the realization that not only had their lie been found out, but also that her husband was dead, and the Spirit of God had pronounced judgment upon them both, and now she would meet the same demise! We read that great fear came upon the church, as well as all those who heard about this event. Certainly, this sudden and severe punishment would have been quite shocking, and definitely would have instilled fear into all those who became aware of it.
So, what can we learn from the account of Ananias and Sapphira? It is much more than simply a cautionary tale, it is an actual firsthand account of what can happen when we lie to God. We must never allow pride, or greed, or jealousy, to cloud our judgment. God knows all, and He sees all. Paul tells us in Hebrews 4:12-13..."For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." May we strive for transparency with God, because He already knows all that there is to know about us. There is no point in trying to conceal anything from God. He knows our deepest thoughts, He understands our emotional state, and He calms our darkest fears. We are His creation, the work of His hands, and He loves us in spite of our shortcomings. May our intimacy with God grow deeper as we are led by His Spirit to become all that He would have us to be.
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