[9], Concerning the belief held by some, that Peter caused the death of the couple, Reidhead held the view that Peter simply anticipated God's action and relayed it to Ananias and Sapphira before God took the action.[9]. Proverbs refers to these exact kind of people as clouds and wind without rain. You are assuming Ananias/Sapphira were saved. And these two expressions of fleshliness, their desire for praise, and their confidence in material things, presented them with a difficult dilemma. Their loving concern for one another went so far as to touch their wallets, and that is real care! And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question. "When men want to impose unity, there are problems. But they were to find that it can never be so. Related Topics: Christian Home, Finance, Marriage, Richard L. Strauss authored nine books, and served as pastor of churches in Fort Worth, TX, Huntsville, AL. We will be real! 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. Is Faith enough? Have you ever wondered what kind of relationship Ananias and Sapphira had with each other? And we can be grateful for that! So, judgment by the Lord, within the congregation, may result in weakness, illness or death, as appropriate. Once in Christ, then again in us. Pharisees loved money and they loved peoples praises. Ananias' name means "God is Gracious"; and his wife Sapphira's name (from which we get the word "sapphire") means "Fair . needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell on falling from grace.). 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. But when some concerned Christian who might be able to help us asks how things are going at home, we quickly reply, Oh, just great, great. Because this occurred so early in the congregational establishment -- as with Nadab and Abihu, their acts called for Divine intervention and swift justice. In any case, lying or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is one sin that cannot be forgiven. "Hellenistic Parallels to Acts 5:111 and the Problem of Conflicting Interpretations". - The people of God were experiencing victory. The Book of Acts records Pharisees trying to infiltrate the church. Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? So why is this event so important to the Church in the New Covenant? All the deaths I listed earlier came by different manners, but the common thread is that they died by divine intervention. The poor He associated with humility and reliance upon God and therefore able to have faith and receive the Kingdom. [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). Even though the Bible says they believed it is clear that they did not understand justification by faith and therefore could not have been saved. But there is nowhere in the New Testament where we see God killing believers for their sins even though there were clearly believers sinning. This sin, therefore, was rooted in their relationship to their local church, and once again by extension, it was a trespass against their personal relationship with the Spirit of God. Only then will they be able to grow spiritually. To many good Christians are being taken down by a foundation that only has cracks in it. If Ananias and Sapphira were born again believers and God judged them for their sin, it means that even though Jesus was judged for sin, God still judged them for their sin. Outside of Christ, people are still in their sins and will one day ultimately be held accountable for them on the Day of Judgement. No. resulting in their lie. Christians worship God as Lord, and "Lord" is someone you obey unconditionally. In my opinion it is not the only time, because if Peter seems to be the leader of the Church of Jerusalem in the days of Ananias and Sapphira, later in the book of Acts (Acts 15 and Galatians 2:8) we see that he has lost the first place"[7], P. M. Garner reads the story as subversive narrative showing Peter, complicit in the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira, showing immaturity in imaging the son of God. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Heres an article I did that gives biblical evidence for this. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. A man couldnt ask for much more than that. Richard, was a 1954 graduate of Wheaton College, and received his Th.M. They could not help what other people thought, could they? 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. Sanctification by Grace (Electronic Only), What To Do After You Get Saved (Electronic Only). Out of the foxhole and into the the line of fire. 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. 4 & ch. Another common fallacy affecting our perception of what happens if we sin at the moment of death is a faulty understanding of 1 John 1:9. Never was that more obvious than in the story of Ananias and Sapphira. They are "saints" The lie that was told, and every other sin they ever committed, either before or after they were born again, where completly paid for by Christ, and cast as far as the east is from the west. But if we die after sinning and before confessing, we have been taught to assume we will go to hell. Acts 5:1-42. ) 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. Barnabas was one who sacrificed everything (Acts 4:36, 37). 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. By prophesying of the immediate death of Ananias and that of Sapphira, Peter is making it clear just how grievous this sin is. What does God want you to do about them? The Bible is brutally honest in its recording of redemptive history. Acts 5:7-10 Now after an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 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. Why weren't they simply confronted and led to confession and repentance? How do I fit an e-hub motor axle that is too big? Based on Bible scripture, we can infer/deduce that God is forgiving, gracious and compassionate but when a certain God-defined "threshold" has been reached when it comes to a person sinning then God responds with His anger to uphold Justice. Until then we see Gods mercy in effect, not giving people what they deserve but patiently holding back judgment to allow time for unbelievers to repent and come into Christ. Peter gave her an opportunity to be honest. It certainly is an interesting age were so many can be reached so easily now. 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. is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.. Lets be honest. The Story of Ananias and Sapphira. 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. Jude also calls these kinds of people waterless clouds, swept along by the winds. I believe I have figured this one out, and scripture gives us a very clear answer. Only, Ananias was not at all happy in his approach to Peter's feet that day. Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price? he asked, quoting the amount which Ananias had brought to him. 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. But everyone must be to be assuming God killed them - (punished them?). When one Christian sees another Christian getting away with it, he finds it easier to try it himself. It was certainly their privilege to continue in the Spirit. 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, Subscribe to our Monthly Newsletterto get your free e-copy. According to Luke, he believed Philip when he was preaching the good news, and then received baptism (8:12-13). Rather, John is saying that a continuing confession of the fact that we ARE SINNERS (i.e., a repentant heart) is part of what keeps us within the grace of God. 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. 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. 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). Reidhead noted that God does not punish everyone who makes the same mistake as Ananias and Sapphira; nevertheless, the passage illustrates God's unambiguous attitude on this matter. 2 With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet. However, even in the beginning, the church . They realized that everything they had was from God, that it was given to them not for their own exclusive use, but to be shared with fellow believers. Can non-Muslims ride the Haramain high-speed train in Saudi Arabia? Can someone have their spirit saved but not their soul? 314-316, for a fuller explanation of why this is the correct understanding of this verse. To conclude, God has a certain God-defined "threshold" for every situation involving a person's sin, and once she/he crosses that threshold then consequences of God's Anger to uphold justice will be brought forth. They seemed blind to the malfeasance they were ushering into the young church. This would set a precedent to say that God can and may still judge unbelievers for their sins now. 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. We cringe at this extreme illustration of divine discipline. Annanias and Saphira sinned just before they died (were killed), but that doesn't mean they weren't previously saved. Dealing with hard questions during a software developer interview. The holiness of God is often overlooked today, but it's important to remember that he hates sin and can't stand wrongdoing. In Acts 5:3-4, did Ananias "lie to", "fake", "pretend" or "perjure yourself"? The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. See again my book, Set Free!, pp. ", Leviticus 10:9: Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you will not die". Perhaps we should recall how God once reacted to two very foolish young men, Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu as they offered "strange fire": Leviticus 10:1-2: "Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. Look! 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