A) Why were Ananias and Sapphira [of Acts 5:1-11] not given a second chance? The rest of who? As told at the beginning of Acts chapter 5 Ananias and Sapphira, following Barnabas' example, also sold their land but secretly withheld a portion of the proceeds. She falls and breathes her last breath. 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. So we will allow the Spirit of Jesus Christ to work in us to bring us into His likeness. Peter said, You have not lied to men, but to God (Acts 5:4). [8], According to the missionary and author Paris Reidhead, the passage is intended to illustrate two key points: the seriousness of lying to the Holy Spirit and the importance of keeping integrity in the believers fellowship with Christ, i.e., keeping the fellowship free of sin. The result of this unselfish spirit was great power and blessing on the entire church. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Reminds me of Saul, when rather than obedience. Second, contrary to a widespread fallacy, an individual sin (except for the sin of unbelief) does not necessarily separate us from the grace of God. What's the difference between a power rail and a signal line? To this end, they sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price while giving the rest to the Apostles (Acts 5:1-2). Out of the foxhole and into the the line of fire. 5/8), here the church is attacked from within. Sanctification by Grace (Electronic Only), What To Do After You Get Saved (Electronic Only). I so enjoy your Bible studies, I fine that our Lord speaks to me thru your writings and scriptures that I've read for years, now take on a new meaning with your explanations. A man couldnt ask for much more than that. If they are spiritually-minded people they are not motivated by the desire for the accolades and applause of men, but they may get them anyway. Will Jesus 'spit' us out of His mouth? New International Version Ananias and Sapphira 5 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 7. Jude vs 12-13 These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; 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.. They did dare join the Church. And, it is certainly possible that these two were overwhelmed by temporary greed, but were otherwise faithul. Is Koestler's The Sleepwalkers still well regarded? Peter did not call down judgment from heaven as some have supposed. And yes, it may take that So why did Ananias and Sapphira? She may have been off on a shopping spree, spending some of that money they had deceitfully misappropriated. As believers they had already passed from death unto life (John 5:24). So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren. It spreads. Ananias (/nna.s/; Hebrew: , romanized:Chnanyah) and his wife Sapphira (/sfar/; Hebrew: , romanized:afrah) were, according to the biblical New Testament in Acts of the Apostles chapter 5, members of the early Christian church in Jerusalem. We have the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5, and the death of Herod in Acts 12 for his wickedness. Is imputed righteousness a lie? However, it is not clear at all from the terse narrative of Ananias' and Sapphira's deaths that this couple received salvation. This was not discipline, this was judgement and death for sin. Only then will they be able to grow spiritually. The entire fledgling congregation was fully devoted to sharing all they had. And no one can fool God. Perhaps we might wish to contemplate the end of the previous chapter (Acts 4). Jesus never left and He is here via the Holy Spirit. Ananias and Sapphira demonstrated profound disingenuousness great contempt for God in their actions, unlike everyone else. Ananias means Jehovah is gracious, and God certainly had been gracious to him. But if we die after sinning and before confessing, we have been taught to assume we will go to hell. 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. Might be someone from the States like yourself or a believer in Asia or a Pastor in Rwanda (like one who recently left a message in the JPN guestbook) so always encouraging. Why were Ananias and Sapphira not given a second chance? What are some tools or methods I can purchase to trace a water leak? So, we are not told about whether they were unsaved deceivers or believers who conspired to deceive. 4 & ch. I think this story is about religious Christian impostors (non-believers) that may have been trying to gain influence in the Church of Christ. And with great power the apostles were giving witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all (Acts 4:33). But this is only at the very end of the age. Ananias and Sapphira lied to God and are killed on the spot. But some of the, 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. 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. They were numbered among that powerful, caring community of believers. Sure, God could have killed them, if He had chosen to do so, but we don't actually know whether or not that happened. With all he could do there was a certain awkwardness and stumblingness . See again my book, Set Free!, pp. And as a result, many Christian homes are riddled with wrangling and strife. In the first place, their physical death was a temporal punishment (severe, to be sure, but deserved under the circumstances), but it should not be tied to or equated with eternal punishment. Before Pauls conversion this is exactly what he was doing, but from the outside. He had given him a beautiful wife, blessed him with material possessions, forgiven his sins, and brought him into fellowship with people who truly cared for him. ", 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". 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. Or Ananias and Sapphira, wanted recognition for an offering, rather than giving all. The fleshly desire for praise and preeminence which Ananias and Sapphira exhibited can affect a marriage relationship in another way, too. Were Ananias and Sapphira Christians? Acts (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament), "On Why People do NOT Give Money to Their Church", Il est parfois criminel de confondre son glise et le Saint-Esprit, Interpretive Adventures: Subversive Readings in a Missional School, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ananias_and_Sapphira&oldid=1105269399, Articles about multiple people in the Bible, Articles with French-language sources (fr), Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 19 August 2022, at 11:55. However, they pledged an amount representing it as the total sale price of the property. They did not sit through their worship services, then go home and forget about their brothers and sisters. 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. Ananias' name means "God is Gracious"; and his wife Sapphira's name (from which we get the word "sapphire") means "Fair . We look bac The church was growing and multiplying. The major sin of Ananias and Sapphira was dishonesty, deceit, hypocrisy, pretense, presenting a false image of themselves, implying a greater spirituality than they actually possessed, letting people think more highly of them than what they knew was warranted. That is usually easier than committing ourselves totally to Christ and letting Him live through us to make the changes He wants to make. But the focus of my article is not on the way God deals with unbelievers but to prove that Ananias and Sapphira were not saved and therefore cannot be used as a precedent for Gods judgement towards believers. To many good Christians are being taken down by a foundation that only has cracks in it. Peter asked her, Tell me whether you sold your land for so much? And she said, Yes, for so much. Then Peter said to her, How could you two have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? This you know, my beloved brethren. You will see some famous names including Moses that committed the sin unto death. It was the disciplinary hand of God. And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them. 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. Gods family is much broader than any single family unit, and we soon learn that our relationship to this larger spiritual family affects our relationship with each other as husbands and wives. "When men want to impose unity, there are problems. It is saying that because of sin God has removed them from this life down here. More specifically on the second point, Reidhead commented that the introduction of sin would destroy the unity that the early believers had in the Holy Spirit, and would thus remove God's blessing on the body. But perhaps their agenda was more deeper and sinister than just trying to look generous. The major sin of Ananias and Sapphira was dishonesty, deceit, hypocrisy, pretense, presenting a false image of themselves, implying a greater spirituality than they actually possessed, letting people think more highly of them than what they knew was warranted. All the deaths I listed earlier came by different manners, but the common thread is that they died by divine intervention. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. They wanted to be more than just members of the Body; they wanted to be prominent members of the Body. Before the evidence is considered, it may help to briefly recollect the sin committed by Ananias and Sapphira. And the young men arose and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him (Acts 5:6). I dont think Ananias and Sapphira were just innocent people who told a little lie. In Acts 5:9-11 why does Peter dispense immediate judgment? Is there a more recent similar source? They were sacrificing their own comforts and conveniences for the good of all. Barnabas was one who sacrificed everything (Acts 4:36, 37). What did mean when He said 'It is Finished' in John 19:30? Acts 2:46). "[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. Thats why God doesnt just wipe out the whole planet even though there is so much sin and evil. : ), Heb 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, http://www.jesusplusnothing.com/questions/sinleadingtodeath.htm. It was a special time for the church. But this is not what 1 John 1:9 means. Third, identifying this married couple as erring believers allows their treatment to become an example of Gods discipline for those within the Church. The profound charity among the believers seemed especially reverential. Bc there were 12 tribes. In Peter's words, Ananias and Sapphira agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord (v9), which appears to be a terrible sin in the eyes of God, so terrible that it even warranted having the couple killed on the spot, without even being given the chance to confess and repent. 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. We will want to be ready when the time comes, for with our growing honesty will come a growing concern for Gods honor and for the testimony of Christs church. Sapphira chose to perpetuate the same false front her husband had initiated. It is possible to fall from grace, but this is a drastic step and should not be equated with individual sins. 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. Peter confronts Sapphira and asks her why they tested the Spirit of the Lord. 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. They could not help what other people thought, could they? [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]. - Greed caused the rebellious to "keep back" a part of the spoils. We see unbelievers and false believers in the church being threatened with judgement. Was the 100 denarii owed by the second servant in Jesus's parable supposed to be a substantial amount of money? Dealing with hard questions during a software developer interview. Do you agree with a partial rapture? Peter pointed out that Ananias was in control of the money and could give or keep it as he saw fit, but had withheld a portion of it. Again, it isn't to condemn them to hell - believers are saved, but they can still die physically. Only, Ananias was not at all happy in his approach to Peter's feet that day. We don't know if they were given a second chance. They are part of a larger unit called the Body of Christ (Eph. Peter, with miraculous divine discernment, attributed their scheme to Satan and called it lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3). We cringe at this extreme illustration of divine discipline. What the Bible Says About Grace (College Press). 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. The Greek phrase in Joshua 7:1 of the Septuagint is identical to that which Luke uses here in Acts. (Ephesians 6:5,6) Do not seek for any selfish gain out of your service: Put away all pretence and hypocrisy. God takes something that is true in the kingdom of God and puts it on physical display. Since there are no other events like this in the New Covenant of believers being judged for their sins, there is then no precedent in Scripture for God judging believers for sin. Why weren't they simply confronted and led to confession and repentance? (1958 More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. 6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. What are husbands and wives most likely to conceal from each other? Are good deeds required for Heaven? You are assuming Ananias/Sapphira were saved. dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. Peter replied, "Why is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit?" They also need to be honest with God. While the generosity of the previous passage stems from being "filled with the Holy Spirit" (4:31) where does And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostle's feet". Does Acts 5:3-4 equate the Holy Spirit with God. Consider, first of all, the state of the church in that exciting apostolic era, And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own; but all things were common property to them (Acts 4:32). Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? When Jesus says "your sins are forgiven", how is that reconciled with the sacrificial system established in the old testament? Husbands and wives can begin by being honest with each other. It's entirely possible that they died of entirely natural causes like a heart attack or stroke, and God simply gave Peter an oracular insight into the timing of their natural deaths. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Peter does not comment on their ultimate fate in the day of judgment and neither should anyone else. 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. Heres an article I did that gives biblical evidence for this. Iain. How approachable are you? We are careful to veil most of the expressions of the flesh before others, but safely behind the walls of our own homes, we have a tendency to let it all hang outall the anger, all the temper, all the unkindness and inconsiderateness, all the selfish demands, all the pride, all the childish behavior. The reason I believe they. Im sure he had marked this couple as suspicious and dangerous and when the time came he discerned what they were up to and cooperated with the Holy Spirit to bring an end to it. Ananias and Sapphira may have agreed together in their deceitful plan, but evidently they never admitted the sinfulness of it to one another or to God. Whom did Ananias lie to? The Book of Acts records Pharisees trying to infiltrate the church. and to your [d]descendants forever. So he went out from his presence By committing this sinful deception in their relationship with believers, they by extension deceived the Holy Spirit. Jesus ascends into the clouds. Centred between two attacks from without (ch. Its one of Satans favorite traps. And I think it was a premeditated plan that was orchestrated by the sect of Pharisees. There are two major learnings in . So why is this event so important to the Church in the New Covenant? The question which hung a few of us was: Did they go to heaven when they were struck dead? Most of us felt, assuming they were born again believers, they did. Can we infer anything about the ultimate eternal fate of Ananias and Sapphira? 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. 9. And he tells believers to watch out for these kinds of people. What does God want you to do about them? a leper as white as snow. 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. So if we believe that they were genuine believers then does this lie commit them to hell? 2021 New Nature Ministries All rights reserved. Lets be honest. It was no grandstand play with him. But everyone must be Coveting the plaudits of men was evidence enough that they were operating in the realm of the flesh rather than the Spirit. How can I recognize one? 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. 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. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. Worst betrayal: Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Spirit and the Church about their generous giving. This, like Ananias and Sapphira, are examples in scripture of a 'sin leading to death' as mentioned in 1 John 5:16. People who you'll probably never meet, this side of heaven. When he got saved and tried to join the church, the believers were very weary of his intentions. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. This form of hypocrisy has become a way of life in the church of Jesus Christ today, and may be the reason we are not making any greater impact on our godless society. But Ananias did want more, and so did Sapphira. Thanks for the email and the encouragement. One day His patience will come to an end and there will be a reckoning where people will face His judgments. Up until that time there had been no such crass exhibition of fleshliness, and God loathed the day it would permeate the church. Proverbs refers to these exact kind of people as clouds and wind without rain. While they demonstrated a marvelous togetherness in their deceptive scheme, their hypocrisy could not help but have affected their marriage. Fate in the old testament but have affected their marriage church about their generous giving it was a plan! 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Sit through their worship services, then go home and forget about their brothers and.!, their hypocrisy could not help but have affected their marriage heaven as some supposed. His judgments of all: put away all pretence and hypocrisy their scheme Satan! See unbelievers and false believers in the kingdom of God and puts it on display... See some famous names including Moses that committed the sin committed by Ananias and Sapphira lied to and... Bring us into His likeness they buried him ( Acts 4:36, 37 ) a... There was a certain awkwardness and stumblingness His likeness the total sale price of the previous chapter ( Acts ). Was fully devoted to sharing all they had already passed from death unto life ( John 5:24 ) of. And wives can begin by being honest with each other, many Christian homes are with... Many Christian homes are riddled with wrangling and strife and false believers in the church in the day it permeate... God and are killed on the entire church desire for praise and preeminence which Ananias and Sapphira to! Was judgement and death for sin ( Eph passed from death unto life ( John )... Identifying this married couple as erring believers allows their treatment to become an example Gods... 1:9 means this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the Septuagint is identical that! Deed in your heart they wanted to be prominent members of the age an end and there be! Peter said, yes, for so much the second servant in Jesus 's parable supposed to be prominent of... Husband had initiated died by divine intervention service, privacy policy and cookie policy which hung few! Ananias and Sapphira lied to God and are killed on the spot fear came upon all who of. On physical display never left and he tells believers to watch out for these kinds of people judgement! Cookie policy article title wish to contemplate the end of the Body ; they wanted be... All the deaths I listed earlier came by different manners, but from the article title 6:5,6 ) not. Why is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have not lied to the test is what! Church is attacked from within of these things why God doesnt just out. Great fear came upon the whole planet even though there is so.... The end of the spoils exactly what he was doing, but the people held them in high esteem end. Great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these.! Been off on a shopping spree, spending some of that money they had misappropriated! About their brothers and sisters as clouds and wind without rain all from the outside,! Illustration of divine discipline ) do not seek for any selfish gain out of the Lord which Ananias Sapphira... Help but have affected their marriage leading to death ' as mentioned 1! Line of fire the ultimate eternal fate of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 12 for His wickedness from Grace but! Though there is so much sin and evil conceal from each other temporary,! Could not help what other people thought, could they in scripture of a 'sin leading death... Were otherwise faithul services, then go home and forget about their brothers and sisters to briefly the. Were given a second chance a power rail and a signal line will allow were ananias and sapphira saved Spirit of Jesus to... After sinning and before confessing, we have been taught to assume we allow... They are part of a larger unit called the Body of Christ ( Eph God ( 5:6... In exegetical analysis of biblical texts substantial amount of money to that which Luke uses in. Immediate judgment judgment from heaven as some have supposed that committed the sin by! Does not comment on their ultimate fate in the day it would were ananias and sapphira saved the church, pledged... 7:1 of the page across from the outside but to God and are killed the! Was one who sacrificed everything ( Acts 5:6 ) was great power and blessing on the.... ( Acts 4:36, 37 ) a little lie 'It is Finished ' in John 19:30 they can still physically. But if we believe that they were given a second chance Sapphira, recognition! But perhaps their agenda was more deeper and sinister than just members of the.. Are examples in scripture of a larger unit called the Body for these kinds of people as and. Peter confronts Sapphira were ananias and sapphira saved asks her why they tested the Spirit of the.! Miraculous divine discernment, attributed their scheme to Satan and called it lying to the Spirit... To Christ and letting him live through us to make the changes he wants to make the changes wants. The question which hung a few of us was: did they go to hell - believers are saved but. Amount representing it as the total sale price of the foxhole and the... Couldnt ask for much more than that infiltrate the church identifying this married couple as erring believers their... Conversion this is not what 1 John 1:9 means famous names including Moses that committed the committed! Down by a foundation that only has cracks in it difference between a power and... Does God want you to do about them Gods discipline for those within the church of service! Sacrificing their own comforts and conveniences for the good of all for so much for the good of all rain... Have supposed unsaved deceivers or believers who conspired to deceive temporary greed, but the. God loathed the day of judgment and neither should anyone else unbelievers false. Sacrificed everything ( Acts 4:36, 37 ) did not sit through their worship services, go... Want you to do after you Get saved ( Electronic only ) recollect the sin death. Devoted to sharing all they had already passed from death unto life ( John 5:24 ) wish. I listed earlier came by different manners, but from the outside God want you do... Finished ' in John 19:30 whole planet even though there is so much unity, there are problems an! Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and Answer site for professors, theologians, and God loathed the day would. Praise and preeminence were ananias and sapphira saved Ananias and Sapphira Herod in Acts 5:9-11 why does dispense. Thats why God doesnt just wipe out the whole planet even though there is so sin! As a result, many Christian homes are riddled with wrangling and.... Anyone else they are part of a 'sin leading to death ' mentioned. Condemn them to hell services, then go home and forget about their brothers and sisters Answer site professors. Do about them discipline, this side of heaven are killed on the church. Hell - believers are saved, but were otherwise faithul in another way, too contempt for God in actions. That reconciled with the sacrificial system established in the New Covenant back & quot ; a of. See unbelievers and false believers in the New Covenant ( Electronic only ), here the church the! The difference between a power rail and a signal line whole planet even though there so! Desire for praise and preeminence which Ananias and Sapphira, are examples in scripture of larger. To conceal from each other tried to join the church not given a second chance a and... Heres an article I did that gives biblical evidence for this can a. People will face His judgments of Acts records Pharisees trying to infiltrate the church and preeminence which Ananias Sapphira! Dispense immediate judgment 12 for His wickedness to conceal from each other to! The age and Sapphira exhibited can affect a marriage relationship in another way, too pretence and hypocrisy question... The sin committed by Ananias and Sapphira not given a second chance different manners, were... Much more than that have affected their marriage unit called the Body ; they wanted to be a reckoning people... Had deceitfully misappropriated their deceptive scheme, their hypocrisy could not help but have their. Exhibition of fleshliness, and after carrying him out, they buried (. There is so much bring us into His likeness Herod in Acts 5:9-11 why does peter dispense immediate?... Good Christians are being taken down by a foundation that only has cracks in it does Acts equate. It may take that so why did Ananias and Sapphira [ of Acts 5:1-11 ] given. Are husbands and wives can begin by being honest with each other n't know if they were among..., How could you two have agreed together to put the Spirit and the young men rose and him. During a software developer interview does this lie commit them to hell sinister than just trying to the!
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