Ananias and Sapphira

Part Two: Acts 5:9-14

Ananias paid for his lies and theft with his life. He fell dead just as he had laid part of the funds at the feet of the apostles. As was the custom of the time, his body was immediately removed and buried that same day (Dt. 21:32). “Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened” (5:7). Where was she? Perhaps out spending the money they had “kept back” from God. She may have not known of her husband’s fate because she arrived too late.

Peter gives Sapphira an opportunity to confess the truth. “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?” (5:8a). She chose to persist in the lie. “She said, ‘Yes, for so much’” (5:8b). Like her husband she would rather give up her life than give up the ruse. “Then Peter said to her, ‘How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out’” (5:9). She put God to the test as to the Spirit’s ability to detect the deceit. “You shall not tempt the Lord your God” (Deut. 6:16). She was given a chance to repent and chose not to.

Judgement came upon Sapphira just as swift as it was for her husband. “Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband” (5:10). The same young men were back and ready for burial duty. The term “feet” is used three times as an idiom in which part of the body represents the whole person.

God’s sudden judgment had the effect of deterring others from testing God as this couple has done. Sin in the church is serious. Christ did not die to purchase the church for anyone to be playing church. Theirs was not a little white lie. Others would think twice before they tried to hide their sins even their motives seen only by God in the deep recess of their dark heart. God demands purity in the Bride of Christ. From now on, God would have the local congregations deal with such sinners by way of church discipline (1 Cor. 5:1-11). This will have a profound positive effect on the community as it did in Acts 5. “So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things” (5:11).

Lessons Learned for Today

 Facing Imperfections In The Church

The first sin mentioned in the church of Christ was by no means the last. The church in the book of Acts was not perfect. God demands that sin in the church be rooted out and dealt with. Blemish upon the bride must be cleansed.

 Filling Up On Satan’s Influence

Just as Satan tempted Adam and Eve to destroy God’s perfect place for them in the Garden of Eden, so he is out to ruin God’s creation the church through the sins of Ananias and Sapphira. Christian, “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).

 Fibbing To God Is Foolish

Lying to God and expecting to get away with it is the ultimate self-deception. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked…” (Gal. 6:7). God is no fool. But everyone who thinks they can put one over one Him is a fool. God’s omniscience and omnipresent makes Him the ultimate lie detector. All liars do not drop dead, but all liars will go to hell (Rev. 21:8).

 Impressing People Out Of Pride

Christianity is not how you look to others on the outside. True Christianity is what God sees of you on the inside. To seek the praise of men comes from personal pride. Those who seek such dare not seek the praise of God and good men and women. Jesus warned, “Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward” (Matt. 6:2). It is like the man who wrapped a twenty around a bunch of one-dollar bills in a roll to fool others.

 Feigning Charity

“God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7). And Jesus said, “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Ac. 20:35). But God does not love the hypocrite who is in love with his money and will not bless those who only look to receive rewards from man. This feigned holiness is called by Jesus hypocrisy or “the leaven of the Pharisees” (Lk. 12:1). Left unchecked this leaven would spread throughout the whole church. Achan’s greed led to Israel’s defeat at Ai (Josh. 7). He kept back for himself that which did not belong to him (Josh 7:1). He too had to die for his lie and greed.

 Dealing Decisively With Sin

God shows us how seriously He views sin by the way He severely and decisively punishes sinners. Consider a few times He demonstrates this in the Bible: Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10), Korah (Num. 16), Achan (Josh 7), Herod (Acts 12). “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23) for everyone because every man sins (Rom. 3:23).

Today, some reject the idea of the church taking any kind of punitive discipline upon a sinful saint because it is either too mean or too ineffective. Yet would they rather God deal directly with the wicked man or women in the assembly as He did Ananias and Sapphira? Someone commits to give a hundred-dollar bill and puts in a five instead. Immediately they fall out of the pew dead in the middle of the aisle. Forget calling 911 or administering CPR (but do keep passing the plate). The fact is, God was very “mean” and yet very effective. The church is looking out for the lost saint’s soul and can be very effective in bringing back the lost sheep (Matt. 18:10-17).

 Fearing God

The deaths of this couple result in the others responding with fear. Today, fear is only a negative or bad feeling that is to be avoided and wrong to cause in others. However, fear is a friend not a foe. Fear alerts to danger. The reverent fear of God keeps men holy and honoring God. It should terrify us to lie and defy our God. Fear is part of our soul’s salvation. “Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:1). In order for fear of God’s judgment to motivate the world of the wicked the church needs to first demonstrate that same fear. “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Pet. 4:17).

 Growing in Numbers

The result of these two deaths was the Apostles kept on doing their work. There were two different responses to this event. Some would not obey the Gospel but did have a good deal of respect for Christians. “Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly” (5:13). On a more positive note: “believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women” (5:14).

Those who are of this world need to see that the church of Christ is not just a home to harbor self-righteous hypocrites. This lesson does not teach that the consumer of Christianity is always right. But God is always right, and He will consume counterfeit Christians. A few will see the sincerity of our faith and will obey the Gospel. Downplaying God’s wrath against sin will not help the church’s image in the community. Leaving out the reality of hell for the Gospel message will not lead others to the baptistry. This passage proves that a demonstration of God’s judgment against sin enhance evangelism. “Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Cor. 5:11).

– Daniel R. Vess