The Story of Ananias and Sapphira. B. Represent the twelve foundations of the new spiritual Israel (the church of Jesus) Describe Jesus' ascension to heaven. 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. Once in Christ, then again in us. Ananias and Sapphiras behaviour exposed their true heart and agenda. Their loving concern for one another went so far as to touch their wallets, and that is real care! They are evil and have a sinister agenda. It is only by God's grace that we are spared today. The Greek phrase in Joshua 7:1 of the Septuagint is identical to that which Luke uses here in Acts. He merely exposed Ananias hypocrisy by the insight God gave him. Why or why not? So if we believe that they were genuine believers then does this lie commit them to hell? But those days were different. When one Christian sees another Christian getting away with it, he finds it easier to try it himself. They are evil and have a sinister agenda. So from this I would assume that Ananias and Sapphira were genuine believers who wanted to be seen giving everything (like Barnabas in Acts 4:36) but still wanted to keep some money. Acts chapter 4:32 closes by stating that the first followers of Jesus did not consider their possessions to be their own but rather held in common, in order to use what they had on behalf of those in want. Pretend! They did dare join the Church. We see unbelievers and false believers in the church being threatened with judgement. Ananias and Sapphira lied to God and are killed on the spot. The profound charity among the believers seemed especially reverential. lovingkindness. 2. 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. Thus, to sin against the Holy Spirit in such a manner as to negate His Person, leaves one with no means of access to Deity at all. We will be real! 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. 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. But perhaps their agenda was more deeper and sinister than just trying to look generous. They could not help what other people thought, could they? to be assuming God killed them - (punished them?). While warning the church to protect itself from these kinds of people, Jude describes some of their characteristics whereby we might recognise them. Jude also calls these kinds of people waterless clouds, swept along by the winds. Questions: Why were Ananias and Sapphira not given a second chance? A) Why were Ananias and Sapphira [of Acts 5:1-11] not given a second chance? We do however see another situation in Acts 12:21-23 where God kills an. Of course the technology involved is a whole other amazing subject. But God's power was mightier than all the forces of hell, so their sin found them out. They wanted the praise of men. He was pastor of Emmanuel Faith Community Church in Escondido, CA from 1972 to 1993 when the Lord called him home. Is it possible that Ananias and Sapphira were still saved despite the exemplary punishment they received? A man named Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold a piece of land kept some of it for themselves and then the husband, brought the rest as an offering to the Church. They are part of a larger unit called the Body of Christ (Eph. Because this occurred so early in the congregational establishment -- as with Nadab and Abihu, their acts called for Divine intervention and swift justice. He states that, "The story aims for gallows humor, but we read Acts in a different place today. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! Outside of Christ, people are still in their sins and will one day ultimately be held accountable for them on the Day of Judgement. Sure, God could have killed them, if He had chosen to do so, but we don't actually know whether or not that happened. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. Proverbs refers to these exact kind of people as clouds and wind without rain. And Peter declared that she would experience the same fate which Ananias had suffered. 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. She falls and breathes her last breath. 3. You will see some famous names including Moses that committed the sin unto death. Why did He do it? Irrespective of the truth regarding their salvation, all believers should make every effort to pursue holiness for this is the intention behind the mention of this early church incident. Peter stated that Ananias had lied not to men, but to God. Do you agree with a partial rapture? 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. We don't know how old they were, or what their general health condition was like. Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? 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. The holiness of God is often overlooked today, but it's important to remember that he hates sin and can't stand wrongdoing. Later, when Peter and John arrived, they refused to bestow upon him the Holy Spirit through the laying on of [their] hands for Simon remained unredeemed (8:17-23). Will Jesus 'spit' us out of His mouth? The result of this unselfish spirit was great power and blessing on the entire church. 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. I would suggest that we may never know of their ultimate circumstances. 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. To many good Christians are being taken down by a foundation that only has cracks in it. (SUBSCRIBE HERE). Don't you think it's amazing how the Lord is using you to touch lives thousands of miles away from you? What was so wrong with their plan? Acts 4:32-35 And the congregation of those who Then we will be able to stop playing the game of putting on appearances. (Also in this book, see pp. Heres an article I did that gives biblical evidence for this. No. Evidently they could. It then follows with the two examples (1 good and 1 not good) of people selling their property to give to the church. 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. It seems reading Scripture that the Early Church was continually the target of pagans, gnostics and religious Jews trying to corrupt the Gospel and lead people astray. Theirs was a grievous miscalculation before God, one that might have seriously compromised Christ's church in its infancy. Who were the rest that didnt dare join the Church? This is most amazing. [Acts 5:9 KJV]. How could they get the congratulations they craved from the congregation without laying everything on the altar of sacrifice? Ananias & Sapphira were clearly practicing duplicity and hypocrisy, which was indicative of their attitude toward lying. We have each other, and that is all that matters, the love-struck couple boasted shortly after their wedding. 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". Sins against the Holy Spirit are extremely grievous. Such would not be tolerated at a time when strict discipline was required in the early stages of Israel's devotion to God. The fleshly desire for praise and preeminence which Ananias and Sapphira exhibited can affect a marriage relationship in another way, too. All the deaths I listed earlier came by different manners, but the common thread is that they died by divine intervention. 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. What does a search warrant actually look like? Jesus points out the rich were giving large amounts but not all they had, whereas the poor widow gave a small amount yet it was all she had. We also see in the book of Revelation, before Christs return and before the dead are judged, God pouring out judgement upon unbelievers (not believers) with the trumpet and bowl judgments. 6:10), the household of God (Eph. People who you'll probably never meet, this side of heaven. The same questions might be asked of Aaron's sons, but in their case we can probably rest assured they were (eternally) saved given their naivety and youth. Is it overcoming sin that saves us? Acts 2:46). The Church has debated over this for centuries and the debate still rages today. The church was growing and multiplying. However if Ananias and Sapphira were not born again, then the whole scenario changes. 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. By committing this sinful deception in their relationship with believers, they by extension deceived the Holy Spirit. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,. Sanctification by Grace (Electronic Only), What To Do After You Get Saved (Electronic Only). Perhaps they had previously - the whole story is not recorded. The Biblical tale of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 is a strange one that leaves us with more questions than answers. While they demonstrated a marvelous togetherness in their deceptive scheme, their hypocrisy could not help but have affected their marriage. 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