Jude also calls these kinds of people waterless clouds, swept along by the winds. If their attitudes are wrong, even if they both share them alike, they must acknowledge them openly to the Lord and refuse to go on excusing them. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. They wanted more than acceptance; they wanted acclaim. feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need. We will be real! 12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. "Slow to anger" does Not mean God never becomes angry. According to Luke, he believed Philip when he was preaching the good news, and then received baptism (8:12-13). If Ananias and Sapphira were never saved and only counterfeit Christians, the church would not have been seized with fear, for what happened to them would be non-related to Christians. If Ananias and Sapphira were new Christians/immature Christians then we might have asked why they did Not have a chance to repent( i.e., some kind of gracious period of time to repent). After hearing these words from Peter, Ananias falls down and dies. This was all in a public place, just like it was in Acts 5. Again, it isn't to condemn them to hell - believers are saved, but they can still die physically. 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. 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. They could not bear to do what the others were doinggive their substance totally to God and trust solely in His faithfulness to meet their needs. He had to act decisively. And the young men arose and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him (Acts 5:6). But God's power was mightier than all the forces of hell, so their sin found them out. Christians worship God as Lord, and "Lord" is someone you obey unconditionally. 303ff. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. It was a special time for the church. - The people of God were experiencing victory. I think God recognised their strategy and brought it to an abrupt end. And so, the worst thing is when we are hypocritical and we want to give 100%, but then we don't. And it doesn't mean that we have to sell anything and give anything. Ananias presented his donation to Peter. They did dare join the Church. Well the reality is that, while Christ paid the price for everyones sins, its only those who are in Christ that receive the benefit of that and are therefore safe from Gods judgment. 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. 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. Their sin was trying to deceive people and God to believing they were giving more than what they were really giving. Ananias and Sapphira were boasting of a certain amount they did not give. We do not know how they got Ananias buried without Sapphira knowing about it, but bodies had to be buried quickly in those days and maybe they could not find Sapphira at the moment. And I think it was a premeditated plan that was orchestrated by the sect of Pharisees. By pretending to give the whole amount they could appear generous without having to actually give it all away. 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. Sapphiras name means beautiful or pleasant, the same name given to that precious stone of deep purple blue, the sapphire. Suppositions as to the eternal state of the two guilty persons are just that : suppositions. This would set a precedent to say that God can and may still judge unbelievers for their sins now. They also need to be honest with God. Depression, fear, insecurity, condemnation, low self esteem, insignificance, and powerless tendencies all attack the child of God that does not have the revelation of salvation by grace through faith in the completed work of the cross of Calvary that Jesus has accomplished. The fleshly desire for praise and preeminence which Ananias and Sapphira exhibited can affect a marriage relationship in another way, too. 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 to your [d]descendants forever. So he went out from his presence But that becomes even more obvious to us when we learn that their confidence for the future was in their bank account rather than in the Lord. Why or why not? But Ananias did want more, and so did Sapphira. Ask your mate whether or not it is easy to be honest with you. 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. (cf. (33) on falling from grace.). 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. Do you agree with a partial rapture? Barnabas was one who sacrificed everything (Acts 4:36, 37). In the fourth chapter of Acts, the apostles were praying for more boldness and miracles. belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. Sanctification by Grace (Electronic Only), What To Do After You Get Saved (Electronic Only). They collaborated on a plan to stash some of the money from the sale of their property in a safety deposit box for themselves and take the rest to the apostles. And that brings us, secondly, to the sin of Ananias and Sapphira. 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. Matthew 6:1,2) 3 But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 6. However, even in the beginning, the church . 2021 New Nature Ministries All rights reserved. (Matthew 6:1-18, Luke 16:13-15). It then follows with the two examples (1 good and 1 not good) of people selling their property to give to the church. Once in Christ, then again in us. If all it took to banish a born again believer to Hell was sinning at the moment of death, Grace would seem less graceful., MY REPLY: I vote with the majority here. 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. But they were obligated to be honest (Acts 5:4). He merely exposed Ananias hypocrisy by the insight God gave him. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. Why were Ananias and Sapphira not given a second chance? When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 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. If he thinks he is coming out on the short end, he quarrels and complains until he gets what he thinks he deserves. What does put at the apostles feet mean in Acts 4:32-5:2? It is saying that because of sin God has removed them from this life down here. Phony spirituality is contagious. Acts 15:1-5 And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved. 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. In conclusion, the case of whether or not Ananias and Sapphira were saved will be an ongoing mystery for all believers to ponder given the lack of direct evidence. Acts 5:7-10 Now after an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 5. 2. But the Spirit of God can use an honest openness, on the other hand, to produce in us the life of Christ, and that means abundant life, abiding joy, and abounding blessing. And this is more inline with the New Covenant because God has already punished Jesus for all of our sins in Christ, and is no longer counting them against us. The Greek phrase in Joshua 7:1 of the Septuagint is identical to that which Luke uses here in Acts. 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. [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]. Perhaps we might wish to contemplate the end of the previous chapter (Acts 4). 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". What does God want you to do about them? It says: For argument's sake, let's say that Ananias and Sapphira were not true believers. Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? Ive never disciplined any of my kids by killing them! The Death of Sapphira, by Ambrosius Francken the Elder 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. How can you avoid this tendency? The Biblical tale of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 is a strange one that leaves us with more questions than answers. The Story of Ananias and Sapphira. Centred between two attacks from without (ch. Will Jesus 'spit' us out of His mouth? 4 & ch. HERE'S AN INTERESTING QUESTION: "We are working through the book of Acts in our Sunday School class, and last week discussed Ananias and Sapphira. 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. I think Sapphira did have a second chance. 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. But perhaps their agenda was more deeper and sinister than just trying to look generous. Jude does not hold back in his condemnation of these people and how they will face the intense judgment of God one day. But those days were different. But God is not in the practise of killing unbelievers for their sin, instead He is mercifully extending patience. Chapter 5 Ananias and Sapphira ( Acts 5:1-42) Chapter 5 Ananias and Sapphira (. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023, Living in Love: Secrets from Bible Marriages. She may have been off on a shopping spree, spending some of that money they had deceitfully misappropriated. I think so but I don't really know. [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 Holy Spirit, God or both? Is Salvation only in the Mass? 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. Discipline yes, but not judgment like this. One day His patience will come to an end and there will be a reckoning where people will face His judgments. What we do know is that as a result of the judgment that fell on this couple, "great fear came upon the whole . What happens to Ananias and Sapphira is alarming. Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price? he asked, quoting the amount which Ananias had brought to him. What's the difference between a power rail and a signal line? that as such we will incur a [a]stricter judgment. The story of Ananias and Sapphira is found in Acts 5, and it is a sad story, indeed. 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. 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? (SUBSCRIBE 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. 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