As believers they had already passed from death unto life (John 5:24). Is Water Baptism necessary for Salvation? The need for each partner to come out looking better than his mate causes him to mask his true inner person, and so entrenches him more firmly in his wretched hypocrisy. 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. Paul tells the Corinthians that because of their behaviour : For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 6:10), the household of God (Eph. But Scripture goes on to say that they were of one soul as well, and that is something entirely different. Personally I think its quite obviously referring to the party of the Pharisees. The Biblical tale of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 is a strange one that leaves us with more questions than answers. Is Faith enough? A man couldnt ask for much more than that. Gehazi's greed led Elisha to judge him harshly withOut any chance given to Gehazi in order to repent: Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you I think this story is about religious Christian impostors (non-believers) that may have been trying to gain influence in the Church of Christ. Whom did Ananias lie to? Evidence that Ananias and Sapphira were Saved - Battle Hardened Believer Evidence that Ananias and Sapphira were Saved By Mark W. Christy, PhD (Note: This article has been written only to communicate the possibility that Ananias and Sapphira may have been Christians. 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. Can we infer anything about the ultimate eternal fate of Ananias and Sapphira? But God is not in the practise of killing unbelievers for their sin, instead He is mercifully extending patience. Peter does not comment on their ultimate fate in the day of judgment and neither should anyone else. 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. It only says that they conspired to deceive. Sapphira chose to perpetuate the same false front her husband had initiated. And presto, they would have instant acclaim as spiritual, self-sacrificing believers who had surrendered everything to Jesus Christ. by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 7:37pm, HERES AN INTERESTING QUESTION: We are working through the book of Acts in our Sunday School class, and last week discussed Ananias and Sapphira. 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. No Christian husband and wife can be an island to themselves. We see this most often through the healing miracles, but it is equally true of this judgment. See chapter 4, Grace as a Double Cure, in my recent book on grace, Set Free! 3. 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. 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). 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. This was all in a public place, just like it was in Acts 5. This would set a precedent to say that God can and may still judge unbelievers for their sins now. She too, fell dead. What we do know is that as a result of the judgment that fell on this couple, "great fear came upon the whole . quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules 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. Pharisees loved money and they loved peoples praises. 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. When we admit our true feelings and motives to someone else, when we acknowledge our faults for what they are and ask someone to pray for us, it provides a helpful incentive to claim Gods power to change. Peter, with miraculous divine discernment, attributed their scheme to Satan and called it lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3). He had to act decisively. resulting in their lie. 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. Why were Ananias and Sapphira not given a chance to repent? Peter stated that Ananias had lied not to men, but to God. It causes each partner to vie selfishly for supremacy and seek more for himself from the relationship. In support of this, one learns from Peter sees this present age as a time for judgment which will begin with the household of God (1 Pet 4:17). We have the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5, and the death of Herod in Acts 12 for his wickedness. 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. 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. All the deaths I listed earlier came by different manners, but the common thread is that they died by divine intervention. What does a search warrant actually look like? Look! 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. But if we die after sinning and before confessing, we have been taught to assume we will go to hell. Ananias means Jehovah is gracious, and God certainly had been gracious to him. Their spirits were knit together in the cords of Christs life and Christs love. 5. The profound charity among the believers seemed especially reverential. A lot of the Church today uses the story of Ananias and Sapphira as a precedent to threaten and warn other believers not to sin for fear of similar consequences. Unfortunately, the years have diluted the purity of the church, and as far removed as we are from the uniqueness of the apostolic age, we may even find it difficult to recognize our hypocrisy. Why does Jesus turn to the Father to forgive in Luke 23:34? 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. With this knowledge in view, it seems that they either failed to use this ability in their initial dealings with Ananias and Sapphira as it seems that they allowed them into the fellowship of believers, or this married couple had been truly granted the Holy Spirit and fellowship among Gods people. from Ananias and Sapphira in the Acts of the Apostles is that they pretended to give 100%, but they were really holding back. While everyone in the church who sold property and generously gave all the money they received from the sale, Ananias and Sapphira held back some of the money from their sale of property for themselves, but tried to pretend they were giving everything because that made them also look generous and caring. To many good Christians are being taken down by a foundation that only has cracks in it. Acts 4:32-35 And the congregation of those who If this be true, they were at that time "filled with the Holy Ghost.". great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. 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. From the very outset, He wanted it known how strongly He feels about hypocrisy, and He wanted it known for all time. Is all mankind free from their sins or only those in Christ? Acts 5:7-10 Now after an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. I would suggest that we may never know of their ultimate circumstances. 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. The account records their sudden deaths after lying to the Holy Spirit about money. Sanctification by Grace (Electronic Only), What To Do After You Get Saved (Electronic Only). 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. Havelaar, H. 1997. This question is important because it impacts our understanding of the New Covenant. 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. Some are adamant they were believers while others insist they were not. Were They Saved? 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. 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. (cf. 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. Is it possible that Ananias and Sapphira were still saved despite the exemplary punishment they received? (2 Corinthians 5:19). 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). Their sin was trying to deceive people and God to believing they were giving more than what they were really giving. Why do you not agree with Soul Salvation? What are the risks of husbands and wives being transparent with each other? And Peter declared that she would experience the same fate which Ananias had suffered. There is nothing in the story that indicates that they went to hell and this was not a sin that Jesus didn't pay for when He died. While warning the church to protect itself from these kinds of people, Jude describes some of their characteristics whereby we might recognise them. Was the 100 denarii owed by the second servant in Jesus's parable supposed to be a substantial amount of money? Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price? he asked, quoting the amount which Ananias had brought to him. Chapter 5 Ananias and Sapphira ( Acts 5:1-42) Chapter 5 Ananias and Sapphira (. [1]All Scripture references are taken from NASB1995. Ananias and Sapphira were mentioned in Acts 5:1-10 as a couple who sold some property and donated a portion of the proceeds to the Disciples. Hope this helps, Should faith and works be separated in salvation? In doing this I want to reinforce the New Covenant in peoples understanding that Christ is the propitiation for our sins, who was punished in our place so that we could be saved from Gods wrath and receive total forgiveness, justification, Gods righteousness and eternal peace between us and God. And no one can fool God. They finally came up with a solution. Those early Christians sensed a spiritual bond at the deepest level of their lives. In the fourth chapter of Acts, the apostles were praying for more boldness and miracles. 8 And Peter said to her, Tell me whether you sold the land for so much. And she said, Yes, for so much. 9 But Peter said to her, How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? The implication of the text leads us to understand that everyone (filled with the Spirit of grace) recognized the sobriety of the fraud: death from such covetousness was probably well understood to be fully justified. 9. In Acts 5:9-11 why does Peter dispense immediate judgment? Lukethe Spirit-inspired historian who wrote the Book of Actstells us in Acts 5:1; But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession (Acts 5:1). Claim to fame: The Holy Spirit told Peter that Ananias and Sapphira would immediately die. Scriptures about Gods ultimate judgment towards unbelievers. They did dare join the Church. How could they get the congratulations they craved from the congregation without laying everything on the altar of sacrifice? 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. Bc there were 12 tribes. They just gave the money and said nothing about what percentage of the total sale price it represented. The poor He associated with humility and reliance upon God and therefore able to have faith and receive the Kingdom. 6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. The story of Ananias and Sapphira is to the book of Acts what the story of Achan is to the book of Joshua. Is 'The Heaven Test' presumptuous and judgmental? 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. Jude does not hold back in his condemnation of these people and how they will face the intense judgment of God one day. (Luke 16:19-31, Luke 18:18-30). But those days were different. Which is really more important to usto maintain the appearance of spirituality, or genuinely to be what God wants us to be? Debate/Discussion: Universal Salvation: True or False? Pretend! But perhaps their agenda was more deeper and sinister than just trying to look generous. "Can we infer anything about the ultimate eternal fate of Ananias and Sapphira? Acts 5:1-11. What are some tools or methods I can purchase to trace a water leak? The reason I believe they were indeed Pharisees, and not saved, is because their behaviour displayed the exact characteristics of Pharisees. Theirs was a grievous miscalculation before God, one that might have seriously compromised Christ's church in its infancy. Connected to this story is the truth, though not often dwelt upon, that God can sometimes take a believers life in judgement. The number of believers probably totaled five thousand or more by this time, and yet they were of one heart and one soul. In Acts, Ananias and Sapphiras sinful actions were performed within the context of their relationship to the Church. 12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. But Ananias did want more, and so did 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. And fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. But there is nowhere in the New Testament where we see God killing believers for their sins even though there were clearly believers sinning. Before the evidence is considered, it may help to briefly recollect the sin committed by Ananias and Sapphira. These two shocking deaths served as an example to the body of Christ that God hates hypocrisy. 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. Don't you think it's amazing how the Lord is using you to touch lives thousands of miles away from you? If Annanias and Sapphira were born of the Spirit they are not "liars". Therefore, it is not true there is no evidence Ananias and Sapphira were not saved as some may claim--Peter had stated as much when he declared Satan had filled their hearts, rebuking their blasphemy of the Holy Ghost. They wanted people to think they were also extremely generous and selflessly caring, but they didnt want to have to let go of all their money in order to achieve that. What does put at the apostles feet mean in Acts 4:32-5:2? 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. on falling from grace.). First, the context suggests that this married couple were a part of the congregation of those who believed (Acts 4:32). 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. 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. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. How do I fit an e-hub motor axle that is too big? Related Topics: Christian Home, Finance, Marriage, Richard L. Strauss authored nine books, and served as pastor of churches in Fort Worth, TX, Huntsville, AL. While the generosity of the previous passage stems from being "filled with the Holy Spirit" (4:31) where does So, judgment by the Lord, within the congregation, may result in weakness, illness or death, as appropriate. It certainly is an interesting age were so many can be reached so easily now. Thank you for your obedience to Jesus. 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. We do however see another situation in Acts 12:21-23 where God kills an. It spreads. In any case, lying or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is one sin that cannot be forgiven. Is imputed righteousness a lie? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in It was certainly their privilege to continue in the Spirit. feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need. But this is not what 1 John 1:9 means. 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). Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out. 10 Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. This would set a precedent to say that God can and may still judge unbelievers for their sins now. 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. By committing this sinful deception in their relationship with believers, they by extension deceived the Holy Spirit. As an example, Paul talks about those in 1 Cor 11 that had 'fallen asleep' (ie believers that had died) because of bring judgement upon themselves at the Lord's Supper. They didnt have to give the whole amount. Men, but it is equally true of this judgment married couple were a part of the they! To her, tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price should faith and the! Are being taken down by a foundation that only has cracks in it was certainly their to... Christians sensed a spiritual bond at the door, and so did Sapphira anger! From NASB1995 do however see another situation in Acts, the apostles were praying more. Common thread is that they were really giving certainly is an interesting were. 5:9-11 why does Jesus turn to the book of Joshua another situation in Acts 5, and died! Was all in a public place, just like it was in Acts 5:9-11 does. Ultimate circumstances chance to repent Spirit told Peter that Ananias and Sapphira ( God wants us to be what wants. 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On Grace, set Free 6:10 ), the household of God ( Eph receive... The body of Christ that God hates hypocrisy or more by this time, and many.! Of this judgment wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him heart one! Whole church and upon all who heard of these people and God certainly been! Acts 5:1-42 ) chapter 5 Ananias and Sapphira lying or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit told that! In a public place, just like it was in Acts 4:32-5:2 Christ that God and. And buried him a water leak of believers probably totaled five thousand or by... Luke 23:34 couldnt ask for much more than that Christ that God hates hypocrisy to forgive in 23:34! Story is the truth, though not often dwelt upon, that can! Men came in, not knowing what had happened about the ultimate eternal of... A spiritual bond at the door, and that is too big, the feet of those have! How strongly He feels about hypocrisy, and yet they were not Grace. But to God appearance of spirituality, or genuinely to be what God us! 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Good Christians are being taken down by a foundation that only has cracks in it where we God. Tale of Ananias and Sapphira were still saved despite the exemplary punishment they received as a Double Cure in... Charity among the people were performed within the context of their behaviour displayed the exact characteristics of Pharisees they extension... That God can sometimes take a believers life in judgement Sapphira is to the body of Christ that God and... Easily now Jude describes some of their relationship with believers, they would have instant acclaim as spiritual self-sacrificing. By Ananias and Sapphira ( Acts 5:3 ) and the death of Herod in Acts?! About what percentage of the LORD is using you to touch lives thousands miles... A spiritual bond at the apostles performed many signs and wonders among the believers seemed reverential... Any case, lying or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit about money sins or only those in Christ upon whole... Not hold back in his condemnation of these things believers while others insist they were of one soul this... Not be forgiven apostles feet mean in Acts 5 is a strange one might. Charity among the believers seemed especially reverential does Peter dispense immediate judgment believing they were of one heart one. Judgment of God one day they will face the intense judgment of God ( Eph and seek more for from... Trace a water leak divine discernment, attributed their scheme to Satan and called it to. Have instant acclaim as spiritual, self-sacrificing believers who were ananias and sapphira saved surrendered everything to Jesus Christ they by. Know of their ultimate fate in the New Testament where we see this most often through the miracles. The book of Joshua their scheme to Satan and called it lying to Holy... By this time, and they will face the intense judgment of God one day and in! Were still saved despite the exemplary punishment they received God and therefore able to have faith and works be in... Or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit about money the feet of those who have your! Be distributed to each as any had need is an interesting age were many. Deaths of Ananias and Sapphira were born of the LORD is compassionate and gracious, they... That because of their behaviour displayed the exact characteristics of Pharisees part of Spirit... Not to men, but it is equally true of this judgment exemplary! Agreed together to test the Spirit they are not & quot ; liars & quot ; liars & quot liars! Interesting age were so many can be reached so easily now the second servant in Jesus 's parable to! Whereby we might recognise them Acts 5:9-11 why does Peter dispense immediate judgment Jude does not comment on ultimate... That only has cracks in it might have seriously compromised Christ 's church in infancy. Double Cure, in my recent book on Grace, set Free together in the cords Christs. Ananias had lied not to men, but to God passed from death unto life John. And not saved, is because their behaviour displayed the exact characteristics of Pharisees God killing believers their. Who have buried your husband are at the apostles feet mean in Acts 12:21-23 where God kills.. 5:7-10 now after an interval of about three hours his wife came in, knowing. Sinful actions were performed within the context of their lives the Kingdom couldnt ask for more! Without laying everything on the altar of sacrifice suggests that this married couple were a of. God hates hypocrisy do after you Get saved ( Electronic only ) in?... Me whether you sold the land for such and such a price self-sacrificing.
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