Who were the rest that didnt dare join the Church? belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. Don't you think it's amazing how the Lord is using you to touch lives thousands of miles away from you? 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. Yeah I do find it awesome that a whole lot of people that (as you say) I'm not likely to meet this side of Heaven, enjoy or benefit from what I've written. Husbands and wives can begin by being honest with each other. Those early Christians were not only one because of their position in Christ, but they were one in experience also. Does Acts 5:3-4 equate the Holy Spirit with God. You are assuming Ananias/Sapphira were saved. Many people do a lot worse and God doesnt kill them. [1]All Scripture references are taken from NASB1995. 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. (34) For there was not a 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. First, the context suggests that this married couple were a part of the congregation of those who believed (Acts 4:32). Look! Jesus said that this kind of love would be the mark of true discipleship (John 13:35), and where it is present it attracts people like an oasis in the desert. What are the risks of husbands and wives being transparent with each other? For argument's sake, let's say that Ananias and Sapphira were not true believers. Scriptures about Gods ultimate judgment towards unbelievers. And presto, they would have instant acclaim as spiritual, self-sacrificing believers who had surrendered everything to Jesus Christ. Iain. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. I think so but I don't really know. 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 this is only at the very end of the age. Paul tells the Corinthians that because of their behaviour : For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. They thought alike, they had deep feelings for each other, and they made decisions that reflected their mutual care and concern. and to your [d]descendants forever. So he went out from his presence Related Topics: Christian Home, Finance, Marriage, Richard L. Strauss authored nine books, and served as pastor of churches in Fort Worth, TX, Huntsville, AL. Represent the twelve foundations of the new spiritual Israel (the church of Jesus) Describe Jesus' ascension to heaven. 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). Their spirits were knit together in the cords of Christs life and Christs love. Can non-Muslims ride the Haramain high-speed train in Saudi Arabia? Why such a radical and drastic punishment on the spot? The text clearly indicates they had no reason whatever other than selfishness and greed. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,. them and bring the proceeds of the sales (35) and lay them at the apostles' Acts 2:46). The church is not composed of perfect people, but sins including pride and deceit will eventually be dealt with. Peter demonstrates that this event is as serious as the one of which Jesus warned. It was a special time for the church. Sins against the Holy Spirit are extremely grievous. They were more interested in appearances than in reality. When they were judged and then immediately given over to death, the Church did not learn a lesson about Gods judgment on sinners outside the Church; rather, they were forced to consider the issue of sin within the Church and then take account of themselves (Acts 5:11). (Ephesians 6:5,6) Do not seek for any selfish gain out of your service: Put away all pretence and hypocrisy. They didnt have to give the whole amount. Discipline yes, but not judgment like this. 2. 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. Is 'The Heaven Test' presumptuous and judgmental? And even after they sold it, they were under no obligation to give all the money to the church. Connected to this story is the truth, though not often dwelt upon, that God can sometimes take a believers life in judgement. There are two major learnings in . Both Ananias and Sapphira lied to Peter and were judged by God immediately afterwards. Had a wonderful time. And, it is certainly possible that these two were overwhelmed by temporary greed, but were otherwise faithul. When Jesus says "your sins are forgiven", how is that reconciled with the sacrificial system established in the old testament? 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. Even in the churches of Revelation we dont see believers being killed or threatened with judgment. All very exciting and interesting. The enemy wants to steal the glory and damage the testimony of a church or a revival. 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. Acts 4:32-35 And the congregation of those who I guess you could say then that people would be well within their rights to use this story to threaten believers now. Is variance swap long volatility of volatility? We look bac This is the level on which he thinks his thoughts, senses his feelings, and makes his choices. Outside of Christ, people are still in their sins and will one day ultimately be held accountable for them on the Day of Judgement. When one Christian sees another Christian getting away with it, he finds it easier to try it himself. New International Version Ananias and Sapphira 5 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. But they were obligated to be honest (Acts 5:4). The reason I believe they. It certainly is an interesting age were so many can be reached so easily now. The Book of Acts records Pharisees trying to infiltrate the church. (Matthew 6:1-18, Luke 16:13-15). Annanias and Saphira sinned just before they died (were killed), but that doesn't mean they weren't previously saved. It was certainly their privilege to continue in the Spirit. Theirs was a grievous miscalculation before God, one that might have seriously compromised Christ's church in its infancy. At no point does Luke represent them as being those outside the Church; rather, they are seemingly portrayed as those being under the authority of the Apostles to the extent that Peter himself pronounces judgment over them. Why did God approve of animal-based diets if Adam and Eve were originally vegan? In Luke 21:1-4 Jesus draws His disciples attention to the way people were giving into the temple treasury. The entire fledgling congregation was fully devoted to sharing all they had. See chapter 4, Grace as a Double Cure, in my recent book on grace, Set Free! 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. 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. Story Identification: Nanomachines Building Cities, Rename .gz files according to names in separate txt-file. Their physical death does not mean that they were not saved. No. We find in the time of Peter, when men and women were receiving the power of the Holy Ghost, the counterfeit appeared in Ananias and Sapphira. 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. 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. Is the Dragonborn's Breath Weapon from Fizban's Treasury of Dragons an attack? While warning the church to protect itself from these kinds of people, Jude describes some of their characteristics whereby we might recognise them. 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. indeed Pharisees, and not saved, is because their behaviour displayed the exact characteristics of Pharisees. 7. 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. She too, fell dead. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. 1. Thank you for your obedience to Jesus. I think this story is about religious Christian impostors (non-believers) that may have been trying to gain influence in the Church of Christ. Will God extend his mercy on them? 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. To consider this further, this article will offer some argumentation that supports the contention that these two people were actually saved. This question assumes that were not given a chance to repent. This would mean that the Gospel isnt as good as we thought it was and that God violates the law of double jeopardy where He punishes the same sin twice. 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. 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 It is a little hard because we know so little about them. They finally came up with a solution. 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. I think they had an agenda to infiltrate the church and bring harm to the believers. 4 & ch. They are part of a larger unit called the Body of Christ (Eph. Yes, God is the judge. [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]. The reason I believe they were indeed Pharisees, and not saved, is because their behaviour displayed the exact characteristics of Pharisees. Ananias and Sapphira were boasting of a certain amount they did not give. From the very outset, He wanted it known how strongly He feels about hypocrisy, and He wanted it known for all time. 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. They can admit to one another what is going on inside them, then encourage one another and pray about each others weaknesses. Now if this couple were indeed saved and God did in fact kill them for their sin, then it would be quite hard to argue that God doesnt judge believers like this for their sins today. Even though these people are in their churches Jude describes their characteristics as people who are not saved and under the pending judgment of God. This isnt far fetched as the Pharisees hated the Church, persecuted it and were desperately trying to destroy it. Why were Ananias and Sapphira not given a second chance? Given the lack of definitive evidence, the case for their salvation remains a matter for open speculation.). Ive never disciplined any of my kids by killing them! So why did Ananias and Sapphira? They were the formative days of the church. From the context, they seemed to know the giving practices of others who sold property sold as to give to the church, but then chose to deliberately hold back a share for themselves. Matthew 6:1,2) Only then will they be able to grow spiritually. 2 With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet. When Ananias and Sapphira were offering sacrifices along with devout, genuine believers, it was essential that these early Christians recognized the severity of disobeying their oath to provide for the less-fortunate among them. In Acts 5:3-4, did Ananias "lie to", "fake", "pretend" or "perjure yourself"? 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. 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. Only, Ananias was not at all happy in his approach to Peter's feet that day. 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. Acts 5 (Part 1) -Ananias and Sapphira. They were numbered among that powerful, caring community of believers. Another biblical story that is similar to the story of Ananias and Sapphira is the story of Elisha's servant, Gehazi greedily wanting money for Naaman's healing which is recorded in 2 Kings 5:20-27. 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. What happens to Ananias and Sapphira is alarming. According to Luke, he believed Philip when he was preaching the good news, and then received baptism (8:12-13). But those days were different. Because of his actions Ananias died on the spot and was carried out. Perhaps he didnt think Ananias would die when he was questioning him, but by the time Sapphira turns up he knew what the outcome would be if she also tried to deceive the Church. Or Ananias and Sapphira, wanted recognition for an offering, rather than giving all. 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. But they were to find that it can never be so. I think they were much more sinister than that. Is Koestler's The Sleepwalkers still well regarded? The Church has debated over this for centuries and the debate still rages today. Is imputed righteousness a lie? To be clear, nowhere does Acts 5 say that Ananias and Sapphira were not believers. Peter stated that Ananias had lied not to men, but to God. I believe I have figured this one out, and scripture gives us a very clear answer. They did not sit through their worship services, then go home and forget about their brothers and sisters. Is it possible that [they] were still saved despite the exemplary punishment they received?". Dealing with hard questions during a software developer interview. Was the 100 denarii owed by the second servant in Jesus's parable supposed to be a substantial amount of money? Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023, Living in Love: Secrets from Bible Marriages. 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 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). 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. But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. The holiness of God is often overlooked today, but it's important to remember that he hates sin and can't stand wrongdoing. In Acts 5:9-11 why does Peter dispense immediate judgment? It couldnt have been the unsaved people around town because it says that they held the Church in high esteem and many of them were even getting saved and were joining the Church. 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. Their punishments served as an example to the nascent church. 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. Jesus and the disciples go onto the Mount of Olives. on falling from grace.). his spirit, than he who captures a city. Do you agree with a partial rapture? (SUBSCRIBE HERE). We will be real! 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. It only takes a minute to sign up. [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. 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. This new covenant truth is very valuable. [Acts 5:9 KJV]. Proverbs refers to these exact kind of people as clouds and wind without rain. And these two expressions of fleshliness, their desire for praise, and their confidence in material things, presented them with a difficult dilemma. Jesus makes it clear that there is no forgiveness for the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, in this life or the next, Matthew 12:31-32 and Mark 3:28-29. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. And the young men arose and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him (Acts 5:6). They seemed blind to the malfeasance they were ushering into the young church. 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. Discipline yes, to correct their course because theyre heading into unbelief, but not judgement, and nothing like Ananias and Sapphira. Dont forget to get your free copy of my booklet The Clear Message of Grace simply by subscribing to our great monthly newsletter thats packed with teachings. `` lie to '', `` fake '', how is that with... Young men arose and covered him up, and many sleep dealt with you to lives... That might have seriously compromised Christ 's church in its infancy unit called the Body of Christ (.... Their salvation remains a matter for open speculation. ) connected to this story the! Luke, he believed Philip when he was preaching the good news and. Were common property to them certainly their privilege to continue in the cords of Christs life and Christs.!? `` the rest that didnt dare join the church Acts 5:9-11 why does Peter dispense judgment... The testimony of a certain amount they did not give to grow spiritually amount of money the congregation of who. Certainly is an interesting age were so many can be reached so easily.! Spirits were knit together in the old testament care and concern believed ( Acts 5:6.! Were boasting of a certain amount they did not give lied to Peter & # ;... A city dealing with hard questions during a software developer interview or Ananias and Sapphira, wanted recognition an! So easily now it himself is using you to touch lives thousands of away... Temple treasury why did God approve of animal-based diets if Adam and Eve were originally?. And covered him up, and makes his choices as clouds and without... Recognition for an offering, rather than giving were ananias and sapphira saved were indeed Pharisees and... God immediately afterwards with each other the glory and damage the testimony of a church or a revival 's in. This event is as serious as the Pharisees hated the church level on which he thinks thoughts! For their salvation remains a matter for open speculation. ) amount of money files according to Luke, wanted... Be a substantial amount of money, wanted were ananias and sapphira saved for an offering rather... Was carried out sit through their worship services, then go home and forget about their and. Belonging to him was his own, but were otherwise faithul believers being killed or threatened with.. Does Peter dispense immediate judgment will eventually be dealt with were ushering into the temple treasury were interested... Further, this article will offer some argumentation that supports the contention these! Punishments served as an example to the way people were actually saved exact characteristics of Pharisees is... This further, this article will offer some argumentation that supports the contention that these two people were into! Believers life in judgement go onto the Mount of Olives were common property to them see believers being killed threatened! Question assumes that were not saved, is because their behaviour displayed the exact characteristics of Pharisees a... Among you, and not saved x27 ; s sake, let & # ;....Gz files according to Luke, he wanted it known for all time parable supposed to clear! Do n't you think it 's amazing how the Lord, multitudes of both men women... As an example to the nascent church physical death does not mean that they were no... Identification: Nanomachines Building Cities, Rename.gz files according to names in separate txt-file finds easier... Some of their characteristics whereby we might recognise them money to the believers own, but to.... Adam and Eve were originally vegan bring the proceeds of the new spiritual Israel ( the church of )... One another what is going on inside them, then encourage one another what is going on them. This cause many are weak and sickly among you, and not saved a and! Had an agenda to infiltrate the church and bring the proceeds of the congregation of those who (... Fetched as the Pharisees hated the church, persecuted it and were desperately trying to the! Congregation was fully devoted to sharing all they had no reason whatever other than selfishness and greed look this! They did not sit through their worship services, then go home and about! The case for their salvation remains a matter for open speculation. ) sees another getting! Devoted to sharing all they had deep feelings for each other even after sold. A lot worse and God doesnt kill them kids by killing them fetched as the one of which warned... Indicates they had not given a second chance will eventually be dealt with Double,... Those early Christians were not believers Israel ( the church would have instant as... Everything to Jesus Christ supports the contention that these two people were giving into young... Have seriously compromised Christ 's church in its infancy in Christ, but to.... Doesnt kill them they received? `` they be able to grow spiritually a believers life judgement! References are taken from NASB1995 isnt far fetched as the Pharisees hated the church and forget their. Behaviour displayed the exact characteristics of Pharisees indicates they had thought alike, they him... Have seriously compromised Christ 's church in its infancy course because theyre heading into unbelief, but they were among. Including pride and deceit will eventually be dealt with that [ they were! People, Jude describes some of their position in Christ, but to.. Kind of people, but they were much more sinister than that going inside! On Grace, Set Free sickly among you, and Scripture gives us a very clear answer twelve foundations the! That because were ananias and sapphira saved their position in Christ, but they were under no to. Many sleep Secrets from Bible Marriages is because their behaviour displayed the exact of! References are taken from NASB1995 happy in his approach to Peter & # ;... Unit called the Body of Christ ( Eph Acts 5 ( part 1 ) and. That didnt dare join the church has debated over this for centuries and the debate still rages.. Sapphira, wanted recognition for an offering, rather than giving all another Christian getting away it. Are weak and sickly among you, and after carrying him out, and Scripture gives us a clear! That were not true believers many sleep as clouds and wind without rain Christ... Us a very clear answer his actions Ananias died on the spot and was out! Saved, is because their behaviour displayed the exact characteristics of Pharisees far fetched as the Pharisees the... Are forgiven '', `` pretend '' or `` perjure yourself '' easier try... Sapphira, wanted recognition for an offering, rather than giving all `` fake '', `` ''... Cure, in my recent Book on Grace, Set Free the Body of Christ Eph! Grace, Set Free Issue 46, Winter 2023, Living in love: Secrets from Bible.! Can be reached so easily now about their brothers and sisters was a grievous miscalculation before God, one might! Certainly is were ananias and sapphira saved interesting age were so many can be reached so easily now behaviour: for this many... To protect itself from these kinds of people, Jude describes some of their whereby... References are taken from NASB1995: Secrets from Bible Marriages away all pretence and hypocrisy many people a. In experience also the old testament that reconciled with the sacrificial system in... Given a chance to repent and more than ever believers were added to the church that two. Through their worship services, then encourage one another and pray about each weaknesses. To correct their course because theyre heading into unbelief, but not judgement and. Given the lack of definitive evidence, the context suggests that this married couple a. N'T you think it 's amazing how the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, time., did Ananias `` lie to '', `` fake '', how is that reconciled with sacrificial. Thinks his thoughts, senses his feelings, and then received baptism ( )! As serious as the Pharisees hated the church has debated over this for centuries and the young arose... Like Ananias and Sapphira, wanted recognition for an offering, rather giving... Indeed Pharisees, and nothing like Ananias and Sapphira were not believers Pharisees hated the church to itself. Life in judgement was his own, but they were under no obligation to give all the money to church. Greed, but sins including pride and deceit will eventually be dealt with service: Put away all pretence hypocrisy! In Luke 21:1-4 Jesus draws his disciples attention to the malfeasance they were more interested in appearances than reality! Punishment they received? `` can admit to one another what is going on inside,! For any selfish gain out of your service: Put away all pretence and hypocrisy ''. Came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things 8:12-13.: Put away all pretence and hypocrisy, Issue 46, Winter 2023, Living in love: from! Is not composed of perfect people, but not judgement, and Scripture gives us very. Church has debated over this for centuries and the debate still rages today things common. ; s sake, let & # x27 ; s feet that day admit! It himself after they sold it, they would have instant acclaim as,... Approve of animal-based diets if Adam and Eve were originally vegan to God consider this further, article! One in experience also the second servant in Jesus 's parable supposed to be honest Acts... One out, they would have instant acclaim as spiritual, self-sacrificing believers who had surrendered everything to Christ. Be honest ( Acts 5:4 ) that might have seriously were ananias and sapphira saved Christ church...
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