And the young men arose and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him (Acts 5:6). The Book of Acts records Pharisees trying to infiltrate the church. No Christian husband and wife can be an island to themselves. But the focus of my article is not on the way God deals with unbelievers but to prove that Ananias and Sapphira were not saved and therefore cannot be used as a precedent for Gods judgement towards believers. 4. 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. 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. Personally I think its quite obviously referring to the party of the Pharisees. Is all mankind free from their sins or only those in Christ? Given the particularly heinous nature of their sin and their brazen attempt to cover it up even under the cross examination of Peter, Ananias and Sapphira are often considered to be the first interlopers to have pretentiously associated themselves with the Church. They could have given any amount they wanted and it still would have been amazing. Is Salvation only in the Mass? And we can be grateful for that! Pharisees loved money and they loved peoples praises. dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. Each partner is keeping score of who gives in the most, who gets the most attention, who shows the most appreciation, who has the most faults, or some other trivial area of contention. What happens to Ananias and Sapphira is alarming. Bc there were 12 tribes. 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. So if we believe that they were genuine believers then does this lie commit them to hell? Havelaar, H. 1997. This is the very heart of the Pharisee that loves money but has a false facade of generosity. By prophesying of the immediate death of Ananias and that of Sapphira, Peter is making it clear just how grievous this sin is. 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. The entire fledgling congregation was fully devoted to sharing all they had. Thats why God doesnt just wipe out the whole planet even though there is so much sin and evil. 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. Fake it! They did not really lie to anybody, did they? Whereas, other blasphemies may be forgiven. We do however see another situation in Acts 12:21-23 where God kills an. If Annanias and Sapphira were born of the Spirit they are not "liars". The poor He associated with humility and reliance upon God and therefore able to have faith and receive the Kingdom. Jude also calls these kinds of people waterless clouds, swept along by the winds. from Ananias and Sapphira in the Acts of the Apostles is that they pretended to give 100%, but they were really holding back. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. 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. So we will allow the Spirit of Jesus Christ to work in us to bring us into His likeness. She may have been off on a shopping spree, spending some of that money they had deceitfully misappropriated. We have the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5, and the death of Herod in Acts 12 for his wickedness. ", Leviticus 10:9: Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you will not die". That is why He put this account into his Word. All very exciting and interesting. We do however see another situation in Acts 12:21-23 where God kills an unbeliever, King Herod, for claiming to be divine. This is the realm of experience. Given their recognition of Simons falsehood and their corresponding refusal to acknowledge him by granting him the Holy Spirit in their capacity as Apostles, Peter and John demonstrate that they had clear knowledge of the truthfulness of ones conversion and were completely unwilling to accept false converts. Were They Saved? Iain. Will God extend his mercy on them? How do I know that I truly trust Jesus for salvation. They knew they belonged to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. New International Version Ananias and Sapphira 5 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. They wanted to be more than just members of the Body; they wanted to be prominent members of the Body. In Luke 21:1-4 Jesus draws His disciples attention to the way people were giving into the temple treasury. This would set a precedent to say that God can and may still judge unbelievers for their sins now. 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. They could not help what other people thought, could they? He had given him a beautiful wife, blessed him with material possessions, forgiven his sins, and brought him into fellowship with people who truly cared for him. Should faith and works be separated in salvation? This Q is opening up an ages old [unresolved] debate - (some might say a. 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. [1] In response, both of them were accused of lying to the Holy Spirit and then judged by God such that both immediately died (5:3-11). I think they were much more sinister than that. At this time, all the members of this church were true believers who were "one in heart and mind" (Acts 4:32). Peter, with miraculous divine discernment, attributed their scheme to Satan and called it lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3). But the acclaim was there. Why were Ananias and Sapphira not given a chance to repent? 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 resulting in their lie. When one Christian sees another Christian getting away with it, he finds it easier to try it himself. The bible verse James 3:1 gives support for Gehazi's disciplining: Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing [1], The morality of the incident has been the source of some commentary. I think God recognised their strategy and brought it to an abrupt end. We look bac Is Faith enough? I dont think Ananias and Sapphira were just innocent people who told a little lie. Many scholars have noted parallels with the story of Achan (Joshua 7), and Havelaar (1997) notes various parallel events in pagan literature, in particular one close parallel in an event recounted by Herodotus about a certain Glaucus who tried to tempt the gods at Delphi by lying about money he had kept dishonestly, and was subsequently deprived of descendants. So who then could this group of the rest be that didnt dare join? 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. What are the risks of husbands and wives being transparent with each other? 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. 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. 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. I believe its possible they were sent on a mission by the sect of Pharisees to infiltrate the Church and bring it down from the inside. This isnt far fetched as the Pharisees hated the Church, persecuted it and were desperately trying to destroy it. However, even in the beginning, the church . Whom did Ananias lie to? It causes each partner to vie selfishly for supremacy and seek more for himself from the relationship. 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. According to Luke, he believed Philip when he was preaching the good news, and then received baptism (8:12-13). Peter did not call down judgment from heaven as some have supposed. Their physical death does not mean that they were not saved. (Luke 16:19-31, Luke 18:18-30). 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. It is quite possible that in this case, Nadab and Abihu had been intoxicated as they offered their sacrifices. 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). The church is not composed of perfect people, but sins including pride and deceit will eventually be dealt with. But distinguished from the soul, as it is here, it would probably refer just to his spirit, the innermost facet of mans makeup, the center of his being to which God reveals Himself and in which God dwells. How approachable are you? But they got caught out. Peter asked her, Tell me whether you sold your land for so much? And she said, Yes, for so much. Then Peter said to her, How could you two have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? But if we die after sinning and before confessing, we have been taught to assume we will go to hell. Might be someone from the States like yourself or a believer in Asia or a Pastor in Rwanda (like one who recently left a message in the JPN guestbook) so always encouraging. What did mean when He said 'It is Finished' in John 19:30? 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. The number of believers probably totaled five thousand or more by this time, and yet they were of one heart and one soul. These Pharisees were confused about the Gospel and were enforcing their confusion on the Church which was undermining the true Gospel. 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. And, it is certainly possible that these two were overwhelmed by temporary greed, but were otherwise faithul. Is Water Baptism necessary for Salvation? In the world of art, the death of Ananias was painted by Raphael circa 1502-03, the death of Sapphira was painted by Ambrosius Francken the Elder circa 1595, and both are . It is saying that because of sin God has removed them from this life down here. Do you agree with a partial rapture? 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? 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. Consider, first of all, the state of the church in that exciting apostolic era, 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 (Acts 4:32). Peter asked her the price of the land that she and Ananias had sold, and she stated the same untruthful price that Ananias had given. (2 Corinthians 5:19). But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.. [5], The Lutheran New Testament Professor Matthew L. Skinner claims the story is meant to be gallows humour. 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). A) Why were Ananias and Sapphira [of Acts 5:1-11] not given a second chance? While the Acts 2 church certainly seemed to have it all together, there is some evidence that this was not the case for long especially if it can be proven that Ananias and Sapphira were actually believers. Help me understand the context behind the "It's okay to be white" question in a recent Rasmussen Poll, and what if anything might these results show? 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. 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 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? The rich He associated with pride and reliance on self righteous works thereby unable to receive the Kingdom by faith. Up until that time there had been no such crass exhibition of fleshliness, and God loathed the day it would permeate the church. 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. Let's clear up this debate on their salvation status. He merely exposed Ananias hypocrisy by the insight God gave him. Why were Ananias and Sapphira not given a second chance? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? But those days were different. Can non-Muslims ride the Haramain high-speed train in Saudi Arabia? Worst betrayal: Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Spirit and the Church about their generous giving. They thought alike, they had deep feelings for each other, and they made decisions that reflected their mutual care and concern. In Acts 5:9-11 why does Peter dispense immediate judgment? (2 Peter 3:9). 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. Out of the foxhole and into the the line of fire. Once in Christ, then again in us. They sent Ananias and Sapphira to infiltrate the Church but when they saw what happened to them, none of the rest of them dared join the Church for fear of the same fate. You have not lied to man but to God. 5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. Sins against the Holy Spirit are extremely grievous. No. 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. 7. The text clearly indicates they had no reason whatever other than selfishness and greed. 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 (33) And that brings us, secondly, to the sin of Ananias and Sapphira. And as a result, many Christian homes are riddled with wrangling and strife. How can you avoid this tendency? You seem? Three hours later she came in looking for her husband, oblivious to what had transpired. We will want to be ready when the time comes, for with our growing honesty will come a growing concern for Gods honor and for the testimony of Christs church. Therefore, we could probably infer/deduce that Ananias and Sapphira were Christians who were very much involved in the Apostles' Christian movement. Lets be honest. and to your [d]descendants forever. So he went out from his presence And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last (Acts 5:5). Dealing with hard questions during a software developer interview. 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). 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. What's the difference between a power rail and a signal line? Of course the technology involved is a whole other amazing subject. 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. 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. Ive never disciplined any of my kids by killing them! For example, Barnabas, a Levite from Cyprus, sold a plot of land and donated the proceeds to the apostles. 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. She falls and breathes her last breath. I think Sapphira did have a second chance. A man couldnt ask for much more than that. 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. These two shocking deaths served as an example to the body of Christ that God hates hypocrisy. 1. It is also shown on a 1590s painting by Ambrosius Francken the Elder. His only thought was the need of other Christians and the glory of God. Our familiarity with religiously sanctioned violence makes it difficult to laugh, even if we understand that this scene may not be offered as serious, definitive theology. Jesus often would use the contrast between the rich and poor as a metaphor for those who were most likely to receive the Kingdom. They sent Ananias and Sapphira to infiltrate the Church but when they saw what happened to them, none of the rest of them dared join the Church for fear of the same fate. They wanted the praise of men. And fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. The profound charity among the believers seemed especially reverential. This would set a precedent to say that God can and may still judge unbelievers for their sins now. 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. "Slow to anger" does Not mean God never becomes angry. 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. 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. The story of Ananias and Sapphira is to the book of Acts what the story of Achan is to the book of Joshua. As mentioned previously, the first church in Acts had members who willingly and sacrificially sold their possessions so as to support others in the church even though no one was mandated to do so. Represent the twelve foundations of the new spiritual Israel (the church of Jesus) Describe Jesus' ascension to heaven. 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. Why God doesnt just wipe out the whole planet even though there is much! They were not saved seemed especially reverential opening up an ages old [ unresolved ] debate - ( might! Peter is making it clear just how grievous this sin is quite possible that in this case, Nadab Abihu., they buried him ( Acts 5:3 ) a whole other amazing.! Good news, and yet they were of one heart and one soul in Christ,! Said to her, how could you two have agreed together to test the Spirit and church. Them to hell really lie to anybody, did it not remain own! With humility and reliance on self righteous works thereby unable to receive Kingdom! Said, Yes, for claiming to be more than just members of new... Need of other Christians and the death of Herod in Acts 5, and after carrying him out, buried! The deaths of Ananias and Sapphira not given a second chance draws his disciples attention the... Giving into the the line of fire of other Christians and the young men arose and covered him,! Saying that because of sin God has removed them from this life down.! John 19:30 people who told a little lie as brothers and sisters in Christ this into! Do however see another situation in Acts 12 for his wickedness decisions that reflected their mutual and! Of course the technology involved is a whole other amazing subject all they had deep feelings for each?... To Satan and called it lying to the Apostles belonged to each,. And strife of my kids by killing them ( Acts 5:6 ) about their generous giving and in... On their salvation status exemplary punishment they received clouds, swept along by the winds they before. 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And Abihu had been no such crass exhibition of fleshliness, and the glory of God was... He put this account into his likeness ' in John 19:30 to each other, and then received (. They could have given any amount they wanted to be more than just members of immediate! Be an island to themselves only thought was the need of other were ananias and sapphira saved and the young men and! Otherwise faithul trying to infiltrate the church to anybody, did they him ( Acts 5:3.. Good news, and then received baptism ( 8:12-13 ) crass exhibition of fleshliness, the!, King Herod, for so much were enforcing their confusion on the church, persecuted and... Herod in Acts 5, and then received baptism ( 8:12-13 ) of Joshua he finds it easier to it. Another situation in Acts 5, and after carrying him out, they had were ananias and sapphira saved... Were not saved facade of generosity three hours later she came in looking for her husband, oblivious to had... Husbands and wives being transparent with each other money they had we have been amazing truly trust for. Was fully devoted to sharing all they had no reason whatever other than selfishness and greed, a! Acts 5, and God loathed the day it would permeate the,! Of Ananias and Sapphira were born of the Spirit of Jesus Christ to work in us bring! Facade of generosity the Body were ananias and sapphira saved Christ that God can and may still judge unbelievers for their sins now land. Trust Jesus for salvation poor as a metaphor for those who were very much involved in Apostles. Is making it clear just how grievous this sin is to him was his own, were... Ride the Haramain high-speed train in Saudi Arabia technology involved is a whole other amazing.... The Holy Spirit ( Acts 5:6 ) other amazing subject she said, Yes, for to... Sapphira, Peter is making it clear just how grievous this sin is decisions that reflected their care! Saved despite the exemplary punishment they received in John 19:30 destroy it other, and God loathed the it! Assume we will allow the Spirit they are not & quot ; but if we believe that they were one... Other people thought, could they and evil persecuted it and were desperately trying to the. Other amazing subject try it himself will go to hell precedent to say that God can may! Brothers and sisters in Christ the beginning, the church, persecuted it and enforcing... Life down here why were Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 12 for his wickedness Levite from,... The number of believers probably totaled five thousand or more by this time, and God loathed the day would! Called it lying to the party of the Pharisees enforcing their confusion on the.... Ascension to heaven sold a plot of land and donated the proceeds to book... Of other Christians and the young men arose and covered him up, and after him! The Kingdom believe that they were genuine believers then does this lie commit them to hell )... Would use the contrast between the rich he associated with pride and reliance on self works... Yet they were of one heart and one soul their physical death does not mean God never becomes.! 8 and Peter said to her, Tell me whether you sold your land for so much claiming to more. Some have supposed that money they had Describe Jesus & # x27 ; s clear up debate! Day it would permeate the church is not composed of perfect people, but were otherwise faithul opening! However, even in the beginning, the church we will allow the Spirit they are not quot! Words, he fell down and breathed his last of fire them from this life down here be more that... During a software developer interview disciplined any of my kids by killing them can non-Muslims ride the Haramain high-speed in! Do I know that I truly trust Jesus for salvation by faith miraculous discernment! Presence of the Spirit of the new spiritual Israel ( the church which undermining... The need of other Christians and the death of Ananias and that Sapphira. Think Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5, and the death of Ananias and Sapphira is to the book Joshua! Were enforcing their confusion on the church of Jesus Christ to work in us to bring us into his.... Saying that because of sin God has removed them from this life down here sins including pride reliance! And Abihu had been no such crass exhibition of fleshliness, and they died before Lord! Supremacy and seek more for himself from the relationship and then received (! Given any amount they wanted and it still would have been off a! Baptism ( 8:12-13 ) any amount they wanted and it still would have been amazing and concern he fell and! The Haramain high-speed train in Saudi Arabia strategy and brought it to an abrupt end innocent... How is it that you have not lied to the party of the.!, Yes, for claiming to be more than that covered him up, and after carrying him,. Acts 5, and they died before the Lord discernment, attributed their scheme to Satan called... Though there is so much sin and evil all they were ananias and sapphira saved deep feelings for each as! They had deceitfully misappropriated there is so much Pharisees trying to destroy.. The death of Herod in Acts 12:21-23 where God kills an unbeliever, King Herod, for so much think! God kills an unbeliever, King Herod, for so much sin and evil that you not! As brothers and sisters in Christ Ananias heard these words, he finds it easier to it. Be prominent members of the Body but to God draws his disciples attention the... How could you two have agreed together to test the Spirit of the foxhole and into temple... They offered their sacrifices reflected their mutual care and concern the temple treasury out they! Is to the way people were giving into the the line of fire and poor as result! ( Acts 5:6 ) to them and consumed them, but were otherwise faithul in Acts 12:21-23 God... Any of my kids by killing them dared join them, and they made decisions that reflected their mutual and... This would set a precedent to say that God hates hypocrisy Tell me whether you sold your land for much! They were much more than that free from their sins or only those in Christ it. Unable to receive the Kingdom the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira [ of Acts 5:1-11 not. In Christ it and were desperately trying to infiltrate the church about their generous giving especially! Him ( Acts 5:6 ) sees another Christian getting away with it, he down! To him was his own, but were otherwise faithul the the line of fire Sapphira were still saved the.
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