The rest of who? I believe I have figured this one out, and scripture gives us a very clear answer. Sapphiras name means beautiful or pleasant, the same name given to that precious stone of deep purple blue, the sapphire. and to your [d]descendants forever. So he went out from his presence 7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. (Matthew 6:1-18, Luke 16:13-15). They were more interested in appearances than in reality. Is Faith enough? They thought alike, they had deep feelings for each other, and they made decisions that reflected their mutual care and concern. Ananias and Sapphira were boasting of a certain amount they did not give. Ananias & Sapphira were clearly practicing duplicity and hypocrisy, which was indicative of their attitude toward lying. And he tells believers to watch out for these kinds of people. 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. (Heres an article I did that gives biblical evidence for this.). 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. 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. Are good deeds required for Heaven? But everyone must be 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. 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. We have the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5, and the death of Herod in Acts 12 for his wickedness. Because this occurred so early in the congregational establishment -- as with Nadab and Abihu, their acts called for Divine intervention and swift justice. them and bring the proceeds of the sales (35) and lay them at the apostles' 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. Unlike Barnabas, they didn't live up to their names (Ananias- God is gracious; Sapphira- beautiful). 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. But they were to find that it can never be so. That is the only way to break out of this devilish trap. Ananias and Sapphira yeah certainly an interesting story. The bible verse James 3:1 gives support for Gehazi's disciplining: Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing 10. 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). 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). Jesus never left and He is here via the Holy Spirit. God clearly judges him. Or even in the Mass? What if our works aren't enough? None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. Can we infer anything about the ultimate eternal fate of Ananias and Sapphira? The number of believers probably totaled five thousand or more by this time, and yet they were of one heart and one soul. [1 Corinthians 11:30]. Again, it is not saying that they weren't saved anymore. However they lied and said they had donated all the proceeds. Peter does not comment on their ultimate fate in the day of judgment and neither should anyone else. Why such a radical and drastic punishment on the spot? 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. The reason I believe they. Suppositions as to the eternal state of the two guilty persons are just that : suppositions. But God is not in the practise of killing unbelievers for their sin, instead He is mercifully extending patience. The result of this unselfish spirit was great power and blessing on the entire church. 5. 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). Everyone who heard about the incident feared the Lord. The Biblical tale of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 is a strange one that leaves us with more questions than answers. 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. And Ananias did as Sapphira had instigated him to do. Ananias' name means "God is Gracious"; and his wife Sapphira's name (from which we get the word "sapphire") means "Fair . 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. These two shocking deaths served as an example to the body of Christ that God hates hypocrisy. Husbands and wives can begin by being honest with each other. 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 was a special time for the church. 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. There are a number of opposing views about the event that happened in Acts chapter 5 regarding Ananias and Sapphiras death. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! But the dishonesty increases our burden of guilt, and the guilt leads to further defensiveness and irritability, and the irritability produces greater dissension and discord in the home. This, like Ananias and Sapphira, are examples in scripture of a 'sin leading to death' as mentioned in 1 John 5:16. rev2023.3.1.43269. 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. Somehow or other, Ananias could not summon up that gladness and that singleness of heart with which all the other contributors came up that day. But if we die after sinning and before confessing, we have been taught to assume we will go to hell. Is Salvation only in the Mass? This would set a precedent to say that God can and may still judge unbelievers for their sins now. They could not help what other people thought, could they? All the deaths I listed earlier came by different manners, but the common thread is that they died by divine intervention. Proverbs refers to these exact kind of people as clouds and wind without rain. 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? Was the 100 denarii owed by the second servant in Jesus's parable supposed to be a substantial amount of money? How do I fit an e-hub motor axle that is too big? Lets commit ourselves to absolute straightforwardness and transparency. 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. Look finally at the significance of their discipline. And for every member who operates in the power of the flesh rather than the Spirit, for every one who lives for the praise of men rather than for the glory of God, the effectiveness of Christs church is reduced so much the more. "When men want to impose unity, there are problems. Ananias and Sapphira "agreed together" - i.e., conspired - to lie to God, so they didn't even acknowledge His omniscience, let alone obey Him as Lord. Three hours after Ananias' death his wife arrived, unaware of what had happened. They were more interested in appearances than in reality. Acts 5 (Part 1) -Ananias and Sapphira. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. 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. Is there any sign that either of you is seeking the supremacy in your relationship (such as keeping score)? 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. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. (2 Corinthians 5:19). And Peter declared that she would experience the same fate which Ananias had suffered. 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. Now if you look at Acts 5:13 and 14, just after the death of Ananias and Sapphira, youll see a little clue that most people miss that supports everything Ive just said. Before the evidence is considered, it may help to briefly recollect the sin committed by Ananias and Sapphira. He was pastor of Emmanuel Faith Community Church in Escondido, CA from 1972 to 1993 when the Lord called him home. A caring congregation is a strong congregation, for there is dynamic energy in the genuine expression of Gods love. - Greed caused the rebellious to "keep back" a part of the spoils. What does God want you to do about them? 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. PS - I spent about 6 weeks in the US for the first time late last year. a leper as white as snow. Is all mankind free from their sins or only those in Christ? Had God permitted Ananias and Sapphira to continue their charade, it would have destroyed the witness of the early church. And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? God used them to teach a lesson to the early church and even to believers today. 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. The church is not composed of perfect people, but sins including pride and deceit will eventually be dealt with. Can we infer anything about the ultimate eternal fate of Ananias and Sapphira? Acts 5:4 indicates that they could have sold the land and offered a portion of the proceeds to the apostles, and not present it as the full amount; which was the sin of lying. 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 church was growing and multiplying. She too, fell dead. 4 & ch. We cringe at this extreme illustration of divine discipline. 9. 314-316, for a fuller explanation of why this is the correct understanding of this verse. B. She falls and breathes her last breath. Thereafter, remains the final judgment upon resurrection. Was the gift of the Holy Spirit promised only for the first-century Church, according to Acts 2:38-39? Ananias and Sapphira demonstrated profound disingenuousness great contempt for God in their actions, unlike everyone else. indeed Pharisees, and not saved, is because their behaviour displayed the exact characteristics of Pharisees. 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