ANANIAS & SAPPHIRA

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on July 27, 2022 under AM Bible Study |

AM Bible Study Group: July 27, 2022 from Acts 5:1-11

Theme: The lesson of Ananias and Sapphira is that our Lord requires holiness in His church.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

Click HERE for the live-stream archive of this Bible Study.

So far, in our study of the Book of Acts, we’ve seen stories that show us how the Lord Jesus was bearing witness to Himself through His church. The Holy Spirit had come and had worked mightily through the apostles. The word of God was being preached with great power. Many people were being saved. Miracles were occurring. The unbelieving leaders of the Jewish people were opposing the gospel; but the believers were emboldened by the Holy Spirit to keep on preaching. The church was gathering in mutual love for one another. People were being cared for. The church was—it seemed—brought into existence before the watching world in a great and glorious way. It must have been exciting times.

But then—in Acts 5—the tone of the story suddenly changed. The infant church experienced its first crisis of sin.

* * * * * * * * * *

Before we look at the story of what happened in Acts 5, let’s first turn to a different story—different; but very similar. It’s found in the Old Testament book of Leviticus.

The Book of Leviticus also tells us about the beginning of a work of God. It tells us the story of the establishment of the tabernacle under Moses and of the initiation of the priesthood through his brother Aaron. After the tabernacle had been set up in obedience to God’s instructions, and after Aaron and his sons had been anointed for ministry, and after the offerings for purification had been made, we’re told that the glory of God appeared to all the people—and fire came out from before Him and consumed the offering that Aaron and his sons had made. Everyone shouted and fell on their faces because of the awesome manifestation of the glory of God. It was a very holy moment.

But then, as soon as this glorious beginning of the old covenant occurred, two sons of Aaron committed a terrible sin. Leviticus 10:1-3 tells us;

Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying:

‘By those who come near Me
I must be regarded as holy;
And before all the people
I must be glorified.’ ”

So Aaron held his peace (Leviticus 10:1-3).

Moses called for two of Aaron’s relatives to come, carry out the dead bodies of Aaron’s two sons by their tunics from before the Lord, and take them outside the camp. It was a shocking event that left everyone with a sense of holy dread. They realized that the God who they were to serve was a God who will not tolerate sin in His holy tabernacle—even sin that appears to be ‘religious’ and ‘pious’. He made it very clear, at the very beginning of the old covenant, that He must be approached in holiness.

And the story in Chapter 5 of Acts teaches us a similar lesson. It too occurred at the beginning of a new work in God’s redemptive program—at the very beginning of the new covenant of God’s grace through Jesus Christ, and in the very earliest days of His church. The shocking nature of this story established that, in this new dispensation of His redemptive work, God is the same dreadfully holy God as ever—and that He must be approached in holiness and reverence. And as was the case in Leviticus, this event also left everyone stunned. In fact, in this passage in Acts 5, we’re told twice—in verses 5 and 11—that great fear came upon all who heard about it. Even people who were outside the church became afraid because of it.

And just like the story in Leviticus 10, this one too is the story of two people who transgressed before God through what appeared to be a ‘sacred act’. Their names have become forever associated with their tragic sin: Ananias and his wife Sapphira. And the great lesson we learn from them is that our Lord is a holy God who requires holiness in His church—even in this dispensation of His grace through Jesus Christ.

* * * * * * * * * *

Now; were Ananias and Sapphira unbelievers? Many folks have talked about them as if they were. But we don’t have any indication that they were unsaved people at all. It may be that, apart from this one terrible event, they had been living model Christians and had been faithful to the Lord. Perhaps no one would have ever expected the terrible thing that was about to happen to them—which makes their story all the more shocking, and its lesson to you and me all the more powerful.

Luke tells us, in verse 1,

But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession (Acts 5:1).

Most likely, they had been watching the events that we’re told about in Acts 4:32-37. There had been people in need within the church family; and the Holy Spirit had been placing it on the heart of some to sell lands or houses that they had, and to bring the proceeds of the sale to the feet of the apostles. They distributed the proceeds to everyone who had need; with the result that no one among them had any lack. One believer, in particular, Barnabas, sold some land on the island of Cyprus; and his act became a great encouragement and inspiration to everyone else.

Apparently, Ananias—along with Sapphira—saw all this and also became encouraged to sell a piece of property that they had. But verse 2 tells us;

And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet (v. 3).

Now; they were under no compulsion to sell their land. And there was certainly nothing wrong in bringing only a portion to give to the Lord. They weren’t required to bring anything at all. It was theirs to do with as they wished. But what was wrong about it was that they were pretending to have brought it all.

How might this have happened? Perhaps as they were about to bring this dedicated portion to the apostles, they originally thought of telling everyone that it was only a portion. But along the way, it may be that Ananias said to Sapphira, “You know what? Let’s just not say anything about it being only a portion. Who needs to know that it wasn’t the whole thing? In the end, what difference would that really make anyway? After all, we’re still bringing the same amount one way or the other.” And by doing this, they would have been putting forth the impression that they had been more generous than they really were.

Do you remember Jesus’ words about the widow’s two mites? Luke 21 tells us;

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had” (Luke 21:1-4).

Our Lord knows when someone gives all that they have to Him. But He also knows when someone only pretends to—but doesn’t. He not only sees the gift, but also the heart that is behind it—all the inner motivations that may be hidden from the sight of people. Ananias and Sapphira thought that they were simply pretending before other people. But the Lord must have told Peter how displeased He was about it; and Peter called it for what it really was. In verses 3-4, we’re told;

But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God” (vv. 3-4).

The sin was not in keeping back a portion for themselves. Their great sin was what the apostle Peter said twice that it is—lying to the Holy Spirit. Do you notice how Peter said Satan filled Ananias’ heart to do this thing? Yet he also said that it was something that Ananias himself conceived in his heart. He was guilty. It may have had the outward appearance of being a pious act; and some folks, at first, may have even admired it and applauded the couple’s generosity. But in reality, it was a profane act of dishonesty before a holy God—inspired by the devil to attack the holiness and purity of God’s household at its very beginning.

What happened next was not Peter’s doing. He was simply the one whom God used to reveal the truth of the matter. It was God Himself that then took action to establish the seriousness of it all:

Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him (vv. 5-6).

Just as in the case of the story in Leviticus, some young men were put to the task of removing the body from the holy presence of God. Whatever that process of burying Ananias may have involved—whether burying in the ground, or placing in a tomb—it must have taken about three hours. Luke went on to tell us in verse 7;

Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened (v. 7).

It must have been immediately evident to Sapphira, though, that something was wrong—that something terrible had happened. There must have been a puzzled look upon her face as she saw the grieved look on everyone else’s—as if her look had said, “Why is everyone looking at me funny?” We can suppose this because we’re told that Peter ‘answered’ her. Perhaps he was pointing to the money still laying at his feet;

And Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?” She said, “Yes, for so much” (v. 8).

She had her chance right then; didn’t she? She could have told the truth. But she didn’t. In fact, her words constituted a bold lie. She and her husband did not sell the land for “so much”. They sold it for more than that amount. She was a willing participant in the lie—not just to men, but to God.

Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband (vv. 9-10).

Those poor young men! What a day this had been for them! But what a day it had been for all those in the church family who witnessed it! And notice again her sin. Peter made it clear that she had ‘tested’ the Holy Spirit by lying to Him; just as her husband had done. And just like her husband, she fell over dead. Verse 11 tells us;

So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things (v. 11).

* * * * * * * * * *

Now; Ananias and Sapphira—whatever else they may have done—will always be sadly remembered for this sin. But have you or I ever done a similar thing in the household of God?

Have you ever sang with everyone else in the church, “All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give”; or “Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee …”; but sang those words knowing that you really don’t intend to give Him everything to Him? Or have you ever prayed a prayer in church that was just a bit more flowery and spiritual-sounding than you really felt in your heart—partly to be heard by God; but also partly to be well-thought-of by the other Christians who overheard? Or have you ever done a charitable act for someone else—presenting it as having been done in secret; but letting out a little information about it in the hopes that you might be applauded and recognized for it? These are the kinds of things that we’ve all done. But as our passage shows us, they are all similar to offering ‘profane fire’ before the holy presence of God.

If we were honest about it, we’d have to wonder why people don’t drop dead in church more often. In the end, the only reason that there isn’t a hearse or two pulling out of the church parking lot every Sunday morning is because our heavenly Father is a gracious God. It is only by His mercy that we don’t all suffer today what Ananias and Sapphira suffered back then.

But in this story, He has made it very clear to us how he feels about such dishonesty in His church. May it be that we use the gift of His grace to repent of all such forms of hypocrisy in our hearts and in His holy household.

For when we lie, we do not lie to men but to God!

AE