Acts 5:1-11 NIV
1 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 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. 3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. 7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.” 9 Peter said to her, “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” 10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
When God is manifesting and moving momentously in the life of the church as a whole, as we have seen and have studied in the past weeks in Acts 2:42-47, 4:32-35; He also, uses the lives of individuals as the author of Acts Luke describes the actions of Joseph known as Barnabas in, Acts 4:36-37; the enemy Satan is troubled and will attempt to disrupt what God is doing in any way he can. 1 Peter 5:8-9, “8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith…”
When studying these verses, we need to remember Luke was pointing out what was happening in the lives of three individuals of the very large congregation.
As previously stated in last week’s article, the events that Luke focuses on concerning Barnabas selling his property is in contrast with Ananias and his wife Sapphira selling theirs, which gives us a clear example of an imperfect Church and how the lack of integrity is judged by God.
Acts 4:36-37, 36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.
Acts 5:1-2, 5 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 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.
Theses verses also serve to give us a distinction of believers and how God uses one person who is entirely devoted to Him, in contrast of other believers from the same congregation who have not totally submitted to God and held back in one specific area of their lives. And as a result, with the latter, how the enemy has gained access to their hearts to taint or pollute and try to hinder God’s purposes as He works through the Church.
If we have been actively part of a congregation for some time we have probably heard and or used the expression that “Jesus is Lord of my life”. When we make this statement, we are saying that we have submitted every area of our lives to the will of God and His kingdom principles as stated and exemplified in His Word, we are holding nothing back. The daily decisions we make and the actions and words that follow demonstrates if Jesus is really the Lord of our lives.
As we read in Acts 5:1-11, this was not the case in Ananias’ or Sapphira’s’ lives. We clearly see that Jesus was not the Lord of their finances. Jesus makes this point very clear when He said in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” When a person has not submitted the area of finances in their life to Jesus and practices what God teaches us in His Word, they leave themselves open to the influence of what the world teaches and does concerning money. This lack of submission also leaves the person’s heart vulnerable to the enemy’s influence that will lead to other areas of ones thinking, actions and words being corrupted and even harmful.
When the apostle Paul wrote to his spiritual son Timothy concerning money in 1 Timothy 6:10 he told him, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” This is exactly what we see that happened with Ananias and Sapphira. We see how the love of money lead to actions and words that demonstrated their lack of integrity and lack of totality submitting to trust God in the area of finances.
Some might think that Ananias and Sapphira were not truly believers in Christ because of their thoughts, words and actions. We need to remember Luke in the larger context beginning in Acts 4:32 is only focused on the actions of the believers of the Church and not those who were not part of the congregation of believers or unbelievers. However, as in that congregation of believers of the Jerusalem Church then and as with any congregation today there are those of the congregation who will always be like Ananias and Sapphira who are hypocritical in their professed relationship with God, especially in the area of finances. Their discussions, words and actions are evidence of this. Does that mean that they are not saved? NO. But it does indicate that they need still to submit to God that particular area of their lives in order to mature in their relationship with Christ.
E.F. Murphy in his book, Handbook for Spiritual Warfare gives us the following insight. “While their brethren were occupied with the real needs of others, Ananias and Sapphira were preoccupied with their own felt needs.” If this is true it does not excuse their sin. Murphy continues by saying. “First, as mentioned above, there is no support for the view that Ananias and Sapphira were unbelievers. Their sin of hypocrisy has been committed by millions of Christians, perhaps by all believers, including the reader and the writer, at one time or another.”
We cannot add to what the Word of God does not tell us especially what Ananias and Sapphira might have thought that caused them to sin. However, we can learn from their words and actions which clearly gives us an understanding of their lack of character and lack of integrity.
From our text it is very clear that Ananias and Sapphira are guilty of sin because they lied to the Holy Spirit, ver. 3, “Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit…”. In addition, we read they both are guilty of the sin of lying and hypocrisy because they both were in agreement of how much they said they sold their property and how much they gave. Verse 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. And verse 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”
As previously stated, we must be careful not to add to the scripture by assuming the reason why Ananias and Sapphira sinned as some Bible commentaries do. However, in addition to the points of this account already stated, we also see the spiritual gift of discernment working in Peter, verse 4. “Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing?” The spiritual gift of discernment or the “discerning of spirits” as stated in the New King James version of the Bible in 1 Corinthians 12:7-10, 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: … ver.10 to another discerning of spirits”. This spiritual gift “is the ability to discern the spirit world, and especially to detect the true source of circumstances or motives of people.”
We also see the spiritual gift of wisdom working in Peter when he speaks to Sapphira in verse 8. “Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.” Again, as stated in 1 Corinthians 12:7-8, “7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit”. How does God’s spiritual gift of wisdom work? The Spirit-Filled Life Study Bible gives us this explanation. “WORD OF WISDOM, a. Supernatural perspective to ascertain the divine means for accomplishing God’s will in given situations. b. Divinely given power to appropriate spiritual intuition in problem solving. c. Being led by the Holy Spirit to act appropriately in a given set of circumstances.” With Peter he knew how to ask Sapphira the right question to get the right answer.
One last point was when Peter speaking to Ananias in verse 3,”Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit …” and Sapphira in verse 9, “Peter said to her, “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord?”. Peter points out that the lie that they both agreed to say and the hypocrisy they acted upon was not said and done to Peter, but as Peter states in verse 4, “You have not lied to men but to God.”
We must always not forget it is God who called and anointed the leaders of the congregation to minister to His Church. They are just as responsible to Him for what they say and do as anyone else, of which we see Ananias and Sapphira did not take into consideration. Hebrews 13:17, Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Acts 20:28, Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
We must always remember to whom the church belongs to and why it does. It does not belong to those whom God gave the responsibility to care for them. Jesus made this very clear to Peter in when He told Peter in John 21:15, “Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16, “Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” “17, Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”
Speaking of Ananias and Sapphira, “This sin sets one up against the very purpose and those for which Christ suffered and died. It reflects the absence of the holy fear and awe of the Lord, and it also dishonors the Holy Spirit. Such an offense brings God’s judgment.”
Pastor John
