They wanted the praise of men. great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. 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. 12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. Both Ananias and Sapphira lied to Peter and were judged by God immediately afterwards. Well the reality is that, while Christ paid the price for everyones sins, its only those who are in Christ that receive the benefit of that and are therefore safe from Gods judgment. They finally came up with a solution. 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. We look bac While they demonstrated a marvelous togetherness in their deceptive scheme, their hypocrisy could not help but have affected their marriage. 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. Met some great people though being at the time of the election it was very divided (unfortunately still is as you will know). The church was growing and multiplying. And these two expressions of fleshliness, their desire for praise, and their confidence in material things, presented them with a difficult dilemma. What are Christians generally most prone to mask from each other? God clearly judges him. 5/8), here the church is attacked from within. The result of this unselfish spirit was great power and blessing on the entire church. 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. Do you know what their names mean? 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. Three hours later she came in looking for her husband, oblivious to what had transpired. Outside of Christ, people are still in their sins and will one day ultimately be held accountable for them on the Day of Judgement. The Story of Ananias and Sapphira. Coveting the plaudits of men was evidence enough that they were operating in the realm of the flesh rather than the Spirit. 9. Some say, God killed them for their sin while others say, No, sin killed them not God. How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Discipline yes, to correct their course because theyre heading into unbelief, but not judgement, and nothing like Ananias and Sapphira. They would not necessarily say they were giving all of the money they received from the sale; they would just let everyone assume that. That is the only way to break out of this devilish trap. 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. [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. The Holy Spirit, God or both? However if Ananias and Sapphira were not born again, then the whole scenario changes. Acts 5:3-4. It was certainly their privilege to continue in the Spirit. 2:19). Only then will they be able to grow spiritually. Do you think that Ananias and Sapphira went to heaven or did that one lie condemn them to hell? Why do you not agree with Soul Salvation? In Acts 15 we see that they were eventually successful in this. The entire fledgling congregation was fully devoted to sharing all they had. We all sin despite our earnest desire not to do so (see Romans 7:14-25); but this affects our efforts toward SANCTIFICATION, not our secure state of JUSTIFICATION. 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. Evidence that Ananias and Sapphira were Saved - Battle Hardened Believer Evidence that Ananias and Sapphira were Saved By Mark W. Christy, PhD (Note: This article has been written only to communicate the possibility that Ananias and Sapphira may have been Christians. 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. And Peter declared that she would experience the same fate which Ananias had suffered. What the Bible Says About Grace (College Press). They realized that everything they had was from God, that it was given to them not for their own exclusive use, but to be shared with fellow believers. Proverbs refers to these exact kind of people as clouds and wind without rain. We can probably deduce/infer that Gehazi being a servant to a Godly prophet should have known better because Gehazi is someone who is part of God's ministry. I think God recognised their strategy and brought it to an abrupt end. Given the lack of definitive evidence, the case for their salvation remains a matter for open speculation.). They are part of a larger unit called the Body of Christ (Eph. This is the realm of experience. Dedicated and unselfish believers often have the admiration and appreciation of other Christians. Ananias presented his donation to Peter. By pretending to give the whole amount they could appear generous without having to actually give it all away. Is variance swap long volatility of volatility? (2 Peter 3:9). They did dare join the Church. There was no coercion involved. In Acts 5:9-11 why does Peter dispense immediate judgment? You will see some famous names including Moses that committed the sin unto death. In the first place, their physical death was a temporal punishment (severe, to be sure, but deserved under the circumstances), but it should not be tied to or equated with eternal punishment. Three hours later, his wife comes in, not knowing of her husband's death. 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. But God is not in the practise of killing unbelievers for their sin, instead He is mercifully extending patience. 2. He had to act decisively. 3. How can you avoid this tendency? Yes sir, were getting along better than we ever did. And we excuse our dishonesty by telling ourselves that what goes on in our home is a private matter, nobodys business but our own. (cf. In my opinion it is not the only time, because if Peter seems to be the leader of the Church of Jerusalem in the days of Ananias and Sapphira, later in the book of Acts (Acts 15 and Galatians 2:8) we see that he has lost the first place"[7], P. M. Garner reads the story as subversive narrative showing Peter, complicit in the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira, showing immaturity in imaging the son of God. 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. These Pharisees were confused about the Gospel and were enforcing their confusion on the Church which was undermining the true Gospel. 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. His only thought was the need of other Christians and the glory of God. There are a number of opposing views about the event that happened in Acts chapter 5 regarding Ananias and Sapphiras death. Theirs was a grievous miscalculation before God, one that might have seriously compromised Christ's church in its infancy. 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. And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last (Acts 5:5). Had a wonderful time. If he thinks he is coming out on the short end, he quarrels and complains until he gets what he thinks he deserves. And Ananias did as Sapphira had instigated him to do. [2][3][4], Darrell Bock concludes that the episode emphasises the seriousness of sin, as well as the graciousness of God who often defers judgment. A couple of reasons: First, their deathslike much in Actsserve as a sign. and the admonition to Saul and the moral of the story is, God don't care what your logic works out, he expects us to obey him when it may seem more "profitable" to take another path. lovingkindness. They were the formative days of the church. Jesus points out the rich were giving large amounts but not all they had, whereas the poor widow gave a small amount yet it was all she had. 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. and to your [d]descendants forever. So he went out from his presence Because this occurred so early in the congregational establishment -- as with Nadab and Abihu, their acts called for Divine intervention and swift justice. He explained that they were under no obligation to sell their property. 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. Sis Johns, Hi! They didnt have to give the whole amount. Is it overcoming sin that saves us? (SUBSCRIBE HERE). Husbands and wives can begin by being honest with each other. Luke, in Acts 2:37-47, presents the first church as a utopia devoted to the love of God and each other, so much so that members began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. When one considers this initial expression of the church alongside the corruption in the Corinthian Church and many of the other churches spoken of in the New Testament (NT), one is forced to consider the cause. The church still saw this as an example of God's holiness and of the reality of the presence of His Spirit, as a result of which great fear came upon the believers (as opposed to great consolation). Those early Christians sensed a spiritual bond at the deepest level of their lives. They are evil and have a sinister agenda. They were numbered among that powerful, caring community of believers. Earlier in chapter 4 is spoke about believers who had all things in common and sold what they had and gave it to the church. She was given an opportunity to back out in Acts 5:8b, but doubled-down on the lie that they offered the full amount; which itself was not required. Acts 5:7-10 Now after an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Heres an article I did that gives biblical evidence for this. In conclusion, the case of whether or not Ananias and Sapphira were saved will be an ongoing mystery for all believers to ponder given the lack of direct evidence. With all he could do there was a certain awkwardness and stumblingness . 1:22, 23), the household of faith (Gal. I think they were much more sinister than that. Peter does not comment on their ultimate fate in the day of judgment and neither should anyone else. 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. And he tells believers to watch out for these kinds of people. needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell The rich He associated with pride and reliance on self righteous works thereby unable to receive the Kingdom by faith. 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). For example we don't even know if they were definitely born again believers. 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. This would set a precedent to say that God can and may still judge unbelievers for their sins now. He was pastor of Emmanuel Faith Community Church in Escondido, CA from 1972 to 1993 when the Lord called him home. No. So God is just in judging the unbeliever if He decides to, just as He did with Ananias and Sapphira. God used them to teach a lesson to the early church and even to believers today. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,. "Can we infer anything about the ultimate eternal fate of Ananias and Sapphira? Then we will be able to stop playing the game of putting on appearances. After hearing these words from Peter, Ananias falls down and dies. Ananias' name means "God is Gracious"; and his wife Sapphira's name (from which we get the word "sapphire") means "Fair . When a husband and wife become partners in pretense, it eventually destroys them. Centred between two attacks from without (ch. And to say that God didnt kill them but rather that their own sin or guilt is what killed them is to deny the facts that are presented very clearly in Acts 5. See again my book, Set Free!, pp. Im sure he had marked this couple as suspicious and dangerous and when the time came he discerned what they were up to and cooperated with the Holy Spirit to bring an end to it. 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. And why did they do so? The enemy wants to steal the glory and damage the testimony of a church or a revival. Jude in his letter to believers, warns them to be aware that there are evil people trying to infiltrate the Church and pervert the Gospel and lead people to denying Christ. Unbelievers are spiritually 'dead' and cannot believe the gospel or make any moves towards God. I so enjoy your Bible studies, I fine that our Lord speaks to me thru your writings and scriptures that I've read for years, now take on a new meaning with your explanations. 2021 New Nature Ministries All rights reserved. A) Why were Ananias and Sapphira [of Acts 5:1-11] not given a second chance? Thats why its not God sending the Tsunamis and storms and earthquakes. (1958 More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. Their punishments served as an example to the nascent church. No Christian husband and wife can be an island to themselves. 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. In Peter's words, Ananias and Sapphira agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord (v9), which appears to be a terrible sin in the eyes of God, so terrible that it even warranted having the couple killed on the spot, without even being given the chance to confess and repent. The text clearly indicates they had no reason whatever other than selfishness and greed. But most of them were selling their material possessions and giving the money to the apostles to be distributed to those who, in all probability, had lost their jobs because of their faith. Thats why God doesnt just wipe out the whole planet even though there is so much sin and evil. Can we infer anything about the ultimate eternal fate of Ananias and Sapphira? The profound charity among the believers seemed especially reverential. While this may indeed be true, they may have been erring believers in need of severe discipline based upon the following reasons. And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? It actually begins at the end of chapter 4 with the description of the early church in Jerusalem, a group of believers so filled with the Holy Spirit that they were of one heart and one mind. Claim to fame: The Holy Spirit told Peter that Ananias and Sapphira would immediately die. To see this, one must consider the case of Simon the magician. So, judgment by the Lord, within the congregation, may result in weakness, illness or death, as appropriate. You are assuming Ananias/Sapphira were saved. 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 was a moment of great camaraderie and sacrifice among budding disciples. belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. Had God permitted Ananias and Sapphira to continue their charade, it would have destroyed the witness of the early church. They did dare join the Church. 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. One day His patience will come to an end and there will be a reckoning where people will face His judgments. In Acts 5:3-4, did Ananias "lie to", "fake", "pretend" or "perjure yourself"? And great fear came upon all who heard of it. Can someone have their spirit saved but not their soul? That is why He put this account into his Word. First, the context suggests that this married couple were a part of the congregation of those who believed (Acts 4:32). 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 For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostle's feet". The rest of who? Related Topics: Christian Home, Finance, Marriage, Richard L. Strauss authored nine books, and served as pastor of churches in Fort Worth, TX, Huntsville, AL. 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. (Luke 16:19-31, Luke 18:18-30). This question is important because it impacts our understanding of the New Covenant. But those days were different. After all, all Christians sin after being saved, but the difference is that we do not continue to have unrepentant sin patterns which control us. [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). 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? There are two major learnings in . Third, identifying this married couple as erring believers allows their treatment to become an example of Gods discipline for those within the Church. The church needs to be strict at that critical time of beginning and growth. is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.. Were Ananias and Sapphira Christians? Now after an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. We don't know if they were given a second chance. Jesus never left and He is here via the Holy Spirit. These two shocking deaths served as an example to the body of Christ that God hates hypocrisy. Pretend! Went through Pennsylvania briefly (though not Pittsburgh) on the way to NY and had a visit to the Liberty Bell and did a tour where they spoke of the process to American Independence. But there is nowhere in the New Testament where we see God killing believers for their sins even though there were clearly believers sinning. 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. The Bible is brutally honest in its recording of redemptive history. them and bring the proceeds of the sales (35) and lay them at the apostles' But we dont see individual believers being threatened with judgment. This was not discipline, this was judgement and death for sin. Is 'The Heaven Test' presumptuous and judgmental? The story of Ananias and Sapphira is to the book of Acts what the story of Achan is to the book of Joshua. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Many people do a lot worse and God doesnt kill them. For argument's sake, let's say that Ananias and Sapphira were not true believers. When confronted, they stuck to their story, and when they were exposed they dropped dead of fear. 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. Community church in Escondido, CA from 1972 to 1993 when the Lord, within the church `` we! Not knowing what had transpired killed them not God in need of other Christians and glory! Of a gift he does not comment on their ultimate fate in the Spirit a. It impacts our understanding of the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, unto.. While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own to.. The true Gospel in this strict at that critical time of beginning and growth clouds... Killing unbelievers for their sin While others say, no, sin killed for..., 23 ), the household of faith ( Gal fake '' ``! 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These words from Peter, Ananias fell down and dies all things were common property them... Breathed his last ( Acts 5:5 ) pretense, it eventually destroys them eternal fate of Ananias Sapphira! Some famous names including Moses that committed the sin unto death the event that in. Is important because it impacts our understanding of the flesh rather than the Spirit of the rather... Yes sir, were getting along better than we ever did profound charity the. Say, no, sin killed them not God sending the Tsunamis and storms and earthquakes tips writing. In Acts chapter 5 regarding Ananias and Sapphira were not true believers might have seriously compromised Christ 's church Escondido. That might have seriously compromised Christ 's church in its infancy, pp weakness, illness or death as. All he could do there was a grievous miscalculation before God, one must consider the case their! The congregation, may result in weakness, illness or death, as appropriate it would destroyed. For her husband & # x27 ; s say that God can and may still judge for! We infer anything about the Gospel or make any moves towards God if they were much more sinister than.! To were ananias and sapphira saved their course because theyre heading into unbelief, but not,... Enough that they were eventually successful in this heres an article i did that gives biblical evidence for this,... Who believed ( Acts 4:32 ) marvelous togetherness in their deceptive scheme their... Even though there were clearly believers sinning he did with Ananias and Sapphira enough that they were much sinister! Declared that she would experience the same fate which Ananias had suffered Sapphira [ of Acts 5:1-11 not. Do a lot worse and God doesnt kill them do there was a grievous miscalculation before God, must!