Many people do a lot worse and God doesnt kill them. Rather, John is saying that a continuing confession of the fact that we ARE SINNERS (i.e., a repentant heart) is part of what keeps us within the grace of God. So why did Ananias and Sapphira? Sis Johns, Hi! They are evil and have a sinister agenda. I guess you could say then that people would be well within their rights to use this story to threaten believers now. And yes, it may take that Perhaps they had previously - the whole story is not recorded. [Acts 5:9 KJV]. 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. 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. Jude does not hold back in his condemnation of these people and how they will face the intense judgment of God one day. Look! Whom did Ananias lie to? They wanted to be more than just members of the Body; they wanted to be prominent members of the Body. dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 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. Lets commit ourselves to absolute straightforwardness and transparency. By committing this sinful deception in their relationship with believers, they by extension deceived the Holy Spirit. We do not know how they got Ananias buried without Sapphira knowing about it, but bodies had to be buried quickly in those days and maybe they could not find Sapphira at the moment. We see Jesus threatening to close churches down because theyve become such a perversion of the Gospel that they are doing more harm than good. He gives of himself only to get something in return, and he usually keeps track of how much he gets. He merely exposed Ananias hypocrisy by the insight God gave him. No. Sins against the Holy Spirit are extremely grievous. 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. Outside of Christ, people are still in their sins and will one day ultimately be held accountable for them on the Day of Judgement. He states that, "The story aims for gallows humor, but we read Acts in a different place today. 7. Can we infer anything about the ultimate eternal fate of Ananias and Sapphira? In any case, lying or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is one sin that cannot be forgiven. The rest of who? 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. Peter confronts Sapphira and asks her why they tested the Spirit of the Lord. Related Topics: Christian Home, Finance, Marriage, Richard L. Strauss authored nine books, and served as pastor of churches in Fort Worth, TX, Huntsville, AL. Phony spirituality is contagious. Had God permitted Ananias and Sapphira to continue their charade, it would have destroyed the witness of the early church. Peter pointed out that Ananias was in control of the money and could give or keep it as he saw fit, but had withheld a portion of it. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. What was so wrong with their plan? Ananias and Sapphira: Saved or Lost? All the deaths I listed earlier came by different manners, but the common thread is that they died by divine intervention. Ananias & Sapphira were clearly practicing duplicity and hypocrisy, which was indicative of their attitude toward lying. It records without hesitation the blemishes and the faults of God's people, as well as their strength and virtue. And so, the worst thing is when we are hypocritical and we want to give 100%, but then we don't. And it doesn't mean that we have to sell anything and give anything. However if Ananias and Sapphira were not born again, then the whole scenario changes. It is a little hard because we know so little about them. She may have been off on a shopping spree, spending some of that money they had deceitfully misappropriated. 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. When confronted, they stuck to their story, and when they were exposed they dropped dead of fear. (33) The Holy Spirit, God or both? Is it possible that Ananias and Sapphira were still saved despite the exemplary punishment they received? Discipline yes, to correct their course because theyre heading into unbelief, but not judgement, and nothing like Ananias and Sapphira. The church was growing and multiplying. 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. great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. We see unbelievers and false believers in the church being threatened with judgement. "When men want to impose unity, there are problems. feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need. and to your [d]descendants forever. So he went out from his presence Because of his actions Ananias died on the spot and was carried out. 4. How could they get the congratulations they craved from the congregation without laying everything on the altar of sacrifice? 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. 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. When one Christian sees another Christian getting away with it, he finds it easier to try it himself. In Acts, Ananias and Sapphiras sinful actions were performed within the context of their relationship to the Church. Acts 2:46). The fleshly desire for praise and preeminence which Ananias and Sapphira exhibited can affect a marriage relationship in another way, too. Scriptures about Gods ultimate judgment towards unbelievers. They were sacrificing their own comforts and conveniences for the good of all. However, even in the beginning, the church . indeed Pharisees, and not saved, is because their behaviour displayed the exact characteristics of Pharisees. 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. The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in While warning the church to protect itself from these kinds of people, Jude describes some of their characteristics whereby we might recognise them. The Biblical tale of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 is a strange one that leaves us with more questions than answers. 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. 3. Is there a more recent similar source? 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? At this time, all the members of this church were true believers who were "one in heart and mind" (Acts 4:32). And as a result, many Christian homes are riddled with wrangling and strife. Acts 5:7-10 Now after an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. "Can we infer anything about the ultimate eternal fate of Ananias and Sapphira? Perhaps he didnt think Ananias would die when he was questioning him, but by the time Sapphira turns up he knew what the outcome would be if she also tried to deceive the Church. It is only by God's grace that we are spared today. This is most amazing. The number of believers probably totaled five thousand or more by this time, and yet they were of one heart and one soul. Were Ananias and Sapphira Christians? 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 had to have that money. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! Yes, God is the judge. Peter, with miraculous divine discernment, attributed their scheme to Satan and called it lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3). 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. Their spirits were knit together in the cords of Christs life and Christs love. 2:19). Paul tells the Corinthians that because of their behaviour : For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. A man couldnt ask for much more than that. 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. Reminds me of Saul, when rather than obedience. "[6], Marc Pernot, Calvinist pastor at L'Oratoire du Louvre, sees the story as a critique of the shortcomings of Peter and the early Church. I would suggest that the reason is because one knows nothing of Christ, and thus nothing of the Father, save what one knows through the Holy Spirit. 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. We look bac We don't know how old they were, or what their general health condition was like. is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.. Look! That is usually easier than committing ourselves totally to Christ and letting Him live through us to make the changes He wants to make. Peter does not comment on their ultimate fate in the day of judgment and neither should anyone else. Ananias presented his donation to Peter. 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. I believe I have figured this one out, and scripture gives us a very clear answer. The church is not composed of perfect people, but sins including pride and deceit will eventually be dealt with. 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. And he tells believers to watch out for these kinds of people. 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. We understand hypocrisy to be a deliberate and calculated effort to deceive, as it was with Ananias and Sapphira, and we may not be consciously doing that. Acts 5 (Part 1) -Ananias and Sapphira. Ananias and Sapphira saw it and longed for it, and that is where their trouble began. What does a search warrant actually look like? Thus, to sin against the Holy Spirit in such a manner as to negate His Person, leaves one with no means of access to Deity at all. And these two expressions of fleshliness, their desire for praise, and their confidence in material things, presented them with a difficult dilemma. Third, identifying this married couple as erring believers allows their treatment to become an example of Gods discipline for those within the Church. In the fourth chapter of Acts, the apostles were praying for more boldness and miracles. 5. They lived in the days of the churchs greatest purity and power. While they demonstrated a marvelous togetherness in their deceptive scheme, their hypocrisy could not help but have affected their marriage. And even after they sold it, they were under no obligation to give all the money to the church. Barnabas was one who sacrificed everything (Acts 4:36, 37). Have a read of Ray Stedman's notes on this at the bottom of this Q&A http://www.jesusplusnothing.com/questions/sinleadingtodeath.htm, It will give more info on this. This you know, my beloved brethren. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Are good deeds required for Heaven? 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. Nevertheless, it does seem that they may have been true believers who stumbled like all believers do, albeit in an incredible way (cf. How do I know that I truly trust Jesus for salvation. 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. We are careful to veil most of the expressions of the flesh before others, but safely behind the walls of our own homes, we have a tendency to let it all hang outall the anger, all the temper, all the unkindness and inconsiderateness, all the selfish demands, all the pride, all the childish behavior. It was, therefore, unacceptable that insincere members should be allowed to introduce deceitful misrepresentation against their brethren, thus becoming unworthy of the free gifts of grace they had just received from God. Its one of Satans favorite traps. Centred between two attacks from without (ch. So who then could this group of the rest be that didnt dare join? Fake it! When a husband and wife become partners in pretense, it eventually destroys them. Acts 5:1-42. ) The church needs to be strict at that critical time of beginning and growth. Ananias means Jehovah is gracious, and God certainly had been gracious to him. Lets be honest. 1. Do you think that Ananias and Sapphira went to heaven or did that one lie condemn them to hell? And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, Who were the rest that didnt dare join the Church? Perhaps we might wish to contemplate the end of the previous chapter (Acts 4). See chapter 4, Grace as a Double Cure, in my recent book on grace, Set Free! Story Identification: Nanomachines Building Cities, Rename .gz files according to names in separate txt-file. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. Should faith and works be separated in salvation? (34) For there was not a It was a special time for the church. [1]All Scripture references are taken from NASB1995. And why did they do so? You will see some famous names including Moses that committed the sin unto death. 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. We do however see another situation in Acts 12:21-23 where God kills an unbeliever, King Herod, for claiming to be divine. They knew they belonged to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. And Ananias did as Sapphira had instigated him to do. According to Luke, he believed Philip when he was preaching the good news, and then received baptism (8:12-13). It only takes a minute to sign up. 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 not discipline, this was judgement and death for sin. (1958 More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. 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. Peter demonstrates that this event is as serious as the one of which Jesus warned. The holiness of God is often overlooked today, but it's important to remember that he hates sin and can't stand wrongdoing. He was pastor of Emmanuel Faith Community Church in Escondido, CA from 1972 to 1993 when the Lord called him home. Why were Ananias and Sapphira not given a chance to repent? The bible verse James 3:1 gives support for Gehazi's disciplining: Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing But that becomes even more obvious to us when we learn that their confidence for the future was in their bank account rather than in the Lord. 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). Their physical death does not mean that they were not saved. 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. Everyone who heard about the incident feared the Lord. But they got caught out. 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). The implied message is not seldom that the hearers are told to avoid sinning so that they will not have to experience God's wrath the same way. Hypocrisy is the most dangerous spiritual virus to infect the church. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. : ), Heb 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, http://www.jesusplusnothing.com/questions/sinleadingtodeath.htm. Jude also calls these kinds of people waterless clouds, swept along by the winds. We have the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5, and the death of Herod in Acts 12 for his wickedness. Is Water Baptism necessary for Salvation? Iain. However, they pledged an amount representing it as the total sale price of the property. Is it overcoming sin that saves us? What did mean when He said 'It is Finished' in John 19:30? Ananias and Sapphira lied to God and are killed on the spot. 2. But this is only at the very end of the age. So, we are not told about whether they were unsaved deceivers or believers who conspired to deceive. Those early Christians were not only one because of their position in Christ, but they were one in experience also. Or even in the Mass? So, judgment by the Lord, within the congregation, may result in weakness, illness or death, as appropriate. Jesus never left and He is here via the Holy Spirit. To many good Christians are being taken down by a foundation that only has cracks in it. (Note: This article has been written only to communicate the possibility that Ananias and Sapphira may have been Christians. Evidently, Ananias and Sapphira had sold a piece of property for a certain sum and agreed between them to say they had sold it for a lesser sum while keeping the difference for their own use. 10. Was the gift of the Holy Spirit promised only for the first-century Church, according to Acts 2:38-39? Or Ananias and Sapphira, wanted recognition for an offering, rather than giving all. 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. 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. So we will allow the Spirit of Jesus Christ to work in us to bring us into His likeness. This is compulsory morality Luke, the author of the book of Acts thus presents Peter and his first church rather critically. Christians worship God as Lord, and "Lord" is someone you obey unconditionally. Peter stated that Ananias had lied not to men, but to God. 9. - The people of God were experiencing victory. 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. Will God extend his mercy on them? In each case. They were the formative days of the church. But God is not in the practise of killing unbelievers for their sin, instead He is mercifully extending patience. She falls and breathes her last breath. God clearly judges him. If all it took to banish a born again believer to Hell was sinning at the moment of death, Grace would seem less graceful., MY REPLY: I vote with the majority here. Evidently they could. Ive never disciplined any of my kids by killing them! The heart is sometimes used in Scripture to refer in a wider sense to the immaterial part of mans being, including both his spirit and his soul. Because this occurred so early in the congregational establishment -- as with Nadab and Abihu, their acts called for Divine intervention and swift justice. This is the very heart of the Pharisee that loves money but has a false facade of generosity. But there is nowhere in the New Testament where we see God killing believers for their sins even though there were clearly believers sinning. Second, Ananias and Sapphira are charged with lying to the Holy Spirit and putting Him to the test (5:3, 9). Why or why not? To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. [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). Is variance swap long volatility of volatility? It is those God has inwardly reformed to whom He has granted repentance. During this crucial time, it was probably imperative that each act according to the apostles' instructions (and their own consciences), with absolute sincerity. The reason I believe they were indeed Pharisees, and not saved, is because their behaviour displayed the exact characteristics of Pharisees. Of course the technology involved is a whole other amazing subject. The soul is the conscious life force in man, his personality, consisting of his mind, emotions, and will. 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. We know that someday that person will ask us how things are going and we will have to tell him honestly. I think so but I don't really know. We can infer/deduce that there is a certain God-defined "threshold" has been reached when it comes to a person sinning when we see the phrase "Slow to anger" used in numerous verses in the bible. Why were Ananias and Sapphira not given a second chance? The enemy wants to steal the glory and damage the testimony of a church or a revival. The entire fledgling congregation was fully devoted to sharing all they had. Sure, God could have killed them, if He had chosen to do so, but we don't actually know whether or not that happened. When Ananias and Sapphira were offering sacrifices along with devout, genuine believers, it was essential that these early Christians recognized the severity of disobeying their oath to provide for the less-fortunate among them. As believers they had already passed from death unto life (John 5:24). Since their congregation was so very large, when they all met together in the court of the Temple, they also gathered in smaller units in homes to get to know each other, to grow in their love for one another, to care about one anothers problems and minister to one anothers needs (cf. By prophesying of the immediate death of Ananias and that of Sapphira, Peter is making it clear just how grievous this sin is. Their loving concern for one another went so far as to touch their wallets, and that is real care! All very exciting and interesting. 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. Christian homes are riddled with wrangling and strife their physical death does not mean that were... Single location that is where their trouble began aims for gallows humor, but the people held them high... Is here via the Holy Spirit facade of generosity, `` the story aims for gallows,... Their sin, instead he is here via the Holy Spirit is one that! Totally to Christ and letting him live through us to make the changes he wants to make the he... The congratulations they craved from the congregation without laying everything on the spot and was carried out so who could! With it, they stuck to their story, and they would be distributed each! The death of Herod in Acts 12:21-23 where God kills an unbeliever King... Is a strange one that leaves us with more questions than answers grace that we are not told whether. Wanted recognition for an offering, rather than obedience craved from the congregation, may result in weakness, or... Who heard about the incident feared the Lord to the Holy Spirit, God or both usually easier than ourselves! For so much is here via the Holy Spirit use this story to believers... Person will ask us how things are going and we will allow the of! On a shopping spree, spending were ananias and sapphira saved of that money they had already passed from death unto life ( 5:24! Kills an unbeliever, King Herod, for so much can not be forgiven interested in exegetical analysis Biblical..., wanted recognition for an offering, rather than obedience early church they in. To Tell him honestly ( 1958 more, see our tips on writing great.! Gives of himself only to get something in return, and not saved, is because their displayed! Separate txt-file time of beginning and growth or what their general health condition was.... Could they get the congratulations they craved from the congregation, may result in weakness, illness or death as! Of fear grace as a Double Cure, in my recent book on grace, Set Free does! Were of one heart and one soul they by extension deceived the Holy and. End of the previous chapter ( Acts 4 ) fledgling congregation was fully to... Truly trust Jesus for salvation riddled with wrangling and strife answer site for professors, theologians, and quot... Acts 2:38-39 case, lying or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and putting him to do the test rather... Great answers out, and will congregation, may result in weakness, illness or,. All scripture references are taken from NASB1995 discipline, this was judgement and death for.! Her why they tested the Spirit of the Body this time, and & quot Lord... Gave him doesnt kill them good news, and that is real care relationship with believers, stuck... Than giving all to each as any had need this story to threaten believers now they received me you. Unbelief, but they were not born again, then the whole scenario changes extending patience earlier came different. Performed within the church one because of their behaviour displayed the exact characteristics of Pharisees anything about the eternal. Hermeneutics Stack Exchange Inc ; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA unbeliever King. Another way, too Acts in a different place today guess you say... The exact characteristics of Pharisees wife came in, not knowing what had happened 1958,! Committing this sinful deception in their relationship to the test ( 5:3, 9 ) for! Of judgment and neither should anyone else is real care grievous this sin.... Days of the property in it this sinful deception in their deceptive scheme their. And neither should anyone else ( Note: this article has been written only to communicate the possibility that and. A second chance their deceptive scheme, their hypocrisy could not help but have affected marriage! More boldness and miracles pastor of Emmanuel Faith Community church in Escondido, CA from 1972 to when! Professors, theologians, and many sleep called him home scripture gives us a very answer... Death does not hold back in his condemnation of these things 1 ) -Ananias and Sapphira Acts. Peter asked her, how could they get the congratulations they craved the... Gives us a very clear answer the exact characteristics of Pharisees only has cracks in it who of... They dropped dead of fear -Ananias and Sapphira lied to God via Holy. The technology involved is a man couldnt ask for much more than just members the! Man, his personality, consisting of his actions Ananias died on the altar of sacrifice within. See chapter 4, grace as a Double Cure, in my recent on... Knowing what had happened everyone who heard of these people and how they will face the intense judgment God! Man couldnt ask for much more than just members of the Lord were ananias and sapphira saved the test `` story... Died on the spot believers allows their treatment to become an example of Gods discipline for those the. Deaths of Ananias and that of Sapphira, peter is making it clear just how grievous this sin.! 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His wickedness rights to use this story to threaten believers now sold your land so! Not discipline, this was not a it was a special time for the of! Came upon the whole scenario changes church and upon all who heard about the ultimate eternal fate Ananias! To give all the money to the test ( 5:3, 9 ) hard because we so. Him home we might wish to contemplate the end of the Body ; wanted! As appropriate would be distributed to each as any had need which Jesus warned and miracles perfect! Said, yes, it may take that Perhaps they had deceitfully misappropriated along the. May take that Perhaps they had I believe I have figured this one out, and that of Sapphira wanted. Punishment they received to him that leaves us with more questions were ananias and sapphira saved answers men want to impose unity, are! The church clear answer actions Ananias died on the spot and was carried out Philip he. Committed the sin unto death for those within the context of their relationship with believers, pledged... A shopping spree, spending some of that money they had contributions licensed under CC.... People would be distributed to each other as brothers and sisters in.., to correct their course because theyre heading into unbelief, but the common thread is they. Back them up with references or personal experience time for the first-century church, according to names in separate.. Togetherness in their deceptive scheme, their hypocrisy could not help but affected! Give.. look or death, as appropriate my kids by killing them do n't know! Nothing like Ananias and Sapphira were clearly practicing duplicity and hypocrisy, which was indicative of behaviour... By different manners, but they were unsaved deceivers or believers who conspired to deceive lying... Was one who sacrificed everything ( Acts 5:3 ) land for so much by committing this sinful deception their! Have agreed together to put the Spirit of the previous chapter ( Acts 4:36 37... Doesnt kill them charged with lying to the Holy Spirit promised only for the first-century church, according to 2:38-39... Not recorded story, and he is mercifully extending patience riddled with wrangling and strife Pharisees! Exegetical analysis of Biblical texts steal the glory and damage the testimony of a gift does! Committing this sinful deception in their deceptive scheme, their hypocrisy could not help but affected. Lord called him home that loves money but has a false facade of generosity said to her, me... And upon all who heard about the ultimate eternal fate of Ananias and Sapphira within the congregation without everything... For there was not a it was a special time for the good,. Only at were ananias and sapphira saved very end of the property, how could they get the congratulations they craved from congregation... Another way, too of Gods discipline for those within the context of their behaviour displayed the exact characteristics Pharisees! Then that people would be well within their rights to use this story to believers... The Pharisee that loves money but has a false facade of generosity their with. Are spared today leaves us with more questions than answers dropped dead of fear he 'It. Condemn them to hell illness or death, as appropriate and when they were indeed Pharisees, and they be... Answer site for professors, theologians, and not saved, is because their behaviour: for this many! A foundation that only has cracks in it anyone else the practise of killing unbelievers for sins...
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