The Cost of Pretending
[ READ ] Acts 5:1-16
Ananias and Sapphira
1 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. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. 6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.
7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” 9 But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.
Many Signs and Wonders Done
12 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
1 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. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. 6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.
7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” 9 But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.
Many Signs and Wonders Done
12 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
This can be an uncomfortable passage for some of us. The Holy Spirit’s intervention here is swift, sudden, and final. Ananias and Sapphira pay a heavy price for their disobedience. But what exactly was their disobedience?
Let’s start with what it wasn’t. God did not punish Ananias and Sapphira because they refused to hand over their property. This is not a forced commune situation. Peter says as much in verse 4, explicitly affirming private ownership and voluntary giving. The land was Ananias’ before sale. The money was still under his authority after the sale.
The sin, then, comes not in the partial offering, but in the dishonesty attached to it. The phrase “kept back for himself” in verse 2, along with Sapphira’s blatant dishonesty in verse 8, shows a callous disregard for God’s holiness. They pretend to give everything, expecting to successfully hoodwink the creator of the universe and garner public approval in the process. For this, they pay with their lives.
But why the severity? Was their sin really so drastic that it warranted an immediate death sentence? Have we not seen worse sinners that have walked away relatively (heavy on the “relatively” here) unscathed?
To understand the severity of God’s decision in this situation, we have to consider the context. Acts takes us through the earliest days of a fledgling church – the very first buds of a flower destined to bloom tremendously. Beginnings are important to God. And at the beginning of a new redemptive-historical stage, God often sets the standard by judging with unusual immediacy and severity. We see this with Nadab and Abihu at the tabernacle (Leviticus 10), Achan at Israel’s entry into the land (Joshua 7), and here with Ananias and Sapphira at the birth of the church.
God’s words after Nadab and Abihu’s consumption by fire are appropriate to consider here:
“Among those who approach me I will be proved holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.” (Leviticus 10:3).
So how do the masses react? Does this show of awesome (and, frankly, quite scary) power push them away? Do they become distant, perhaps questioning whether God is truly merciful?
We actually see the opposite. “More than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women”. God’s holy power and sovereign judgment are not meant to alienate. They are meant to draw us closer, repelling casual commitment, encouraging seriousness, and helping us to understand the holiness of the One we worship. Holiness and mission belong together. A church that fears God can and will attract sinners to grace.
The fear of the Lord is, after all, the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
- Kidus Kebede
Let’s start with what it wasn’t. God did not punish Ananias and Sapphira because they refused to hand over their property. This is not a forced commune situation. Peter says as much in verse 4, explicitly affirming private ownership and voluntary giving. The land was Ananias’ before sale. The money was still under his authority after the sale.
The sin, then, comes not in the partial offering, but in the dishonesty attached to it. The phrase “kept back for himself” in verse 2, along with Sapphira’s blatant dishonesty in verse 8, shows a callous disregard for God’s holiness. They pretend to give everything, expecting to successfully hoodwink the creator of the universe and garner public approval in the process. For this, they pay with their lives.
But why the severity? Was their sin really so drastic that it warranted an immediate death sentence? Have we not seen worse sinners that have walked away relatively (heavy on the “relatively” here) unscathed?
To understand the severity of God’s decision in this situation, we have to consider the context. Acts takes us through the earliest days of a fledgling church – the very first buds of a flower destined to bloom tremendously. Beginnings are important to God. And at the beginning of a new redemptive-historical stage, God often sets the standard by judging with unusual immediacy and severity. We see this with Nadab and Abihu at the tabernacle (Leviticus 10), Achan at Israel’s entry into the land (Joshua 7), and here with Ananias and Sapphira at the birth of the church.
God’s words after Nadab and Abihu’s consumption by fire are appropriate to consider here:
“Among those who approach me I will be proved holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.” (Leviticus 10:3).
So how do the masses react? Does this show of awesome (and, frankly, quite scary) power push them away? Do they become distant, perhaps questioning whether God is truly merciful?
We actually see the opposite. “More than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women”. God’s holy power and sovereign judgment are not meant to alienate. They are meant to draw us closer, repelling casual commitment, encouraging seriousness, and helping us to understand the holiness of the One we worship. Holiness and mission belong together. A church that fears God can and will attract sinners to grace.
The fear of the Lord is, after all, the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
- Kidus Kebede
[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ How can we prove the deity of the Holy Spirit using just verses 3 and 4? (Hint: who is being lied to?)
+ Re-read verse 16. Notice that the same Spirit who judges hypocrisy heals the broken. The same holy presence that kills deceit gives life to the sick and oppressed. How do we hold this tension? Is there any tension at all?
+ How can we prove the deity of the Holy Spirit using just verses 3 and 4? (Hint: who is being lied to?)
+ Re-read verse 16. Notice that the same Spirit who judges hypocrisy heals the broken. The same holy presence that kills deceit gives life to the sick and oppressed. How do we hold this tension? Is there any tension at all?
[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Classical Protestant exegete Matthew Henry says the following in his commentary on this passage: “Those that boast of good works they never did, or promise good works they never do, or make the good works they do more or better than really they are, come under the guilt of Ananias's lie, which it concerns us all to dread the thought of.” Does this ring a bell? I certainly squirmed a little – perhaps there were times where I made my good works seem like a little more than they were. Have you at any point found yourself guilty of Ananias and Sapphira’s sin?
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Classical Protestant exegete Matthew Henry says the following in his commentary on this passage: “Those that boast of good works they never did, or promise good works they never do, or make the good works they do more or better than really they are, come under the guilt of Ananias's lie, which it concerns us all to dread the thought of.” Does this ring a bell? I certainly squirmed a little – perhaps there were times where I made my good works seem like a little more than they were. Have you at any point found yourself guilty of Ananias and Sapphira’s sin?
[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Lord, You are holy. You are set apart. You are righteous. Help me to understand what that means. Help me to understand who You are, that I may more fervently and accurately conform myself to Your image. Do not let me forget who You are – let Your holy character be my north star, by which I navigate the world around me.
+ Pray with me:
Lord, You are holy. You are set apart. You are righteous. Help me to understand what that means. Help me to understand who You are, that I may more fervently and accurately conform myself to Your image. Do not let me forget who You are – let Your holy character be my north star, by which I navigate the world around me.
[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
+ What is your central takeaway from this passage? Try to articulate it in a few sentences. Now take a few minutes to think about how you can communicate that message to the world around you, through both word and action.
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
+ What is your central takeaway from this passage? Try to articulate it in a few sentences. Now take a few minutes to think about how you can communicate that message to the world around you, through both word and action.
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