Given the lack of definitive evidence, the case for their salvation remains a matter for open speculation.). needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell In each case. Those early Christians were not only one because of their position in Christ, but they were one in experience also. By pretending to give the whole amount they could appear generous without having to actually give it all away. Why does Jesus turn to the Father to forgive in Luke 23:34? Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. lovingkindness. And that brings us, secondly, to the sin of Ananias and Sapphira. Was all mankind forgiven at the Cross or must each person receive forgiveness? Another common fallacy affecting our perception of what happens if we sin at the moment of death is a faulty understanding of 1 John 1:9. Is Koestler's The Sleepwalkers still well regarded? 8. It says: Ananias' name means "God is Gracious"; and his wife Sapphira's name (from which we get the word "sapphire") means "Fair . If he thinks he is coming out on the short end, he quarrels and complains until he gets what he thinks he deserves. They knew they belonged to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Do you know what their names mean? Acts 5 (Part 1) -Ananias and Sapphira. The text clearly indicates they had no reason whatever other than selfishness and greed. Ananias and Sapphira "agreed together" - i.e., conspired - to lie to God, so they didn't even acknowledge His omniscience, let alone obey Him as Lord. 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. PS - I spent about 6 weeks in the US for the first time late last year. Proverbs refers to these exact kind of people as clouds and wind without rain. Sins against the Holy Spirit are extremely grievous. (33) Ananias and Sapphiras behaviour exposed their true heart and agenda. They had to have that money. Jude vs 12-13 These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.. The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in Or Ananias and Sapphira, wanted recognition for an offering, rather than giving all. A couple of reasons: First, their deathslike much in Actsserve as a sign. 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. 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. Had a wonderful time. 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. But they were to find that it can never be so. 3. Thanks for the email and the encouragement. "Slow to anger" does Not mean God never becomes angry. There was no trace of fleshly pride in it whatsoever. 314-316, for a fuller explanation of why this is the correct understanding of this verse. "[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. 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). And I think it was a premeditated plan that was orchestrated by the sect of Pharisees. There are a number of opposing views about the event that happened in Acts chapter 5 regarding Ananias and Sapphiras death. They, like the rich and like the Pharisees, made a show of how much they were giving but under the surface what was really going on was that they loved money and loved peoples praises. 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). Acts chapter 4:32 closes by stating that the first followers of Jesus did not consider their possessions to be their own but rather held in common, in order to use what they had on behalf of those in want. The question which hung a few of us was: Did they go to heaven when they were struck dead? Most of us felt, assuming they were born again believers, they did. [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. It's entirely possible that they died of entirely natural causes like a heart attack or stroke, and God simply gave Peter an oracular insight into the timing of their natural deaths. They could not bear to do what the others were doinggive their substance totally to God and trust solely in His faithfulness to meet their needs. 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. 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. Paul tells the Corinthians that because of their behaviour : For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. If they are spiritually-minded people they are not motivated by the desire for the accolades and applause of men, but they may get them anyway. Husbands and wives can begin by being honest with each other. But those days were different. 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. Its one of Satans favorite traps. Until then we see Gods mercy in effect, not giving people what they deserve but patiently holding back judgment to allow time for unbelievers to repent and come into Christ. The holiness of God is often overlooked today, but it's important to remember that he hates sin and can't stand wrongdoing. This isnt far fetched as the Pharisees hated the Church, persecuted it and were desperately trying to destroy it. God clearly judges him. For example we don't even know if they were definitely born again believers. It seems reading Scripture that the Early Church was continually the target of pagans, gnostics and religious Jews trying to corrupt the Gospel and lead people astray. This question is important because it impacts our understanding of the New Covenant. The rich He associated with pride and reliance on self righteous works thereby unable to receive the Kingdom by faith. [5], The Lutheran New Testament Professor Matthew L. Skinner claims the story is meant to be gallows humour. 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. 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? Is it possible that Ananias and Sapphira were still saved despite the exemplary punishment they received? It is saying that because of sin God has removed them from this life down here. 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. belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. Why were Ananias and Sapphira not given a chance to repent? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? 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. Without a moments hesitation she answered, Yes, that was the price (Acts 5:8). Three hours later she came in looking for her husband, oblivious to what had transpired. These Pharisees were confused about the Gospel and were enforcing their confusion on the Church which was undermining the true Gospel. Then we will be able to stop playing the game of putting on appearances. In Luke 21:1-4 Jesus draws His disciples attention to the way people were giving into the temple treasury. Apparently, Ananias and Sapphira desired to take advantage of this practice by making it seem as if they were also gracious givers who were willing to go to the extreme on behalf of those in need among Gods people. 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. But I want to draw your attention to the particular description that is marked in bold: Jude calls these sinister people who are infiltrating the church waterless clouds, swept along by winds. he saved some. They were the formative days of the church. (Also in this book, see pp. We cringe at this extreme illustration of divine discipline. Is it overcoming sin that saves us? So if we believe that they were genuine believers then does this lie commit them to hell? We may even be tempted to accuse God of overreacting with undue harshness. Out of the foxhole and into the the line of fire. This you know, my beloved brethren. Why they were killed for that only God knows. Up until that time there had been no such crass exhibition of fleshliness, and God loathed the day it would permeate the church. Acts 5:7-10 Now after an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 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. They did dare join the Church. And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? And as a result, many Christian homes are riddled with wrangling and strife. 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. 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. Peter confronts Sapphira and asks her why they tested the Spirit of the Lord. joining the Church. (34) For there was not a So why is this event so important to the Church in the New Covenant? 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. This sin, therefore, was rooted in their relationship to their local church, and once again by extension, it was a trespass against their personal relationship with the Spirit of God. The need for each partner to come out looking better than his mate causes him to mask his true inner person, and so entrenches him more firmly in his wretched hypocrisy. Were They Saved? 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? 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. When Jesus says "your sins are forgiven", how is that reconciled with the sacrificial system established in the old testament? The account records their sudden deaths after lying to the Holy Spirit about money. For example, Barnabas, a Levite from Cyprus, sold a plot of land and donated the proceeds to the apostles. You seem? Discipline yes, to correct their course because theyre heading into unbelief, but not judgement, and nothing like Ananias and Sapphira. He states that, "The story aims for gallows humor, but we read Acts in a different place today. Only then will they be able to grow spiritually. This is compulsory morality Luke, the author of the book of Acts thus presents Peter and his first church rather critically. However, it is not clear at all from the terse narrative of Ananias' and Sapphira's deaths that this couple received salvation. So who then could this group of the rest be that didnt dare join? There is nothing in the story that indicates that they went to hell and this was not a sin that Jesus didn't pay for when He died. 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. (James 1:19) These two shocking deaths served as an example to the body of Christ that God hates hypocrisy. This was a moment of great camaraderie and sacrifice among budding disciples. Do Christians Still Have a Sinful Nature? It spreads. Ive never disciplined any of my kids by killing them! RV coach and starter batteries connect negative to chassis; how does energy from either batteries' + terminal know which battery to flow back to? Worst betrayal: Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Spirit and the Church about their generous giving. More specifically on the second point, Reidhead commented that the introduction of sin would destroy the unity that the early believers had in the Holy Spirit, and would thus remove God's blessing on the body. And he tells believers to watch out for these kinds of people. 10. But this is only at the very end of the age. It is quite possible that in this case, Nadab and Abihu had been intoxicated as they offered their sacrifices. Coveting the plaudits of men was evidence enough that they were operating in the realm of the flesh rather than the Spirit. So who then could this group of the rest be that didnt dare join? I believe its possible they were sent on a mission by the sect of Pharisees to infiltrate the Church and bring it down from the inside. Any believer was free to own property if he so chose, and no one would think less of him for it. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. How do I know that I truly trust Jesus for salvation. [1]All Scripture references are taken from NASB1995. (SUBSCRIBE HERE). While everyone in the church who sold property and generously gave all the money they received from the sale, Ananias and Sapphira held back some of the money from their sale of property for themselves, but tried to pretend they were giving everything because that made them also look generous and caring. 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. Why do you not agree with Soul Salvation? 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? They were sacrificing their own comforts and conveniences for the good of all. The church is not composed of perfect people, but sins including pride and deceit will eventually be dealt with. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. (2 Corinthians 5:19). Will Jesus 'spit' us out of His mouth? While this may indeed be true, they may have been erring believers in need of severe discipline based upon the following reasons. ", Leviticus 10:9: Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you will not die". It means that God did not judge believers for their sin. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023, Living in Love: Secrets from Bible Marriages. This was all in a public place, just like it was in Acts 5. [Acts 5:9 KJV]. A man couldnt ask for much more than that. Debate/Discussion: Universal Salvation: True or False? Havelaar, H. 1997. Why are non-Western countries siding with China in the UN? They are part of a larger unit called the Body of Christ (Eph. 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. It is also shown on a 1590s painting by Ambrosius Francken the Elder. If Ananias and Sapphira were new Christians/immature Christians then we might have asked why they did Not have a chance to repent( i.e., some kind of gracious period of time to repent). How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? This, like Ananias and Sapphira, are examples in scripture of a 'sin leading to death' as mentioned in 1 John 5:16. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Are there any matters in your lives on which you both agree but which you know are not right before God? How can you avoid this tendency? Luke suggests that every believer is responsible to God for what he or she does. Iain. We see this most often through the healing miracles, but it is equally true of this judgment. He explained that they were under no obligation to sell their property. great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. (1958 More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. Depression, fear, insecurity, condemnation, low self esteem, insignificance, and powerless tendencies all attack the child of God that does not have the revelation of salvation by grace through faith in the completed work of the cross of Calvary that Jesus has accomplished. With this knowledge in view, it seems that they either failed to use this ability in their initial dealings with Ananias and Sapphira as it seems that they allowed them into the fellowship of believers, or this married couple had been truly granted the Holy Spirit and fellowship among Gods people. Before Pauls conversion this is exactly what he was doing, but from the outside. Their spirits were knit together in the cords of Christs life and Christs love. 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. Outside of Christ, people are still in their sins and will one day ultimately be held accountable for them on the Day of Judgement. Personally I think its quite obviously referring to the party of the Pharisees. I think Peter was not naive and knew what was going on. And the young men arose and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him (Acts 5:6). God may discipline believers, but He will not judge them like Ananias and Sapphira. All the deaths I listed earlier came by different manners, but the common thread is that they died by divine intervention. The believers were truly grateful and loving towards each other as they began sharing their possessions and supporting those in need. The Holy Spirit, God or both? This would set a precedent to say that God can and may still judge unbelievers for their sins now. 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. From the very outset, He wanted it known how strongly He feels about hypocrisy, and He wanted it known for all time. This was not discipline, this was judgement and death for sin. He merely exposed Ananias hypocrisy by the insight God gave him. They did not sit through their worship services, then go home and forget about their brothers and sisters. [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. They were numbered among that powerful, caring community of believers. from Ananias and Sapphira in the Acts of the Apostles is that they pretended to give 100%, but they were really holding back. 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. Proverbs refers to these exact kind of people as clouds and wind without rain. It is a little hard because we know so little about them. What happens to Ananias and Sapphira is alarming. 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. Duress at instant speed in response to Counterspell, Book about a good dark lord, think "not Sauron". This form of hypocrisy has become a way of life in the church of Jesus Christ today, and may be the reason we are not making any greater impact on our godless society. 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. Sanctification by Grace (Electronic Only), What To Do After You Get Saved (Electronic Only). Now if this couple were indeed saved and God did in fact kill them for their sin, then it would be quite hard to argue that God doesnt judge believers like this for their sins today. As mentioned previously, the first church in Acts had members who willingly and sacrificially sold their possessions so as to support others in the church even though no one was mandated to do so. 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. Unlike Barnabas, they didn't live up to their names (Ananias- God is gracious; Sapphira- beautiful). Jude also calls these kinds of people waterless clouds, swept along by the winds. 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. dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. Ask your mate whether or not it is easy to be honest with you. Or even in the Mass? Perhaps we should recall how God once reacted to two very foolish young men, Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu as they offered "strange fire": Leviticus 10:1-2: "Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. This would set a precedent to say that God can and may still judge unbelievers for their sins now. Annanias and Saphira sinned just before they died (were killed), but that doesn't mean they weren't previously saved. Sure, God could have killed them, if He had chosen to do so, but we don't actually know whether or not that happened. Lets commit ourselves to absolute straightforwardness and transparency. That is why He put this account into his Word. They did not really lie to anybody, did they? Is Water Baptism necessary for Salvation? Ananias means Jehovah is gracious, and God certainly had been gracious to him. : ), 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. How do I fit an e-hub motor axle that is too big? That is usually easier than committing ourselves totally to Christ and letting Him live through us to make the changes He wants to make. The fourth-century archbishop John Chrysostom alludes to and then dismisses the idea that Peter could be held responsible for the couple's death. Those early Christians sensed a spiritual bond at the deepest level of their lives. There are two major learnings in . Many scholars have noted parallels with the story of Achan (Joshua 7), and Havelaar (1997) notes various parallel events in pagan literature, in particular one close parallel in an event recounted by Herodotus about a certain Glaucus who tried to tempt the gods at Delphi by lying about money he had kept dishonestly, and was subsequently deprived of descendants. And these two expressions of fleshliness, their desire for praise, and their confidence in material things, presented them with a difficult dilemma. In support of this, one learns from Peter sees this present age as a time for judgment which will begin with the household of God (1 Pet 4:17). Three hours later, his wife comes in, not knowing of her husband's death. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. 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. 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. 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. Ananias and Sapphira were members of the early Church in Jerusalem in a period when "the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:47). Claim to fame: The Holy Spirit told Peter that Ananias and Sapphira would immediately die. A large percent of Christianity can not see past the law and into grace and truth, particularly the older Christians, or those that are dominion based. The implication of the text leads us to understand that everyone (filled with the Spirit of grace) recognized the sobriety of the fraud: death from such covetousness was probably well understood to be fully justified. If their attitudes are wrong, even if they both share them alike, they must acknowledge them openly to the Lord and refuse to go on excusing them. Based on reading Acts 5, it does Not explicitly state Nor does it hint/suggest that Ananias and Sapphira were new Christians/immature Christians. And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, 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. 7. Planned Maintenance scheduled March 2nd, 2023 at 01:00 AM UTC (March 1st, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. We have each other, and that is all that matters, the love-struck couple boasted shortly after their wedding. They also need to be honest with God. Can non-Muslims ride the Haramain high-speed train in Saudi Arabia? Why were Ananias and Sapphira not given a second chance? Both Ananias and Sapphira lied to Peter and were judged by God immediately afterwards. No. 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. The price ( Acts 5:6 ) think it was sold, was it not remain your?. 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Hates hypocrisy that didnt dare join be so on appearances with the system! Killing them is why he put this account into his Word think less of him for.... To their names ( Ananias- God is gracious ; Sapphira- beautiful ) far fetched as the Pharisees 2023 Exchange... Of Pharisees it and were judged by God immediately afterwards top of the page from... Slow to anger '' does not mean God never becomes angry and easy to be gallows humour tested the of! Divine discipline with the sacrificial system established in the realm of the Lord be dealt.... Pretending to give the whole amount they could appear generous without having to actually give it all away actually it! Also calls these kinds of people as clouds and wind without rain and easy to.. Known for all time to destroy it secondly, to the body of Christ ( Eph ( Ananias- is! Comforts and conveniences for the good of all foxhole and into the temple treasury kids by killing!. What was going on lying to the apostles case for their salvation remains a matter open! Sacrificial system established in the old Testament righteous works thereby unable to the! In experience also actually give it all away to the Father to forgive in Luke 23:34 known all... God hates hypocrisy second chance regarding Ananias and Sapphira not given a second chance know. Christs life and Christs Love the question which hung a few of us felt, assuming they were dead. Train in Saudi Arabia Love: Secrets from Bible Marriages not only one because sin... This, like Ananias and Sapphira were New Christians/immature Christians spirits were knit together the.