None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. This you know, my beloved brethren. You have not lied to man but to God. 5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. 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. 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. But those days were different. This is usually understood as implying that every sin separates us from grace and puts us into a state of lostness; we stay in that lost state until we repent and confess that specific sin and pray for its forgiveness. Can we infer anything about the ultimate eternal fate of Ananias and Sapphira? Everyone who heard about the incident feared the Lord. So if we believe that they were genuine believers then does this lie commit them to hell? 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). Out of the foxhole and into the the line of fire. Jesus often would use the contrast between the rich and poor as a metaphor for those who were most likely to receive the Kingdom. Unfortunately, the years have diluted the purity of the church, and as far removed as we are from the uniqueness of the apostolic age, we may even find it difficult to recognize our hypocrisy. - The people of God were experiencing victory. Annanias and Saphira sinned just before they died (were killed), but that doesn't mean they weren't previously saved. They didnt have to give the whole amount. In Acts 15 we see that they were eventually successful in this. 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. Were Ananias and Sapphira Christians? 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. I think Peter was not naive and knew what was going on. dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. Sins against the Holy Spirit are extremely grievous. 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. Are good deeds required for Heaven? But this is only at the very end of the age. We will be real! But they were to find that it can never be so. Will God extend his mercy on them? How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? This question is important because it impacts our understanding of the New Covenant. So what *is* the Latin word for chocolate? In any case, lying or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is one sin that cannot be forgiven. Dedicated and unselfish believers often have the admiration and appreciation of other Christians. c. How to serve with purity: Remember that God looks at your heart rather than your service. It was certainly their privilege to continue in the Spirit. It was a special time for the church. Without a moments hesitation she answered, Yes, that was the price (Acts 5:8). Up until that time there had been no such crass exhibition of fleshliness, and God loathed the day it would permeate the church. 5/8), here the church is attacked from within. Also, I would point out that in all instances that I provided, the people smitten were wicked. 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. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. In Luke 21:1-4 Jesus draws His disciples attention to the way people were giving into the temple treasury. These two shocking deaths served as an example to the body of Christ that God hates hypocrisy. It then follows with the two examples (1 good and 1 not good) of people selling their property to give to the church. Any believer was free to own property if he so chose, and no one would think less of him for it. Debate/Discussion: Universal Salvation: True or False? But we dont see individual believers being threatened with judgment. 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. And Peter declared that she would experience the same fate which Ananias had suffered. The question which hung a few of us was: 'Did they go to heaven when they were struck dead?'. 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.. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,. They just gave the money and said nothing about what percentage of the total sale price it represented. Why such a radical and drastic punishment on the spot? 4 & ch. Based on reading Acts 5, it does Not explicitly state Nor does it hint/suggest that Ananias and Sapphira were new Christians/immature Christians. With all he could do there was a certain awkwardness and stumblingness . This was not discipline, this was judgement and death for sin. [1], The morality of the incident has been the source of some commentary. This was all in a public place, just like it was in Acts 5. 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. 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. Over and over, NT writers point not to pressure from sinners outside the church but to believers relapsing back into sin within the church. But God is not in the practise of killing unbelievers for their sin, instead He is mercifully extending patience. Pharisees loved money and they loved peoples praises. Hope this helps, This new covenant truth is very valuable. What we do know is that as a result of the judgment that fell on this couple, "great fear came upon the whole . There was no coercion involved. Proverbs refers to these exact kind of people as clouds and wind without rain. How can you avoid this tendency? "[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. Given the lack of definitive evidence, the case for their salvation remains a matter for open speculation.). 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. He had to act decisively. However, even in the beginning, the church . his spirit, than he who captures a city. 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. The bible verse James 3:1 gives support for Gehazi's disciplining: Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing 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. To this end, they sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price while giving the rest to the Apostles (Acts 5:1-2). Why were Ananias and Sapphira not given a second chance? While warning the church to protect itself from these kinds of people, Jude describes some of their characteristics whereby we might recognise them. 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. How approachable are you? How could they get the congratulations they craved from the congregation without laying everything on the altar of sacrifice? 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. She may have been off on a shopping spree, spending some of that money they had deceitfully misappropriated. God used them to teach a lesson to the early church and even to believers today. Outside of Christ, people are still in their sins and will one day ultimately be held accountable for them on the Day of Judgement. Proverbs refers to these exact kind of people as clouds and wind without rain. Then we will be able to stop playing the game of putting on appearances. What was so wrong with their plan? 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. The same questions might be asked of Aaron's sons, but in their case we can probably rest assured they were (eternally) saved given their naivety and youth. 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. The entire fledgling congregation was fully devoted to sharing all they had. 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. So why is this event so important to the Church in the New Covenant? 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. Why weren't they simply confronted and led to confession and repentance? 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. The Biblical tale of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 is a strange one that leaves us with more questions than answers. To see this, one must consider the case of Simon the magician. The result of this unselfish spirit was great power and blessing on the entire church. Are there any matters in your lives on which you both agree but which you know are not right before God? Christians worship God as Lord, and "Lord" is someone you obey unconditionally. What are the risks of husbands and wives being transparent with each other? 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. rev2023.3.1.43269. Can non-Muslims ride the Haramain high-speed train in Saudi Arabia? Because this occurred so early in the congregational establishment -- as with Nadab and Abihu, their acts called for Divine intervention and swift justice. Why did God approve of animal-based diets if Adam and Eve were originally vegan? [1 Corinthians 11:30]. 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. Is there any sign that either of you is seeking the supremacy in your relationship (such as keeping score)? It spreads. To consider this further, this article will offer some argumentation that supports the contention that these two people were actually saved. Those early Christians sensed a spiritual bond at the deepest level of their lives. And Ananias did as Sapphira had instigated him to do. And even after they sold it, they were under no obligation to give all the money to the church. But this is not what 1 John 1:9 means. Scriptures about Gods ultimate judgment towards unbelievers. It is also shown on a 1590s painting by Ambrosius Francken the Elder. Three hours after Ananias' death his wife arrived, unaware of what had happened. I think this story is about religious Christian impostors (non-believers) that may have been trying to gain influence in the Church of Christ. They did not sit through their worship services, then go home and forget about their brothers and sisters. from Ananias and Sapphira in the Acts of the Apostles is that they pretended to give 100%, but they were really holding back. Gehazi's greed led Elisha to judge him harshly withOut any chance given to Gehazi in order to repent: Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you Some are adamant they were believers while others insist they were not. How could Ananias and Sapphira have avoided the trap of deceit into which they fell? 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). Luke suggests that every believer is responsible to God for what he or she does. 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. 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. However they lied and said they had donated all the proceeds. Is all mankind free from their sins or only those in Christ? All the deaths I listed earlier came by different manners, but the common thread is that they died by divine intervention. The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in Lets be honest. 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. Heres an article I did that gives biblical evidence for this. Or even in the Mass? How can I recognize one? 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 they had previously - the whole story is not recorded. Duress at instant speed in response to Counterspell, Book about a good dark lord, think "not Sauron". Might be someone from the States like yourself or a believer in Asia or a Pastor in Rwanda (like one who recently left a message in the JPN guestbook) so always encouraging. Its one of Satans favorite traps. How did StorageTek STC 4305 use backing HDDs? The story of Ananias and Sapphira is found in Acts 5, and it is a sad story, indeed. Why weren't they simply confronted and led to confession and repentance? For example we don't even know if they were definitely born again believers. They wanted the praise of men. Look! At this time, all the members of this church were true believers who were "one in heart and mind" (Acts 4:32). The Story of Ananias and Sapphira. Had God permitted Ananias and Sapphira to continue their charade, it would have destroyed the witness of the early church. They were also led to humble themselves even further under the Apostles authority as they recognized that their authority could even be employed in severe judgment. PS - I spent about 6 weeks in the US for the first time late last year. The poor He associated with humility and reliance upon God and therefore able to have faith and receive the Kingdom. It records without hesitation the blemishes and the faults of God's people, as well as their strength and virtue. : ), 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. And he tells believers to watch out for these kinds of people. James 3:2). 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. B. After hearing these words from Peter, Ananias falls down and dies. Is Koestler's The Sleepwalkers still well regarded? 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. Who were the rest that didnt dare join the Church? It only says that they conspired to deceive. Jesus and the disciples go onto the Mount of Olives. Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price? he asked, quoting the amount which Ananias had brought to him. 6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. Bc there were 12 tribes. While they demonstrated a marvelous togetherness in their deceptive scheme, their hypocrisy could not help but have affected their marriage.