Ananias' name means "God is Gracious"; and his wife Sapphira's name (from which we get the word "sapphire") means "Fair . Thats why its not God sending the Tsunamis and storms and earthquakes. Its one of Satans favorite traps. RV coach and starter batteries connect negative to chassis; how does energy from either batteries' + terminal know which battery to flow back to? 1. Hope this helps, While warning the church to protect itself from these kinds of people, Jude describes some of their characteristics whereby we might recognise them. So we will allow the Spirit of Jesus Christ to work in us to bring us into His likeness. 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. Who were the rest that didnt dare join the Church? They are part of a larger unit called the Body of Christ (Eph. (34) For there was not a It is only by God's grace that we are spared today. Was all mankind forgiven at the Cross or must each person receive forgiveness? The Bible is brutally honest in its recording of redemptive history. It is quite possible that in this case, Nadab and Abihu had been intoxicated as they offered their sacrifices. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. It then follows with the two examples (1 good and 1 not good) of people selling their property to give to the church. 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. Now after an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Why were Ananias and Sapphira not given a second chance? Dunn (1996) describes it as "one of the most unnerving episodes in the whole of the New Testament." A caring congregation is a strong congregation, for there is dynamic energy in the genuine expression of Gods love. 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. Is all mankind free from their sins or only those in Christ? In Acts 5:9-11 why does Peter dispense immediate judgment? Since there are no other events like this in the New Covenant of believers being judged for their sins, there is then no precedent in Scripture for God judging believers for sin. We don't know if they were given a second chance. Again, it isn't to condemn them to hell - believers are saved, but they can still die physically. Is Koestler's The Sleepwalkers still well regarded? (Matthew 6:1-18, Luke 16:13-15). by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 7:37pm, HERES AN INTERESTING QUESTION: We are working through the book of Acts in our Sunday School class, and last week discussed Ananias and Sapphira. However they lied and said they had donated all the proceeds. This must surely have meant that, during the very early years of the Levitical priesthood, God felt it necessary to teach some very harsh lessons about faith and strict obedience. But most of them were selling their material possessions and giving the money to the apostles to be distributed to those who, in all probability, had lost their jobs because of their faith. When Jesus says "your sins are forgiven", how is that reconciled with the sacrificial system established in the old testament? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? These two shocking deaths served as an example to the body of Christ that God hates hypocrisy. 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.. 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. Therefore, it is not true there is no evidence Ananias and Sapphira were not saved as some may claim--Peter had stated as much when he declared Satan had filled their hearts, rebuking their blasphemy of the Holy Ghost. Peter replied, "Why is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit?" (33) Second, contrary to a widespread fallacy, an individual sin (except for the sin of unbelief) does not necessarily separate us from the grace of God. Is there any sign that either of you is seeking the supremacy in your relationship (such as keeping score)? Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! There are a number of opposing views about the event that happened in Acts chapter 5 regarding Ananias and Sapphiras death. Jesus said that this kind of love would be the mark of true discipleship (John 13:35), and where it is present it attracts people like an oasis in the desert. 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. 12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the 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. 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. Coveting the plaudits of men was evidence enough that they were operating in the realm of the flesh rather than the Spirit. Why were Ananias and Sapphira not given a chance to repent? 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. What happens to Ananias and Sapphira is alarming. That is why He put this account into his Word. believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything They did not really lie to anybody, did they? Were They Saved? Yet, Ananias and Sapphira were both responsible for their own actions, and Sapphira should have obeyed the Spirit instead of obeying her husband. [5], The Lutheran New Testament Professor Matthew L. Skinner claims the story is meant to be gallows humour. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Met some great people though being at the time of the election it was very divided (unfortunately still is as you will know). I think Sapphira did have a second chance. Discipline yes, but not judgment like this. 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. I would suggest that we may never know of their ultimate circumstances. People who you'll probably never meet, this side of heaven. 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. 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. Many people do a lot worse and God doesnt kill them. It causes each partner to vie selfishly for supremacy and seek more for himself from the relationship. So why did Ananias and Sapphira? 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. [1 Corinthians 11:30]. He had to act decisively. This would set a precedent to say that God can and may still judge unbelievers for their sins now. Lets commit ourselves to absolute straightforwardness and transparency. We have each other, and that is all that matters, the love-struck couple boasted shortly after their wedding. If all it took to banish a . These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; ; 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, Jude calls these sinister people who are infiltrating the church, is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give. Thanks for the email and the encouragement. From the very outset, He wanted it known how strongly He feels about hypocrisy, and He wanted it known for all time. They realized that everything they had was from God, that it was given to them not for their own exclusive use, but to be shared with fellow believers. With all he could do there was a certain awkwardness and stumblingness . God takes something that is true in the kingdom of God and puts it on physical display. [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). Whom did Ananias lie to? 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. The text clearly indicates they had no reason whatever other than selfishness and greed. And with great power the apostles were giving witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all (Acts 4:33). 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. 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. dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. To see this, one must consider the case of Simon the magician. Suppositions as to the eternal state of the two guilty persons are just that : suppositions. They are "saints" The lie that was told, and every other sin they ever committed, either before or after they were born again, where completly paid for by Christ, and cast as far as the east is from the west. Any believer was free to own property if he so chose, and no one would think less of him for it. He merely exposed Ananias hypocrisy by the insight God gave him. 303ff. A couple of reasons: First, their deathslike much in Actsserve as a sign. 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. This is most amazing. Cultivating the appearance alone leads to deathdeath to further spiritual growth, death to usefulness in the family of God, and death to a growing relationship with each other as husbands and wives. All the deaths I listed earlier came by different manners, but the common thread is that they died by divine intervention. 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. Dont forget to get your free copy of my booklet The Clear Message of Grace simply by subscribing to our great monthly newsletter thats packed with teachings. Three hours later, his wife comes in, not knowing of her husband's death. Connected to this story is the truth, though not often dwelt upon, that God can sometimes take a believers life in judgement. How do I fit an e-hub motor axle that is too big? Centred between two attacks from without (ch. They just gave the money and said nothing about what percentage of the total sale price it represented. No. 1:22, 23), the household of faith (Gal. There was no coercion involved. They wanted to be more than just members of the Body; they wanted to be prominent members of the Body. While this may indeed be true, they may have been erring believers in need of severe discipline based upon the following reasons. From the context, they seemed to know the giving practices of others who sold property sold as to give to the church, but then chose to deliberately hold back a share for themselves. 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. 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. 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. 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? (2 Peter 3:9). The rich He associated with pride and reliance on self righteous works thereby unable to receive the Kingdom by faith. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. But when some concerned Christian who might be able to help us asks how things are going at home, we quickly reply, Oh, just great, great. Acts 5 (Part 1) -Ananias and Sapphira. from Ananias and Sapphira in the Acts of the Apostles is that they pretended to give 100%, but they were really holding back. 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. HERE'S AN INTERESTING QUESTION: "We are working through the book of Acts in our Sunday School class, and last week discussed Ananias and Sapphira. Was the 100 denarii owed by the second servant in Jesus's parable supposed to be a substantial amount of money? 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. Are good deeds required for Heaven? And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,. "When men want to impose unity, there are problems. Acts 5:4 indicates that they could have sold the land and offered a portion of the proceeds to the apostles, and not present it as the full amount; which was the sin of lying. 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Not knowing of her husband & # x27 ; s death any sign that either of you is seeking supremacy! With all He could do there was a certain awkwardness and stumblingness storms and earthquakes to say that God and. Contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange Inc were ananias and sapphira saved user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA of faith (.! Side of heaven these two shocking deaths served as an example to the Lord, multitudes of both and... Within a single location that is true in the kingdom by faith those Christ! He so chose, and He wanted it known for all time to! Than ever believers were added to the Body of Christ that God can and still...
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