The Art of Ananias & Sapphira | Acts 5:1-11

In this video I look at some of the strange and arresting details in the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5.

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| Transcription |
By the time we get to the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts, the Spirit has descended on the church at Pentecost like the hovering, creating Spirit in Genesis 1 and the church is expanding. There has been external conflict, but this is the first scene of internal conflict that Luke shows us.

Here is Acts 5:1-2 - But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 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.

Just like Adam and Eve’s vying for knowledge in the beginning, with Sapphira’s knowledge, he takes what is not his.

Ananias had sold property for the Church, but brought only part of the money to the apostles.

And now, for the first time in our scene a character speaks

5:3-4 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? 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.”

Peter addresses Ananias, and tells us that Ananias’ action was not a minor fib, but the work of Satan, the only action of Satan in the book of Acts. And this satanic inspired action was a lie to the Holy Spirit. A few verse before our story, Luke tells us that the church had “one heart”, in contrast to Ananias’ heart is filled with deceit. The Spirit filled the heart of the church while Satan has filled Ananias’ heart.

Peter asks five questions of Ananias to which he has no response. Peter indicates that this was a lie to God and the Holy Spirit. And it is here that we uncover the nature of the evil. It was not that Ananias had property or money, but that he lied to God. And if we make explicit what is implicit, Ananias had committed to giving this property to God, but then lied and kept part for himself.

5:5-6 - When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.

Now, this story is included not only to give us a moral lesson about honesty.

You see, if this story sounds familiar, then you have good Bible senses. This story is very similar to the story of Achan and the battle of AI in the book of Joshua, and that is intentional. This story alludes to that story.

The story of Achan was about the conquest of the Land God had given them, and our text is as well. But notice that the conquest has a different character. Here the land is given away from one brother to another.

The reason this story alludes to the story of Achan is to tell us that this little church is the new Israel, and has a new conquest, and God is still the same, holy God.

5:7-10 - After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” 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.” 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.

Luke decided to tell the story of Ananias and Sapphira in two parts, first Ananias and then Sapphira. Why? I mean why not tell them together, they’re pretty much the same. So, Luke could have said, “Anannias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit and they both died.” But he tells them separately, why?

If you remember, just a few verses before our passage that the church had one heart and soul and had everything in common. Ananias and Sapphira are the opposite, they are divided. Luke has separated their stories because they themselves are separated. Their deception has divided them. Notice, Luke told us that Sapphira had “knowledge” of what her husband was doing but she had no knowledge of his death. Their deception separated them from God, their property, and each other. And with a dark note, Luke tells us that they are buried together, when unity no longer matters.

Because they refuse to lay the money at the feet of the apostles, they themselves will lay at their feet.