They did not really lie to anybody, did they? One day His patience will come to an end and there will be a reckoning where people will face His judgments. Peter asked her the price of the land that she and Ananias had sold, and she stated the same untruthful price that Ananias had given. Can we infer anything about the ultimate eternal fate of Ananias and Sapphira? ", 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". They collaborated on a plan to stash some of the money from the sale of their property in a safety deposit box for themselves and take the rest to the apostles. There are a number of opposing views about the event that happened in Acts chapter 5 regarding Ananias and Sapphiras death. 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. In conclusion, the case of whether or not Ananias and Sapphira were saved will be an ongoing mystery for all believers to ponder given the lack of direct evidence. Its one of Satans favorite traps. But right now there is mercy in hope that people will turn to Christ. The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also. And at once she fell down at his feet and died, P.S. 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. Had God permitted Ananias and Sapphira to continue their charade, it would have destroyed the witness of the early church. And for every member who operates in the power of the flesh rather than the Spirit, for every one who lives for the praise of men rather than for the glory of God, the effectiveness of Christs church is reduced so much the more. Ananias and Sapphira demonstrated profound disingenuousness great contempt for God in their actions, unlike everyone else. (SUBSCRIBE HERE). 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. 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. Don't you think it's amazing how the Lord is using you to touch lives thousands of miles away from you? Then we will be able to stop playing the game of putting on appearances. Story Identification: Nanomachines Building Cities, Rename .gz files according to names in separate txt-file. But a certain man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wifes full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles feet (Acts 5:1, 2). 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). A lot of the Church today uses the story of Ananias and Sapphira as a precedent to threaten and warn other believers not to sin for fear of similar consequences. them and bring the proceeds of the sales (35) and lay them at the apostles' Is the Dragonborn's Breath Weapon from Fizban's Treasury of Dragons an attack? 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. Sapphiras name means beautiful or pleasant, the same name given to that precious stone of deep purple blue, the sapphire. We have each other, and that is all that matters, the love-struck couple boasted shortly after their wedding. He had to act decisively. Luke suggests that every believer is responsible to God for what he or she does. But they got caught out. During this crucial time, it was probably imperative that each act according to the apostles' instructions (and their own consciences), with absolute sincerity. They are evil and have a sinister agenda. They could not help what other people thought, could they? Are good deeds required for Heaven? They seemed blind to the malfeasance they were ushering into the young church. Why weren't they simply confronted and led to confession and repentance? 6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. Look! Questions: Why were Ananias and Sapphira not given a second chance? "[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. Coveting the plaudits of men was evidence enough that they were operating in the realm of the flesh rather than the Spirit. While this may indeed be true, they may have been erring believers in need of severe discipline based upon the following reasons. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,. And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? He gives of himself only to get something in return, and he usually keeps track of how much he gets. By pretending to give the whole amount they could appear generous without having to actually give it all away. No. Was the 100 denarii owed by the second servant in Jesus's parable supposed to be a substantial amount of money? the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. Can someone have their spirit saved but not their soul? From the very outset, He wanted it known how strongly He feels about hypocrisy, and He wanted it known for all time. And he tells believers to watch out for these kinds of people. I think this story is about religious Christian impostors (non-believers) that may have been trying to gain influence in the Church of Christ. Thank you for your obedience to Jesus. 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? (33) Why were Ananias and Sapphira not given a second chance? See again my book, Set Free!, pp. It records without hesitation the blemishes and the faults of God's people, as well as their strength and virtue. What was so wrong with their plan? 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. 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). Pharisees loved money and they loved peoples praises. I think Sapphira did have a second chance. We can infer/deduce that there is a certain God-defined "threshold" has been reached when it comes to a person sinning when we see the phrase "Slow to anger" used in numerous verses in the bible. 303ff. 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. I believe I have figured this one out, and scripture gives us a very clear answer. How could they get the congratulations they craved from the congregation without laying everything on the altar of sacrifice? Acts 2:46). We see this most often through the healing miracles, but it is equally true of this judgment. 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. (James 1:19) So God is just in judging the unbeliever if He decides to, just as He did with Ananias and Sapphira. The church needs to be strict at that critical time of beginning and growth. They lived in the days of the churchs greatest purity and power. resulting in their lie. (Heres an article I did that gives biblical evidence for this.). But coming at the very start of the church, with God incredibly active and the great need to start in purity, it was a sin that required swift and firm judgement - and the result was that which was needed with a holy fear coming upon the believers. Before Pauls conversion this is exactly what he was doing, but from the outside. In Acts 15 we see that they were eventually successful in this. 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. Perhaps they had previously - the whole story is not recorded. As told at the beginning of Acts chapter 5 Ananias and Sapphira, following Barnabas' example, also sold their land but secretly withheld a portion of the proceeds. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Ananias presented his donation to Peter. You have not lied to man but to God. 5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. But we dont see individual believers being threatened with judgment. So we will allow the Spirit of Jesus Christ to work in us to bring us into His likeness. And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of Peter asked her, Tell me whether you sold your land for so much? And she said, Yes, for so much. Then Peter said to her, How could you two have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Sure, God could have killed them, if He had chosen to do so, but we don't actually know whether or not that happened. Had a wonderful time. What does a search warrant actually look like? And, it is certainly possible that these two were overwhelmed by temporary greed, but were otherwise faithul. [1], The morality of the incident has been the source of some commentary. 2021 New Nature Ministries All rights reserved. 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. belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. They are part of a larger unit called the Body of Christ (Eph. They wanted the praise of men. Their sin was trying to deceive people and God to believing they were giving more than what they were really giving. They were the formative days of the church. 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. 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. 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. Ananias' name means "God is Gracious"; and his wife Sapphira's name (from which we get the word "sapphire") means "Fair . 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 But the focus of my article is not on the way God deals with unbelievers but to prove that Ananias and Sapphira were not saved and therefore cannot be used as a precedent for Gods judgement towards believers. It is a little hard because we know so little about them. We look bac Outside of Christ, people are still in their sins and will one day ultimately be held accountable for them on the Day of Judgement. Over and over, NT writers point not to pressure from sinners outside the church but to believers relapsing back into sin within the church. 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. (Also in this book, see pp. 7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. If Ananias and Sapphira were born again believers and God judged them for their sin, it means that even though Jesus was judged for sin, God still judged them for their sin. They are evil and have a sinister agenda. 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 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. 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. And as a result, many Christian homes are riddled with wrangling and strife. It only takes a minute to sign up. But everyone must be Were Ananias and Sapphira Christians? In the fourth chapter of Acts, the apostles were praying for more boldness and miracles. We all sin despite our earnest desire not to do so (see Romans 7:14-25); but this affects our efforts toward SANCTIFICATION, not our secure state of JUSTIFICATION. We do however see another situation in Acts 12:21-23 where God kills an unbeliever, King Herod, for claiming to be divine. But Scripture goes on to say that they were of one soul as well, and that is something entirely different. 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. This gives us a whole new perspective on suicide, also. Their sin wasnt that they didnt give everything. Sins against the Holy Spirit are extremely grievous. They were numbered among that powerful, caring community of believers. Out of the foxhole and into the the line of fire. God used them to teach a lesson to the early church and even to believers today. I t is reasonable to believe that both Ananias and Sapphira were present in the prayer meeting described in Acts 4:31. Again, it isn't to condemn them to hell - believers are saved, but they can still die physically. They were more interested in appearances than in reality. Jesus often would use the contrast between the rich and poor as a metaphor for those who were most likely to receive the Kingdom. What are some tools or methods I can purchase to trace a water leak? Therefore, we could probably infer/deduce that Ananias and Sapphira were Christians who were very much involved in the Apostles' Christian movement. No. Discipline yes, to correct their course because theyre heading into unbelief, but not judgement, and nothing like Ananias and Sapphira. They also need to be honest with God. We also see in the book of Revelation, before Christs return and before the dead are judged, God pouring out judgement upon unbelievers (not believers) with the trumpet and bowl judgments. 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. Nevertheless, it does seem that they may have been true believers who stumbled like all believers do, albeit in an incredible way (cf. Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? These two shocking deaths served as an example to the body of Christ that God hates hypocrisy. A caring congregation is a strong congregation, for there is dynamic energy in the genuine expression of Gods love. [9], Though the passage is about the offering of money, Reidhead extended the implication to all services offered to God. I think they had an agenda to infiltrate the church and bring harm to the believers. 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. Dunn (1996) describes it as "one of the most unnerving episodes in the whole of the New Testament." 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. Ananias and Sapphira: Saved or Lost? Why were Ananias and Sapphira not given a second chance? 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. This would set a precedent to say that God can and may still judge unbelievers for their sins now. So why is this event so important to the Church in the New Covenant? to be assuming God killed them - (punished them?). He states that, "The story aims for gallows humor, but we read Acts in a different place today. Why did God approve of animal-based diets if Adam and Eve were originally vegan? Discipline yes, but not judgment like this. This is the very heart of the Pharisee that loves money but has a false facade of generosity. Jesus ascends into the clouds. (cf. 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. God takes something that is true in the kingdom of God and puts it on physical display. But they were obligated to be honest (Acts 5:4). What are Christians generally most prone to mask from each other? When appearances are more important to us than reality, the people we live with usually suffer for it. (Matthew 6:1-18, Luke 16:13-15). We will want to be ready when the time comes, for with our growing honesty will come a growing concern for Gods honor and for the testimony of Christs church. Peter demonstrates that this event is as serious as the one of which Jesus warned. Acts 5:1-11. Thats why God doesnt just wipe out the whole planet even though there is so much sin and evil. I think God recognised their strategy and brought it to an abrupt end. What does put at the apostles feet mean in Acts 4:32-5:2? 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. Is it possible that Ananias and Sapphira were still saved despite the exemplary punishment they received? There are two major learnings in . If he thinks he is coming out on the short end, he quarrels and complains until he gets what he thinks he deserves. Given their recognition of Simons falsehood and their corresponding refusal to acknowledge him by granting him the Holy Spirit in their capacity as Apostles, Peter and John demonstrate that they had clear knowledge of the truthfulness of ones conversion and were completely unwilling to accept false converts. However they lied and said they had donated all the proceeds. Were Ananias and Sapphira saved and went to heaven? Ananias and Sapphira were mentioned in Acts 5:1-10 as a couple who sold some property and donated a portion of the proceeds to the Disciples. 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? Why weren't they simply confronted and led to confession and repentance? 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.. They were sacrificing their own comforts and conveniences for the good of all. They would not necessarily say they were giving all of the money they received from the sale; they would just let everyone assume that. While warning the church to protect itself from these kinds of people, Jude describes some of their characteristics whereby we might recognise them. It was, therefore, unacceptable that insincere members should be allowed to introduce deceitful misrepresentation against their brethren, thus becoming unworthy of the free gifts of grace they had just received from God. Perhaps we might wish to contemplate the end of the previous chapter (Acts 4). His only thought was the need of other Christians and the glory of God. 7. Ask your mate whether or not it is easy to be honest with you. So if we believe that they were genuine believers then does this lie commit them to hell? Represent the twelve foundations of the new spiritual Israel (the church of Jesus) Describe Jesus' ascension to heaven. They can admit to one another what is going on inside them, then encourage one another and pray about each others weaknesses. Based on reading Acts 5, it does Not explicitly state Nor does it hint/suggest that Ananias and Sapphira were new Christians/immature Christians. he saved some. a leper as white as snow. feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need. : ), 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. It is quite possible that in this case, Nadab and Abihu had been intoxicated as they offered their sacrifices. But those days were different. Look finally at the significance of their discipline. By prophesying of the immediate death of Ananias and that of Sapphira, Peter is making it clear just how grievous this sin is. Is all mankind free from their sins or only those in Christ? Havelaar, H. 1997. Given the lack of definitive evidence, the case for their salvation remains a matter for open speculation.). They had to have that money. Why do you not agree with Soul Salvation? Will God extend his mercy on them? Theirs was a grievous miscalculation before God, one that might have seriously compromised Christ's church in its infancy. 12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. This is the realm of experience. 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. And Ananias did as Sapphira had instigated him to do. Those early Christians sensed a spiritual bond at the deepest level of their lives. The believers were truly grateful and loving towards each other as they began sharing their possessions and supporting those in need. Now after an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. While they demonstrated a marvelous togetherness in their deceptive scheme, their hypocrisy could not help but have affected their marriage. Yet, Ananias and Sapphira were both responsible for their own actions, and Sapphira should have obeyed the Spirit instead of obeying her husband. While the generosity of the previous passage stems from being "filled with the Holy Spirit" (4:31) where does 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. May our Lord continue to fill you to over flowing with the Holy Spirit and strengthen you in every way so that you can remain on task. 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. 3. Of course the technology involved is a whole other amazing subject. Hope this helps, Do Christians Still Have a Sinful Nature? 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. - Greed caused the rebellious to "keep back" a part of the spoils. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. But if we die after sinning and before confessing, we have been taught to assume we will go to hell. 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. It says: Debate/Discussion: Universal Salvation: True or False? Why they were killed for that only God knows. 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. Most of us felt, assuming they were born again believers, they did. However, they pledged an amount representing it as the total sale price of the property. (2 Corinthians 5:19). Yes, God is the judge. This, like Ananias and Sapphira, are examples in scripture of a 'sin leading to death' as mentioned in 1 John 5:16. They finally came up with a solution. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! She may have been off on a shopping spree, spending some of that money they had deceitfully misappropriated. I think Peter was not naive and knew what was going on. But this is not what 1 John 1:9 means. A man couldnt ask for much more than that. c. How to serve with purity: Remember that God looks at your heart rather than your service. This question assumes that were not given a chance to repent. So, we are not told about whether they were unsaved deceivers or believers who conspired to deceive. Their spirits were knit together in the cords of Christs life and Christs love. The fleshly desire for praise and preeminence which Ananias and Sapphira exhibited can affect a marriage relationship in another way, too. In Acts 5:9-11 why does Peter dispense immediate judgment? Lets commit ourselves to absolute straightforwardness and transparency. It was the disciplinary hand of God. To be clear, nowhere does Acts 5 say that Ananias and Sapphira were not believers. 6. They knew they belonged to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.. Why were Ananias and Sapphira not given a chance to repent? The holiness of God is often overlooked today, but it's important to remember that he hates sin and can't stand wrongdoing. Do you think that Ananias and Sapphira went to heaven or did that one lie condemn them to hell? But this is only at the very end of the age. Unbelievers are spiritually 'dead' and cannot believe the gospel or make any moves towards God. Dealing with hard questions during a software developer interview. You will see some famous names including Moses that committed the sin unto death. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. What did mean when He said 'It is Finished' in John 19:30? Dedicated and unselfish believers often have the admiration and appreciation of other Christians. [Acts 5:9 KJV]. 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. He said 'It is Finished ' in John 19:30 people thought, could they knew they belonged each. Own comforts and conveniences for the good of all demonstrates that this so! Spending some of their characteristics whereby we might recognise them is using were ananias and sapphira saved to lives! 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