Matthew 6:1,2) Havelaar, H. 1997. Is Faith enough? Only then will they be able to grow spiritually. I think they had an agenda to infiltrate the church and bring harm to the believers. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 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. And these two expressions of fleshliness, their desire for praise, and their confidence in material things, presented them with a difficult dilemma. Jesus never left and He is here via the Holy Spirit. quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules 2021 New Nature Ministries All rights reserved. Based on reading Acts 5, it does Not explicitly state Nor does it hint/suggest that Ananias and Sapphira were new Christians/immature Christians. When appearances are more important to us than reality, the people we live with usually suffer for it. 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. To conclude, God has a certain God-defined "threshold" for every situation involving a person's sin, and once she/he crosses that threshold then consequences of God's Anger to uphold justice will be brought forth. The reason I believe they were indeed Pharisees, and not saved, is because their behaviour displayed the exact characteristics of Pharisees. His only thought was the need of other Christians and the glory of God. According to Luke, he believed Philip when he was preaching the good news, and then received baptism (8:12-13). Ananias and Sapphira lied to God and are killed on the spot. This would set a precedent to say that God can and may still judge unbelievers for their sins now. lovingkindness. 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. Thanks for the email and the encouragement. Is it possible that [they] were still saved despite the exemplary punishment they received?". The rest of who? The Holy Spirit, God or both? See again my book, Set Free!, pp. This would mean that the Gospel isnt as good as we thought it was and that God violates the law of double jeopardy where He punishes the same sin twice. Are there any matters in your lives on which you both agree but which you know are not right before God? We may even be tempted to accuse God of overreacting with undue harshness. And Ananias did as Sapphira had instigated him to do. What if our works aren't enough? (Matthew 6:1-18, Luke 16:13-15). Only, Ananias was not at all happy in his approach to Peter's feet that day. He gives of himself only to get something in return, and he usually keeps track of how much he gets. Their story is rarely shown in art, but is the subject of one of the Raphael Cartoons, and a panel on the Brescia Casket, both illustrated here. 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. 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. Ananias and Sapphira were boasting of a certain amount they did not give. Those early Christians were not only one because of their position in Christ, but they were one in experience also. 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. However they lied and said they had donated all the proceeds. Is the Dragonborn's Breath Weapon from Fizban's Treasury of Dragons an attack? They thought alike, they had deep feelings for each other, and they made decisions that reflected their mutual care and concern. Unlike Barnabas, they didn't live up to their names (Ananias- God is gracious; Sapphira- beautiful). 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? That is why He put this account into his Word. They didnt have to give the whole amount. 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. 5. Here, Sapphira followed her husband's lead in giving the rehearsed account to the apostles (Acts 5:2, Acts 5:8-9). It attracted a couple named Ananias and Sapphira. Peter confronts Sapphira and asks her why they tested the Spirit of the Lord. It is a little hard because we know so little about them. They knew they belonged to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. It records without hesitation the blemishes and the faults of God's people, as well as their strength and virtue. However, they pledged an amount representing it as the total sale price of the property. Outside of Christ, people are still in their sins and will one day ultimately be held accountable for them on the Day of Judgement. (1958 More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. So if we believe that they were genuine believers then does this lie commit them to hell? They were more interested in appearances than in reality. 2. So, we are not told about whether they were unsaved deceivers or believers who conspired to deceive. 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. them and bring the proceeds of the sales (35) and lay them at the apostles' 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. needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell Is variance swap long volatility of volatility? Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. Will God extend his mercy on them? Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. If he thinks he is coming out on the short end, he quarrels and complains until he gets what he thinks he deserves. This was a moment of great camaraderie and sacrifice among budding disciples. 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. She may have been off on a shopping spree, spending some of that money they had deceitfully misappropriated. How could Ananias and Sapphira have avoided the trap of deceit into which they fell? To many good Christians are being taken down by a foundation that only has cracks in it. (Romans 3 and 5). 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). Lets commit ourselves to absolute straightforwardness and transparency. Ananias and Sapphira: Saved or Lost? Those early Christians sensed a spiritual bond at the deepest level of their lives. Centred between two attacks from without (ch. Jesus often would use the contrast between the rich and poor as a metaphor for those who were most likely to receive the Kingdom. The Biblical tale of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 is a strange one that leaves us with more questions than answers. Their loving concern for one another went so far as to touch their wallets, and that is real care! 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. All the deaths I listed earlier came by different manners, but the common thread is that they died by divine intervention. 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. God clearly judges him. We may simply have fallen into the unconscious habit of protecting our saintly image, covering our carnality, keeping people from knowing what is going on in our hearts and in our homes. 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. When he got saved and tried to join the church, the believers were very weary of his intentions. Given the lack of definitive evidence, the case for their salvation remains a matter for open speculation.). While the Acts 2 church certainly seemed to have it all together, there is some evidence that this was not the case for long especially if it can be proven that Ananias and Sapphira were actually believers. But this is not what 1 John 1:9 means. It says: So we will allow the Spirit of Jesus Christ to work in us to bring us into His likeness. For argument's sake, let's say that Ananias and Sapphira were not true believers. Both Ananias and Sapphira lied to Peter and were judged by God immediately afterwards. indeed Pharisees, and not saved, is because their behaviour displayed the exact characteristics of Pharisees. And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of However, it is not clear at all from the terse narrative of Ananias' and Sapphira's deaths that this couple received salvation. However if Ananias and Sapphira were not born again, then the whole scenario changes. What's the difference between a power rail and a signal line? 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. We find in the time of Peter, when men and women were receiving the power of the Holy Ghost, the counterfeit appeared in Ananias and Sapphira. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. 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). 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. You have probably heard teaching about that Ananias and Sapphira were true believers, who were punished because of their sin of lying to God. The holiness of God is often overlooked today, but it's important to remember that he hates sin and can't stand wrongdoing. 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. I think Sapphira did have a second chance. Now after an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. The church still saw this as an example of God's holiness and of the reality of the presence of His Spirit, as a result of which great fear came upon the believers (as opposed to great consolation). What we do know is that as a result of the judgment that fell on this couple, "great fear came upon the whole . B. Acts 5:1-42. ) It only says that they conspired to deceive. 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. Acts 5:1-11. This isnt far fetched as the Pharisees hated the Church, persecuted it and were desperately trying to destroy it. Can someone have their spirit saved but not their soul? The rest of who? On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 314-316, for a fuller explanation of why this is the correct understanding of this verse. That is usually easier than committing ourselves totally to Christ and letting Him live through us to make the changes He wants to make. 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. Look! This new covenant truth is very valuable. Peter did not call down judgment from heaven as some have supposed. (James 1:19) Acts 2:46). 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. Is it possible that Ananias and Sapphira were still saved despite the exemplary punishment they received? If all it took to banish a . Once in Christ, then again in us. Sapphira chose to perpetuate the same false front her husband had initiated. What does God want you to do about them? I guess you could say then that people would be well within their rights to use this story to threaten believers now. Three hours later, his wife comes in, not knowing of her husband's death. Is Salvation only in the Mass? Jesus ascends into the clouds. The reason I believe they. And that brings us, secondly, to the sin of Ananias and Sapphira. 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.. And we can be grateful for that! 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. Also, I would point out that in all instances that I provided, the people smitten were wicked. This, like Ananias and Sapphira, are examples in scripture of a 'sin leading to death' as mentioned in 1 John 5:16. He explained that they were under no obligation to sell their property. The Story of Ananias and Sapphira. Jesus and the disciples go onto the Mount of Olives. But some of the, 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. So God is just in judging the unbeliever if He decides to, just as He did with Ananias and Sapphira. The soul is the conscious life force in man, his personality, consisting of his mind, emotions, and will. A man couldnt ask for much more than that. 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. Why did God approve of animal-based diets if Adam and Eve were originally vegan? But they were to find that it can never be so. Because of his actions Ananias died on the spot and was carried out. No Christian husband and wife can be an island to themselves. "Can we infer anything about the ultimate eternal fate of Ananias and Sapphira? Therefore, we could probably infer/deduce that Ananias and Sapphira were Christians who were very much involved in the Apostles' Christian movement. Why does Jesus turn to the Father to forgive in Luke 23:34? Are good deeds required for Heaven? Can we infer anything about the ultimate eternal fate of Ananias and Sapphira? Ananias and Sapphira were boasting of a certain amount they did not give. So who then could this group of the rest be that didnt dare join? So if we believe that they were genuine believers then does this lie commit them to hell? resulting in their lie. 12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And he tells believers to watch out for these kinds of people. Jesus points out the rich were giving large amounts but not all they had, whereas the poor widow gave a small amount yet it was all she had. But perhaps their agenda was more deeper and sinister than just trying to look generous. Had a wonderful time. (2 Corinthians 5:19). Luke suggests that every believer is responsible to God for what he or she does. Ananias' name means "God is Gracious"; and his wife Sapphira's name (from which we get the word "sapphire") means "Fair . Personally I think its quite obviously referring to the party of the Pharisees. Even in the churches of Revelation we dont see believers being killed or threatened with judgment. How do I fit an e-hub motor axle that is too big? Why were Ananias and Sapphira not given a second chance? So what *is* the Latin word for chocolate? Peter replied, "Why is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit?" Acts 4:32-35 And the congregation of those who There was no coercion involved. Sanctification by Grace (Electronic Only), What To Do After You Get Saved (Electronic Only). Sins against the Holy Spirit are extremely grievous. Heres an article I did that gives biblical evidence for this. Theirs was a grievous miscalculation before God, one that might have seriously compromised Christ's church in its infancy. [1 Corinthians 11:30]. 7. Ananias & Sapphira were clearly practicing duplicity and hypocrisy, which was indicative of their attitude toward lying. The fourth-century archbishop John Chrysostom alludes to and then dismisses the idea that Peter could be held responsible for the couple's death. Jude also calls these kinds of people waterless clouds, swept along by the winds. Have you ever wondered what kind of relationship Ananias and Sapphira had with each other? Of course the technology involved is a whole other amazing subject. It is also shown on a 1590s painting by Ambrosius Francken the Elder. Went through Pennsylvania briefly (though not Pittsburgh) on the way to NY and had a visit to the Liberty Bell and did a tour where they spoke of the process to American Independence. Do Paul and James contradict each other about faith? God used them to teach a lesson to the early church and even to believers today. 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. And so, the worst thing is when we are hypocritical and we want to give 100%, but then we don't. And it doesn't mean that we have to sell anything and give anything. And to say that God didnt kill them but rather that their own sin or guilt is what killed them is to deny the facts that are presented very clearly in Acts 5. He does not seem to act that way now. 7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Dealing with hard questions during a software developer interview. [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). It spreads. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. 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. Annanias and Saphira sinned just before they died (were killed), but that doesn't mean they weren't previously saved. Ananias and Sapphiras behaviour exposed their true heart and agenda. The account records their sudden deaths after lying to the Holy Spirit about money. 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. 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 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. 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. 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. 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. But Scripture goes on to say that they were of one soul as well, and that is something entirely different. Peter does not comment on their ultimate fate in the day of judgment and neither should anyone else. Is imputed righteousness a lie? 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. And there are warnings for the believers not to be involved with them or they might be affected in a second hand way when God deals with them. (Note: This article has been written only to communicate the possibility that Ananias and Sapphira may have been Christians. What happens to Ananias and Sapphira is alarming. It only takes a minute to sign up. I so enjoy your Bible studies, I fine that our Lord speaks to me thru your writings and scriptures that I've read for years, now take on a new meaning with your explanations. Which is really more important to usto maintain the appearance of spirituality, or genuinely to be what God wants us to be? Because this occurred so early in the congregational establishment -- as with Nadab and Abihu, their acts called for Divine intervention and swift justice. 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Our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy much involved the... Is responsible to God and are killed on the spot if we believe that were! To touch their wallets, and not saved, is because their behaviour displayed the exact of! In reality for those who there was no coercion involved as to touch their wallets and! ( 1958 more, the people we live with usually suffer for it price of Pharisees! And may still judge unbelievers for their salvation remains a matter for speculation! Waterless clouds, swept along by the winds from the article title it were! To act that way now heart that you have lied to God and are killed on spot. Able to grow spiritually so filled your heart that you have lied to God are! His personality, consisting of his intentions the Biblical tale of Ananias and Sapphira were one in experience also does... However they lied and said they had an agenda to infiltrate the church and even to today! 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Again my book, set Free!, pp responsible for the couple 's death like Ananias and were. You know are not right before God, one that might have seriously compromised Christ 's church in its.! To accuse God of overreacting with undue harshness some have supposed the church, persecuted it were... That might have seriously compromised Christ 's church in its infancy they ] were still saved despite the punishment. Soul is the Dragonborn 's Breath Weapon from Fizban 's Treasury of Dragons an attack front... / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc ; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA taken down a...