? re: Bible Story of Ananias and Sapphira

[KiwiZ]

Acts 5:1-11 recounts the story of Ananias and Sapphira, a story that has always troubled me. Many seem to think God's judgement was shown to them for lying, but have often wondered why others who have done much worse (murderers, rapists, etc) “get away” with their crimes, in this lifetime, anyway.

If Peter/other Christians get a second chance for sins (some worse than A/S), why not A/S? If Paul preaches that even the worst sinner can be forgiven and advises us of the old spirit vs the new spirit and how we must daily humble ourselves and seek forgiveness, why couldn't the same mercy be extended to A/S?

In an age where saying you were a Christian could get you tortured/killed, I would imagine A/S would not become Christians unless their faith was sincere. Could it be they were so aggrieved of what they had done that they died of shock/remorse/grief? People have been known to faint from terrible news, perhaps one could die from it as well. Perhaps it was not God's judgement after all but a story left in the Bible to warn us of consequences from sin?

Curious what you all have to say, all responses welcome

[Smokering]

I think the reason A&S were dealt with so harshly is because God wanted to send a CLEAR message to the early church (and later Christians, in the Bible) that a) lying to the Holy Spirit is wrong, b) you should give out of love, not legalism or pride, and c) doing grandiose religious acts to puff yourself up is very, very wrong. The Christian church has been plagued with attitudes of legalism and holier-than-thouness for millennia, and it's one of the things that put people off the Gospel the most. I think He was sending a very unequivocal message that He doesn't endorse it. Sorta saying "Don't start with the factions and hypocrisy and tying holiness to specific acts, and don't act as if I'm stupid, that's not what all this is about". Things like murder and rape are clearly evil and easy to identify as such, but the slow, creeping rot of hypocrisy and legalism is far more dangerous in a way.

Yes, it was a rather harsh lesson from the perspective of Ananias and Sapphira, but then, we're all sinners and deserve no less, so they can't really complain.

[genifer]

In addition to what Smokering said I wonder if it had to do with the fact that the Holy Spirit was so powerfully upon the people that these two were more like imposters with a holier than thou sort of front. The Holy Spirit wouldnt have punished them so severely unjustly. Look at Peter and how he denied knowing Christ three times! but he was forgiven and accepted back into the fellowship. His heart was in the right place. He was sincere in his love for the Lord despite what he had done, where A/S, the Holy Spirit knowing all things, must not have been right in the first place...

[Shami]

1 John 5:16

16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not unto death, he shall ask and he will give life to him, to those sinning not unto death. There is a sin unto death; I do not say that he should make request concerning that.

This is a footnote in my study Bible on the phrase sin unto death.

Concerning sin unto death, Bible teachers have different interpretations. Some say that it refers to the sin of the antichrists in denying that Jesus is the Christ (2:22), which keeps them in death forever. But according to the context of this verse, sin unto death is related to a sinning brother, not to an antichrist or any other unbeliever. Since this section, vv. 14-17, is related to prayer in the fellowship of eternal life (covered in 1:3--2:11), whatever it deals with must be related to the matter of the fellowship of the divine life. In the fellowship of the divine life there is the governmental dealing of God according to the spiritual condition of each of His children. In God's governmental dealing, some of His children may be destined to physical death in this age because of a certain sin, and others may be destined to physical death because of other sins. The situation is like that of Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, who were dealt with by physical death because they lied to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-11), and like that of the Corinthian believers, who were dealt with by the same judgment because they did not discern the Body (1 Cor. 11:29-30). This was typified by God's dealing with the children of Israel in the wilderness (1 Cor. 10:5-11). All the Israelites except Caleb and Joshua were judged by God with physical death because of certain sins. God's governmental dealing is severe. Miriam, Aaron, and even Moses were not spared from this kind of dealing, which came because of certain of their failures (Num. 12:1-15; 20:1, 12, 22-29; Deut. 1:37; 3:26-27; 32:48-52). The punishment of God's governmental dealing with His children is not at all related to eternal perdition; it is a dispensational dealing according to the divine government, a dealing that is related to our fellowship with God and with one another. Whether or not a sin is unto death depends on God's judgment according to the sinning believer's position and condition in the house of God. In any case, for the children of God to sin is a serious matter. It may be judged by God with physical death in this age! The apostle did not say that we should make request concerning a sin that is unto death.

I know this is a mouth full, but there it is for your consideration. Great question BTW.

[Bluegoat]

Using God as an excuse to serve your own ends is pretty terrible. Even when the effects on people don't seem that great, it indicates a real problem with the intentions of the people involved. It is essentially a direct denyal of God, because the person is at the same time aknowledging God and his place, and denying it.

It's also not a crime of passion, which in many cases murder is, and even rape is influenced by factors like the body. But a crime done coldly and rationally is much more terrible.

Ultimately though, God's reasons can be impossible for us to understand. We just don't have access to the same information.

[Shami]

I couldn't make the link take you directly to the portion I wanted, so this is the home page. Go to-- life study of acts, on left side click on chapter 17, scroll down and at the bottom of page click on "next portion". The subheading is the 'Negative Scene'.

http://www.ministrybooks.org/life-studies.cfm

This is a book entitled the The Life Study of Acts. It also has commentary on this passage. I agree with much of what previous posters said. I think the severity has to do with a combination of several things:

1. ambition to be seen as giving all to the church
2. possibly their position and condition of their heart
3. not only lying to the Holy Spirit, but to the brothers who have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them
4. the early church needed to see this kind of dealing as an example
5. not caring for the body of Christ, which is the church, the apple of God's eye

I also edited my previous post above...again. Sorry, I didn't like my first answer, and I found that footnote to be very interesting. Your question has been very helpful to me. Thanks for posting.