The Soul That Sins Shall Die

Acts 5:1-11

1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. 2 And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 4 While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." 5 Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. 6 And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him. 7 Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter answered her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?" She said, "Yes, for so much." 9 Then Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out." 10 Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. 11 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.

Continuing from our last study we looked briefly at what contentment was to the early Church. Of the five thousand converts, plus women and children, there were probably many false converts. Converts who were not real serious, or were like Judas, going along with the flow out of curiosity. I confess that the first time that I made a profession of faith, I was a false convert, a hypocrite. I made a ‘decision’ for Christ but had no real change of heart. I continued to look at women with lust and practiced fornication. I had a foul mouth and a prideful spirit that made up stories to make myself look good in front of others. I possessed no change of mind about godly things. I basically just wanted a ticket out of hell. Now, I say all of this to teach that, in spite of my ignorance, the Lord used that time to enlighten my mind to spiritual truth. Those early years of being fed the seed of truth is what paved the way for my real conversion. I am opening myself up to you now to show that God is serious about who He allows into His kingdom. We are going to attempt to look into the false conversion of Ananias and Sapphira, so that we can examine our own hearts in light of their false conversion.

But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession.

This is the first time Ananias is recorded in the Bible; unfortunately for Ananias, it was not for his honor or reputation, because it was his last time. As we studied previously, the early Church was eager to sell their lands for the support of the gospel ministry. Love was not an option for these early Christians. As we have seen, Barnabas, was a giver who led the pack. But Ananias chose to do so only out of spiritual pride. He may have only wanted to give to be recognized by the Church. The context doesn’t give clear motive as to why they gave, but it does clearly show their motives were wrong. Barnabas sold his land and maybe Ananias wanted to compete with him in his giving? Here is a case were a wife should submit to her husband even if she may not agree with his motives. The Lord will reward the wife for her obedience as to the Lord in submission to her husband, in spite of her husband’s lack of faith or love for others. As we will see later in this study Sapphira was in agreement with her husband as opposed to in submission to him and paid for it with her life.

And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet.

We know that Ananias agreed with the Spirit of the Church that he would give all the proceeds to the Church. But we also know that he agreed with his wife to hold some of the proceeds back for themselves. The apostles were not ignorant and knew exactly what Ananias promised to give. The apostles knew the value of the land and when Ananias had given the proceeds to them, the apostles quickly figured it out.

But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?

In the presence of all the apostles, Peter, boldly confronted Ananias about the money he promised. But why? Why didn’t Peter just let this go? I mean husbands are to love their wives like Christ loved the Church, right? Therefore, Peter being an under shepherd, or husband to the Church should have just let this slide right? The apostles probably already made promises how they were going to use the money. But because not all the money came in that was expected they would have to break some promises and bring reproach on the body of Christ. Therefore, serious discipline had to take place, so that this doesn’t happen again.

While it remained, was it not your own?

Peter is pointing out that no one made Ananias promise the money. Peter did not take inventory and declare imamate domain on Ananias’s property. Peter also understood the New Covenant. There was no command to ‘tithe’ a certain amount of income. Ananias and his wife promised the proceeds. It boils down to fulfilling your vows before God.

Psalms 116:14

I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people.

Psalms 76:11

Make vows to the Lord your God, and pay them; let all who are around Him bring presents to Him who ought to be feared.

Ecclesiastes 5:4-5

When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed – better not to vow than to vow and not pay.

Proverbs 20:25

It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy, and afterward to reconsider his vows.

And after it was sold, was it not in your own control?

Here we see when the temptation came upon Ananias to hold back a part of the proceeds. It was after it was sold that Ananias lost control of his promise. Here is where he begins to doubt and fear if he should have made the promise in the first place. Hypocritically, he breaks his promise to the Spirit and robs God of an opportunity to bless him for acting in faith. Another option is his wife had control of the proceeds and she was tempted to hold some of it back, as Peter stated, “Was it not in your own control?” The apostles did not declare that 10% of the people’s welfare belonged to them. No. What they did require is faith based giving. This also further stabilizes the idea that the New Covenant Church operated without the Old Covenant command to ‘tithe’. The apostles commanded no such thing as tithing to this early Church. It was all based on faith. Whatever the people promised is what the apostles used to supply their ministry. If anything, Ananias did the right thing, even if he only promised a portion of the proceeds; but the fact is, he promised all the proceeds. Tithing is not sinful, but it is also not commanded in the churches of God (2Cor.8:15). Here is a quote from Jeremiah Burroughs that I richly appreciate about the “New Covenant”:

Christians miss a great deal of comfort which they might have from the particular promises in the gospel, if they would consider their connection to the root, the great covenant that God has made with them in Christ. In the times of the law, they might rest more upon outward promises than we can in the time of the gospel. I gave you the reason why we who live in the times of the gospel cannot depend so much on a literal fulfillment of the outward promises that we find in the Old Testament, as they could in the time of the law. For there was a special covenant, that God pleased to call the New Covenant, by way of distinction of the other covenant, that is made with us in Christ for eternal life. So even the law was given to them in a more peculiar way for an ‘external’ covenant of outward blessings in the land of Canaan, and so God dealt with them in a more external covenant than He does now with His people. Yet godliness has the promise of this life, and that which is to come.

~The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

I would like to add to Jeremiah’s comments that the Old Covenant still does have literal implications for Israel when the time of her repentance comes after the tribulation (Rom.11:11,12), and all of Israel will be saved, that is both the nation of Israel(Rom.11:25,26) and the Israel of God – the Church (Gal.6:10). Those outward promises of blessing will come upon the land during the time of Israel’s restoration in Christ’s millennial reign on earth as King of kings and Lord of lords. Israel will be the nation of nations and the Gentiles will not be able to stop the banner of Christ from being planted in every nation, tribe, tongue and people (Rev.14:6).

Why have you conceived this thing in your heart?

Peter’s first question to Ananias was, "Why Satan has filled your hear?" As if he was accusing Satan first, yet continues to blame Ananias. I believe Peter had every intention of showing mercy to Ananias if he repented. The way Peter is phrasing the questions leads me to think that there was a tone of compassion in his voice, but it is important to note that Ananias was justifying himself in this. It was Satan who convinced him to lie about withholding the money, but it was Ananias who believed the lie and obeyed it (2Thess.2:11). In this we see the battle that raged in the heart of Ananias over contentment. Maybe it was his wife that convinced him to withhold some of the proceeds. Maybe the temptation entered through her. Either way they both agreed to lie to the apostles.

James 1:12

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

You have not lied to men but to God.

Notice that Peter, being filled with the Spirit, is saying that his authority comes from God and not from himself. Therefore lying to Peter or any of the other apostles equates to lying to God. Peter is not saying he or any of the apostles are literally God, but that God has given the apostles authority or headship over the Church on God’s behalf. Peter was not acting on behalf of his own authority, but on behalf of all the apostles and the Most High. Peter was not an archbishop or the pope of the Church. It was the Holy Spirit who gripped Ananias’s heart and killed him, not Peter’s confrontation with his sin (Heb.4:12). As I mentioned earlier Peter was not looking to condemn Ananias.

Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things.

Fear is what struck Ananias’s heart. Maybe he didn’t think he could find forgiveness and became so anxious that his own fear of God killed him. I believe God would have been merciful to him, if he would have took a breath of fresh air and talked things out with Peter and the rest of the apostles. The apostles were not merciless, nor is God. But in the providence of God the Holy Spirit took Ananias in his sin. As severe as this appears, it was for the good of the whole body of Christ to create a healthy fear of God. Notice that it was in hearing the words, “You lied to God”, that caused him to perish. Ananias had a healthy and right fear of God, but he forgot too quickly the love and mercy of God. Ananias should have believed and quickly confessed, rather than hold in his sin to his own destruction (Rom.10:9). The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but it is not the end of wisdom. If we are to be saved we must persevere in His grace to be saved. The end of all wisdom is the grace of Christ (Rom.10:4). But this grace doesn’t remain in us without fear. As a result of this death the church continued to fear God. By this they were able to see that God takes worship seriously.

And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.

Imagine trying to explain that to the police, today. There was no further investigation and no autopsy to show cause of death. If this happened today, Peter, and the rest of apostles, would have been indicted for murder and put in prison. Now some young men just picked him and carried him off to his burial with no questions asked. They didn’t even go find his wife first.

Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter answered her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?" She said, "Yes, for so much."

They kept the death of Ananias from Sapphira to draw more information out of her. The apostles wanted to know if they conspired together. Maybe God would have had mercy on Sapphira if she didn’t have a part in it; or maybe it was her idea in the first place and Ananias’s death was because he failed to lead his wife in the proper respect and fear of God. We also get a glimpse that the apostles knew how much the land was worth. The apostles were not ignorant. The proceeds were promised to be used for the advancement of the kingdom and for taking care of widows and orphans.

1 Timothy 5:3-10

Honor widows who are truly widows. But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God. Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and continues in prayers night and day. But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. And these things command, that they maybe blameless. But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he had denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. Do not let a widow who is under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man, well reported for good works; if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she had diligently followed every good work.

Then Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out."

Sapphira being unaware was now a widow. If she was guiltless the apostles would have had to now care for her needs. Church funds are to be used how the Lord prescribes, not how the Church feels “their” money should be used. bBcause it was given to the Lord, it is no longer “their” money, as Peter noted earlier to Ananias. What people do with their personal giving is their personal business; and, yes, Christ has encouraged such giving (Matt.6:1-4; 25:37-40). But the corporate giving of the body of Christ has been given restrictions to maintain peace and unity in the Church and each Church is accountable to herself. Therefore the severity of God’s judgment upon Sapphira was appropriate, because of the tremendous burden of widows upon the early Church. They didn’t have government welfare and the countless charities, that we have in our culture, to rely on for income. Plus, they were excommunicated from the temple offerings, because of the apostles preaching in the name of Jesus Christ. Therefore the early Church had to be self-sufficient, that is sufficient in God. At this point Peter asks, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord?” It has been revealed to Peter at this time that both Ananias and his wife have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord. Peter’s tone has changed from compassion to anger (Ps.2:12). Peter continues, “Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out." Again, this is a confrontation about sin that has righteous motives for anger, but I believe that the Lord’s hand is stretched out still, even now to Sapphira. It depends how she responds to this confrontation in how she will receive mercy from the Lord. Peter shows her that there is no need to continue in the lie, because the Lord has already judged her husband. Her only option here is to repent, but she chose to keep her sin in her heart.

Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband.

It was the same fear of God that gripped her heart as did her husband. Her anxiety got the best of her and she didn’t believe that the Lord would be merciful to her, even now. She knew the Lord, but did not know the Lord well enough to carry her to salvation. Unbelievers know God in their conscience, but have learned to forget Him (Rom.1:21; Hosea 4:6; Ps. 50:22). Mercy always triumphs over judgment (James2:13), and she failed to remember that she has the power to confess her sins, because He is faithful and just to forgive her sins (1Jn.1:9). Peter did not desire her destruction, but her salvation. He desired a confession and an opportunity to show mercy once again. But sometimes our pride gets in the way of that and we perish in sin. The Lord has a right to be angry at us, but we have no right to be angry at Him.

So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.

It is important for us to hear what God has done in the past to prepare and prevent us from committing the same sins. Ananias and Sapphira committed two sins that led to their death. The first one was hypocrisy, but it is a forgivable sin. The second was unbelief, which if practiced to our graves, leads to eternal death.

1 John 5:16-17

If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death. We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

Ananias and his wife’s hypocrisy was not a sin that merited immediate destruction. It was their own willingness to remain swayed by the evil temptation of the wicked one and their lack of “knowing God” that brought this swift destruction upon them (2Pet.2:1). Notice that the apostle of love, John, makes his boast in “knowing God”. Knowing God is a rightful boast. It was Jesus’s boast (Jn.7:29) and it is our only boast (Jer.9:24). It was John’s boast because he understood that keeping yourself, and by that I mean confessing your sins, was the key to persevering in the faith. Because of the cross God is always ready to forgive. Christ has overcome and sat down at the seat of rest in the heavenly places and seated us with Him. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Eph. 1:3-10

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth--in Him.