Ananias, and his wife Sapphira, were, according to the Acts of the
Apostles, members of the Early Christian church.
The story
Acts Chapter 4 closes by making the statement that the Christian believers in the early Church considered their possessions to
be their own, "but they had all things in common," and that a church member, Barnabas, sold a
plot of land and donated the profit to the apostles. It was in this context that Ananias
and Sapphira decided that they, too, would like to make such a donation. After the sale they agreed only to give a certain
proportion of the money to the apostles, but to say that it was the whole amount.
In Acts 5:2, Ananias presents his donation to Peter, who replies, "Why hath
Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost?" Peter
points out that Ananias had every right not to sell the land at all or to do what he wanted to with the profits, but by telling a
lie—by saying that he was donating the entire amount—he had lied to God.
Ananias then falls to the ground dead and is carried out. Three hours later, his wife enters and tells the same lie, suffering
the same fate.
Theology of the event
What motivation could Ananias and Sapphira have had for this lie? Bible commentators believe that the motivation for this
donation was to gain recognition in the community rather than simply giving to the Church. Salvation cannot be bought, and the rebuke recorded in the Gospel to the hypocritical
Pharisee who was careful to be seen giving money to the poor in order to be seen as holy,
indicates that the motivation of the couple was impure. Similarly, positions of authority and recognition within the Church is
not at the whim of man but in the gift of God; to buy such a position or advancement is false, rebellious and ultimately
schismatic. No attempt to change the means of salvation can be allowed, and intrusions of worldly politics are entirely
inappropriate and unacceptable.
Did the punishment fit the crime? The case for the prosecution goes like this: the lie did not come from the Holy Ghost,
therefore it came from the Devil. Ananias and Sapphira were therefore spiritually dead, and their association with the Apostles
caused their physical death. As a corollary, this death being supernaturally caused, it was agreed to and executed by God, and
therefore just and right by definition. Note that both Ananias and Sapphira were questioned by Peter, who, detecting what was in
their hearts (supernaturally, by the Holy Ghost), gave them the chance to repent. Maintaining
themselves in their wickedness as they did resulted in the physical counterpart of the spiritual reality—sudden death. While the
text does not mention that Ananias said anything at all, it emphasises that there was something going on between Ananias and
Sapphira. The statement in the text that Ananias sells his land, keeps some of the money, and places the rest at the apostles'
feet, while sounding innocent enough, carries a deadly seed, for it would be impossible to believe that a loving God, should
execute innocent people.
What did God think about this? As far as is explained in the Scriptures, the death of Ananias and Sapphira was a direct
intervention of God. His judgement and execution was therefore on the basis of what we find in Acts chapter 5; and being unable
to stand evil of any kind, found it better to remove the problem at source, than to allow the nascent Church to harbour elements
under the influence not of God but of the devil.
What effect did this have on the disciples and on Christians today? The
disciples glorified God and were in fear (alt: respect) of Him. Looking forward there is a link to the Last Judgment; once God asks for an account of the doings of every man, that man will be judged by his own
attitude; repentance for life, resistance for death. It also brings out even in Christian times something that is often ascribed
to patriarchal or Jewish times: the hatred that God has for sin, and his swift
judgement upon it. Sin is therefore to be abhorred, avoided and repented of, if the reward of eternal life is to be attained. The
position of the Apostolate in the eyes of God is also revealed: these men, filled with the Holy Ghost, see things as God sees
them and call down His judgements, as well as His blessings, because of their position to which they have been called.
Salvation of Ananias and Sapphira
Primarily within evangelical Protestant
Christianity, there is a debate about whether Ananias and Sapphira were saved. Christians who hold to a view of once saved, always saved deny that Ananias and Sapphira could have lost their salvation.
Those who believe in the conditional preservation of the saints
believe that they were lost. If the lie that Ananias and Sapphira conspired to commit was against the Holy Ghost, then their
damnation is not in doubt.
References
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