Ananias

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email

1. A Christian of Jerusalem. He and his wife Sapphira were among those disciples who sold their property for the proceeds to be distributed among all the Christians in Jerusalem. But Ananias and Shapphira kept back a part of the money while pretending to give the full amount to the apostles. When Peter exposed his lie Ananias was struck dead. Sapphira appeared later before Peter and maintained the lie; she too was struck dead (Acts 4:32-37; 5:1-10).

2. A christian disciple living in Damascus when Paul arrived in that city after his conversion. Ananias had a vision in which he was instructed to go to Paul (Saul of Tarsus) to baptize him and give him back his sight. Ananias was at first hesitant as he knew the harm Paul had done to the Christians in Jerusalem. Finally he went boldly to Paul, explained Paul's vision on the road to Damascus, caused him to recover his sight and then Paul was baptized (Acts 9:10-19).

3. High priest who tried Paul when he was arrested in Jerusalem at the end of his third missionary journey (Acts 23:1-10). Later Ananias was among those who gave evidence against Paul in Caesarea when he was brought before the governor Felix (Acts 23:33-35; 24:1-9).

Concordance
ANANIAS 1: Acts 5:1, 3, 5
ANANIAS 2: Acts 9:10, 12-13, 17; 22:12
ANANIAS 3: Acts 23:2; 24:1


Ananias (ăn'ənī'əs) [Gr.,=Heb. Ananiah and Hananiah].

1 In the Acts of the Apostles, man who, with his wife Sapphira, held back part of a gift to the early Jerusalem church and lied about it. They were rebuked by Peter and fell dead. The name has become a term for liar.

2 High priest at Jerusalem (A.D. 47-59), a Roman sympathizer, hated by most of the Jews for his oppression and his alliance with the Roman interest. He was assassinated at the outbreak of the Jewish War in A.D. 66.

3 In the Acts of the Apostles, Christian at Damascus who took charge of Paul after his conversion.

4 One of the Three Young Men whose ordeal and song are recorded in the Additions to Daniel. See also Hananiah.


Random House Word Menu:

categories related to 'Ananias'

Top
Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to Ananias, see:

Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:

Copyrights:

Mentioned in

Pieretti (family name)
Anania (family name)
Virginia Dare (English-American personage)
Sundown on the Prairie (1939 Western Film)