(James 1:19) Richard, was a 1954 graduate of Wheaton College, and received his Th.M. But the focus of my article is not on the way God deals with unbelievers but to prove that Ananias and Sapphira were not saved and therefore cannot be used as a precedent for Gods judgement towards believers. Once in Christ, then again in us. Annanias and Saphira sinned just before they died (were killed), but that doesn't mean they weren't previously saved. Since their congregation was so very large, when they all met together in the court of the Temple, they also gathered in smaller units in homes to get to know each other, to grow in their love for one another, to care about one anothers problems and minister to one anothers needs (cf. So why did Ananias and Sapphira? It was no grandstand play with him. 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. What was so wrong with their plan? Bc there were 12 tribes. Acts 5:3-4. Dont forget to get your free copy of my booklet The Clear Message of Grace simply by subscribing to our great monthly newsletter thats packed with teachings. The soul is the conscious life force in man, his personality, consisting of his mind, emotions, and will. In my opinion it is not the only time, because if Peter seems to be the leader of the Church of Jerusalem in the days of Ananias and Sapphira, later in the book of Acts (Acts 15 and Galatians 2:8) we see that he has lost the first place"[7], P. M. Garner reads the story as subversive narrative showing Peter, complicit in the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira, showing immaturity in imaging the son of God. 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. This is the realm of experience. It is possible to fall from grace, but this is a drastic step and should not be equated with individual sins. I think Sapphira did have a second chance. And even after they sold it, they were under no obligation to give all the money to the church. The Greek phrase in Joshua 7:1 of the Septuagint is identical to that which Luke uses here in Acts. Jesus and the disciples go onto the Mount of Olives. And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them. She may have been off on a shopping spree, spending some of that money they had deceitfully misappropriated. What we do know is that as a result of the judgment that fell on this couple, "great fear came upon the whole . Is all mankind free from their sins or only those in Christ? How do I know that I truly trust Jesus for salvation. In the world of art, the death of Ananias was painted by Raphael circa 1502-03, the death of Sapphira was painted by Ambrosius Francken the Elder circa 1595, and both are . Each partner is keeping score of who gives in the most, who gets the most attention, who shows the most appreciation, who has the most faults, or some other trivial area of contention. Look! Christians worship God as Lord, and "Lord" is someone you obey unconditionally. When Jesus says "your sins are forgiven", how is that reconciled with the sacrificial system established in the old testament? dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. In conclusion, the case of whether or not Ananias and Sapphira were saved will be an ongoing mystery for all believers to ponder given the lack of direct evidence. This new covenant truth is very valuable. I think they had an agenda to infiltrate the church and bring harm to the believers. Is variance swap long volatility of volatility? 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. And yes, it may take that By prophesying of the immediate death of Ananias and that of Sapphira, Peter is making it clear just how grievous this sin is. And that brings us, secondly, to the sin of Ananias and Sapphira. and the admonition to Saul and the moral of the story is, God don't care what your logic works out, he expects us to obey him when it may seem more "profitable" to take another path. Thats why its not God sending the Tsunamis and storms and earthquakes. Was the gift of the Holy Spirit promised only for the first-century Church, according to Acts 2:38-39? We can probably deduce/infer that Gehazi being a servant to a Godly prophet should have known better because Gehazi is someone who is part of God's ministry. So if we believe that they were genuine believers then does this lie commit them to hell? The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in It then follows with the two examples (1 good and 1 not good) of people selling their property to give to the church. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Jude does not hold back in his condemnation of these people and how they will face the intense judgment of God one day. Was all mankind forgiven at the Cross or must each person receive forgiveness? 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. 12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. We see this most often through the healing miracles, but it is equally true of this judgment. And for every member who operates in the power of the flesh rather than the Spirit, for every one who lives for the praise of men rather than for the glory of God, the effectiveness of Christs church is reduced so much the more. Peter replied, "Why is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit?" Well the reality is that, while Christ paid the price for everyones sins, its only those who are in Christ that receive the benefit of that and are therefore safe from Gods judgment. 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. These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; ; 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, Jude calls these sinister people who are infiltrating the church, is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give. Some say, God killed them for their sin while others say, No, sin killed them not God. What does a search warrant actually look like? And this is more inline with the New Covenant because God has already punished Jesus for all of our sins in Christ, and is no longer counting them against us. rev2023.3.1.43269. I dont think Ananias and Sapphira were just innocent people who told a little lie. Gods family is much broader than any single family unit, and we soon learn that our relationship to this larger spiritual family affects our relationship with each other as husbands and wives. To see this, one must consider the case of Simon the magician. (cf. How can you avoid this tendency? Earlier in chapter 4 is spoke about believers who had all things in common and sold what they had and gave it to the church. To this end, they sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price while giving the rest to the Apostles (Acts 5:1-2). he saved some. Only, Ananias was not at all happy in his approach to Peter's feet that day. Or Ananias and Sapphira, wanted recognition for an offering, rather than giving all. This, like Ananias and Sapphira, are examples in scripture of a 'sin leading to death' as mentioned in 1 John 5:16. What shall I do if I can't believe that God is for me? 7. She falls and breathes her last breath. Is Water Baptism necessary for Salvation? Out of the foxhole and into the the line of fire. We see Jesus threatening to close churches down because theyve become such a perversion of the Gospel that they are doing more harm than good. It will be remembered that each was filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:31ff): Acts 4:31-32, 34, 35: And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. Hypocrisy is the most dangerous spiritual virus to infect the church. Unbelievers are spiritually 'dead' and cannot believe the gospel or make any moves towards God. 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. I think they were much more sinister than that. According to Luke, he believed Philip when he was preaching the good news, and then received baptism (8:12-13). believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything A couple of reasons: First, their deathslike much in Actsserve as a sign. All very exciting and interesting. Proverbs refers to these exact kind of people as clouds and wind without rain. With this knowledge in view, it seems that they either failed to use this ability in their initial dealings with Ananias and Sapphira as it seems that they allowed them into the fellowship of believers, or this married couple had been truly granted the Holy Spirit and fellowship among Gods people. The account records their sudden deaths after lying to the Holy Spirit about money. Jesus never left and He is here via the Holy Spirit. He merely exposed Ananias hypocrisy by the insight God gave him. A lot of the Church today uses the story of Ananias and Sapphira as a precedent to threaten and warn other believers not to sin for fear of similar consequences. It is also shown on a 1590s painting by Ambrosius Francken the Elder. Were Ananias and Sapphira Christians? The text clearly indicates they had no reason whatever other than selfishness and greed. This was all in a public place, just like it was in Acts 5. In any case, lying or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is one sin that cannot be forgiven. Again, it is not saying that they weren't saved anymore. But they were to find that it can never be so. Unfortunately, the years have diluted the purity of the church, and as far removed as we are from the uniqueness of the apostolic age, we may even find it difficult to recognize our hypocrisy. The rich He associated with pride and reliance on self righteous works thereby unable to receive the Kingdom by faith. Planned Maintenance scheduled March 2nd, 2023 at 01:00 AM UTC (March 1st, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren. Jude also calls these kinds of people waterless clouds, swept along by the winds. What happens to Ananias and Sapphira is alarming. Any believer was free to own property if he so chose, and no one would think less of him for it. Is it overcoming sin that saves us? They didnt have to give the whole amount. Phony spirituality is contagious. "Can we infer anything about the ultimate eternal fate of Ananias and Sapphira? A man couldnt ask for much more than that. Yes sir, were getting along better than we ever did. And we excuse our dishonesty by telling ourselves that what goes on in our home is a private matter, nobodys business but our own. Related Topics: Christian Home, Finance, Marriage, Richard L. Strauss authored nine books, and served as pastor of churches in Fort Worth, TX, Huntsville, AL. Their sin was trying to deceive people and God to believing they were giving more than what they were really giving. Ananias means Jehovah is gracious, and God certainly had been gracious to him. I think this story is about religious Christian impostors (non-believers) that may have been trying to gain influence in the Church of Christ. Can we infer anything about the ultimate eternal fate of Ananias and Sapphira? Personally I think its quite obviously referring to the party of the Pharisees. Peter pointed out that Ananias was in control of the money and could give or keep it as he saw fit, but had withheld a portion of it. Jesus ascends into the clouds. B. No Christian husband and wife can be an island to themselves. Can non-Muslims ride the Haramain high-speed train in Saudi Arabia? Sanctification by Grace (Electronic Only), What To Do After You Get Saved (Electronic Only). 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. Is Faith enough? The Holy Spirit, God or both? None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 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. This you know, my beloved brethren. So who then could this group of the rest be that didnt dare join? In Acts 5:9-11 why does Peter dispense immediate judgment? But the acclaim was there. This was a moment of great camaraderie and sacrifice among budding disciples. They just gave the money and said nothing about what percentage of the total sale price it represented. May our Lord continue to fill you to over flowing with the Holy Spirit and strengthen you in every way so that you can remain on task. 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were ananias and sapphira saved
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