A Challenging Couple

Edit= changed judgement to condemnation. Christians will stand and be judged, but not condemned.
Acts 5 contains a recount of events (I suggest opening that in another window and leaving it open) which are shocking to many Christians, myself included. Ananias and his wife Sapphira die after lying to God the Holy Spirit. The fact that God gives and takes away life is not shocking, but to the believer who understands Grace and that there is no condemnation in Christ it is troubling to see two people involved with the early Church apparently judged, and so harshly at that.

The history is that the early Church had people of all classes in it, those who had gave it away so that those who had not would have. Everyone's needs were met, as you can read in Acts 4. When we come to Acts 5 though we find out that Ananias and Sapphira had sold off property which belonged to them (no one else had claim to it) and gained money (that they owed to no one) and instead of giving it all up they kept some of it for themselves. Ananias brought the remainder to Peter and laid it at his feet. Peter responded with "Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land?....." After hearing Peter's words Ananias fell down and died, bringing great fear to all those who heard of this.

Important things to note are these - Peter knew what had happened. It's not explained but I suspect special revelation (The Spirit told him). Peter also asks why Satan had "filled" Ananias' heart. This will become important when I explain what I believe happened to this couple, and why.

About three hours later Sapphira came to Peter, not knowing what had befell her husband. Peter asks her "How is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold the feet of them which have buried your husband are at the door, and shall carry you out." Then she fell down and died as well.

The important thing to note here is that Peter knew she would die.

OK so here we have two people involved in the early Church, at it's very beginnings actually, God is dealing with believers through Grace, the Holy Spirit has entered into the world and indwells believers. How could judgement like this happen?

There are two possibilities that I see. First God saw that these believers were disorderly and would cause problems in the Church at a critical time and therefore called them home, not being judgement but instead mercy. They simply died and would have gone directly to be in the presence of the Lord. Second, and this is the one I believe is supported by scripture, is that these two were non-believers who were in the Church. Their deaths were used as a sign to build credibility in the Apostle Peter and to keep non-believers from infiltrating the Church.

In Acts 5:3 we see that Ananias had his heart filled by Satan. This is not possible if the person is a believer and has God the Holy Spirit already indwelling and possessing him. Peter does not say this of Sapphira, but does indicate that she and her husband had agreed to tempt God which is not impossible for a believer but is inconsistent. I'm sure Ananias couldn't have been a believer, and I have serious doubt that Sapphira was. Still there is more;

Acts 5:11-14 seems to seal the deal for me. "and great fear came upon all the Church, and upon as many as heard these things" Believers and non-believers felt the fear of God at hearing of these deaths. The word "and" indicates a continuing of the subject. "and by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people." These deaths could easily be some of these signs and wonders. "and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. And of the rest no man dared join himself to them: but the people magnified them. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women." Here we see that the believers were of one accord - or in agreement, of one mind - and that non-believers did not mix with them, I believe out of the fear they gained by hearing of the couple's demise. Still the people held the believers in high esteem and multitudes of new believers came.

Clearly, I believe anyway, these two were posing as believers in the Church but were not. God turned this deception to the benefit of the Church and through this act brought people to believe that God is real, He does have power and the things the Apostles were saying (are saying in the Word) are true.

God is interested in our hearts, not our actions. Going to church and giving money and time to people will not save you. It is your heart that He wants. I pray those who read this will drop to their knees and give their hearts to Christ now. Let Him be Lord of your lives, accept that He paid the price for your transgressions. You can be forgiven and through the lovely grace of Our Lord you too can be seen as righteous before God the Father, as you'll be in His Son, Christ Jesus.