1. ACTS 5 COMME TARY EDITED BY GLE PEASE Ananias and Sapphira 1
ow a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold
a piece of property. It is against this beautiful backdrop that we
come to verse 1 of chapter 5 and are introduced to the first
recorded hypocrites in the church, Ananias and Sapphira. The
gracious act of giving is set in direct contrast to the sham giving
of Ananias and Sapphira. It would appear, though I cannot be
dogmatic about this, that they may have tried to gain the same kind
of respect as Barnabas did when he gave, and that may be more
speculative than fact because there was nothing said about how the
apostles or the other believers responded when he gave. Ananias and
Sapphira sold a possession, which means, land or property. ow
notice that the giving was not mandatory, not legislated, not
mandated, not pressured, but completely and totally voluntary. This
is a very significant point that is just about completely
overlooked in todays church when it comes to giving to needs. The
Holy Spirit was, and is, very capable to move on the hearts of His
people to give to needs. This is why I do not feel comfortable at
all about even the hint of legislating finances and I have been
that way for all of the years I have been in the pastorate. The
church so much relies on other humans telling them what to do that
they never seem to simply rely on what the Spirit of God leads them
to do. Again, what we will clearly see in the text was that giving
in the church was completely voluntary. In fact, it has always been
that way and should stay that way. BAR ES, "But a certain man - In
the previous chapter the historian had given an account of the
eminent liberality and sincerity of the mass of early Christians,
in being willing to give up their property to provide for the poor,
and had mentioned the case of Barnabas as worthy of special
attention. In this chapter he proceeds to mention a case, quite as
striking, of insincerity, and hypocrisy, and of the just judgment
of God on those who were guilty of it. The case is a remarkable
instance of the nature of hypocrisy, and goes to illustrate the art
and cunning of the enemy of souls in attempting to corrupt the
church, and to pervert the religion of the gospel. Hypocrisy
consists in an attempt to imitate the people of God, or to assume
the appearance of religion, in whatever form it may be manifested.
In this case religion had been manifested by great self-denial and
benevolence. The hypocrisy of Ananias consisted in attempting to
imitate this in appearance, and to impose in this way on the early
Christians and on God.
2. With Sapphira his wife - With her concurrence or consent. It
was a matter of agreement between them, Act_5:2, Act_5:9. Sold a
possession - The word used here ktma does not indicate whether this
was land or some other property. In Act_5:3, however, we learn that
it was land that was sold; and the word here translated possession
is translated in the Syriac, Arabic, and the Latin Vulgate as land.
The pretence for which this was sold was doubtless to have the
appearance of religion. That it was sold could be easily known by
the Christian society, but it might not be so easily known for how
much it was sold. Hence, the attempt to impose on the apostles. It
is clear that they were not under obligation to sell their
property. But, having sold it for the purposes of religion, it
became their duty, if they professed to devote the avails of it to
God, to do it entirely, and without any reservation. CLARKE, "But a
certain man named Ananias - Of these unhappy people we have no
farther account than what is recorded here. In reference to birth,
connections, etc., their names are written in the dust. The import
of his name, chananiyah, the grace or mercy of the Lord, agrees
very ill with his conduct. GILL, "But a certain man named
Ananias,.... A name common among the Jews, the same with Hananiah,
Jer_28:1 it signifies not the humility of the Lord, or the
affliction of the Lord, or the answer of the Lord, as say some, as
if it was derived from ; but the grace of the Lord, or the Lord's
gracious one, coming from : there is no dependence on names; though
this man's name signified one that was in the grace and favour of
God; he was not so, but a graceless person, as appears by what
follows. It is very likely he was a minister of the word, since the
account of him follows upon that of Barnabas, and is opposed to it;
it may be he was one of the hundred and twenty, on whom the Holy
Ghost fell on the day of Pentecost; and yet, though he had great
gifts, had no grace. This shows there are hypocrites among men of
the greatest names and characters, and in the purest churches; this
first and pure church, which, in the preceding chapter, has such
large encomiums, was not free from them: with Sapphira his wife;
whether this is the same name with "Shiphrah", Exo_1:15 or
"Zipporah", Exo_2:21 both which are by the Septuagint called
"Sephora", or whether another, and may signify "beautiful", is not
very material. Jerom (c) says, in the Syriac language this name
signifies "beautiful"; though he first gives other explanations of
it, as "narrantem, literatam, sive librariam", as though it was
derived from the Hebrew word . The precious stone called sapphire
seems to come from the same root as this, and to be so called
because of its beautiful azure colour. The name "Sappho", which was
the name of a famous poetess, the inventress of a kind of verse
called "Sapphic" verse, is said to be the diminutive of this name
"Sapphira". Drusius observes, it may be read , "Tzephira"; which
comes near to "Zipporah", and among other things signifies a "she
goat"; and it was usual to give women names taken from such
creatures. So "Rachel", a "sheep", and "Tabitha", or "Dorcas", a
"doe". But whatever her name or person were, her actions were
disagreeable:
3. sold a possession; which was their own. So the Arabic and
Syriac versions read, "their own field", or "farm"; find the
Ethiopic version, "their own vineyard": it might be his wife's
dowry or jointure, and so her consent was necessary; or they might
be jointly concerned in this sale, to show not only their concord
and harmony among themselves; but that they agreed in their
devotion and religious actions, and that being both filled with
zeal for God, and love to the brethren, sold their estate to
support the common cause. HE RY, "The chapter begins with a
melancholy but, which puts a stop to the pleasant and agreeable
prospect of things which we had in the foregoing chapters; as every
man, so every church, in its best state has its but. 1. The
disciples were very holy, and heavenly, and seemed to be all
exceedingly good; but there were hypocrites among them, whose
hearts were not right in the sight of God, who, when they were
baptized, and took upon them the form of godliness, denied the
power of godliness, and stopped short of that. There is a mixture
of bad with good in the best societies on this side heaven; tares
will grow among the wheat until the harvest. 2. It was the praise
of the disciples that they came up to that perfection which Christ
recommended to the rich young man--they sold what they had, and
gave to the poor; but even that proved a cloak and cover of
hypocrisy which was thought the greatest proof and evidence of
sincerity. 3. The signs and wonders which the apostles wrought were
hitherto miracles of mercy; but now comes in a miracle of judgment,
and here is an instance of severity following the instances of
goodness, that God may be both loved and feared. JAMISO ,
"Act_5:1-11. Ananias and Sapphira. The first trace of a shade upon
the bright form of the young Church. Probably among the new
Christians a kind of holy rivalry had sprung up, every one eager to
place his means at the disposal of the apostles [Olshausen]. Thus
might the new-born zeal of some outrun their abiding principle,
while others might be tempted to seek credit for a liberality which
was not in their character. CALVI , "1.Those things which Luke hath
reported hitherto did show that that company, which was gathered
together under the name of Christ, was rather a company of angels
than of men, Moreover, that was incredible virtue, that the rich
men did despoil themselves of their own accord, not only of their
money, but also of their land, that they might relieve the poor.
But now he showeth that Satan had invented a shift to get into that
holy company, and that under color of such excellent virtue; for he
hath wonderful wiles of hypocrisy to insinuate himself. This way
doth Satan assault the Church, when as he cannot prevail by open
war. But we must specially in this place have respect unto the
drift of the Holy Ghost. For in this history he meant to declare,
first, how acceptable singleness of heart is to God, and what an
abomination hypocrisy is in his sight; secondly, how greatly he
alloweth [approves] the holy and pure policy and govermnent of his
Church. For this is the principal point, the punishment wherewith
punished Ananias and his wife. As the greatness thereof did at that
time terrify them all, so it is unto us a testimony that
4. God cannot abide this unfaithfulness, when as bearing a show
of holiness where there is none, we do mock him contemptibly. For
if, having weighed all the circumstances, we be desirous to know
the sum, Luke condemneth no other fault in Ananias than this, that
he meant to deceive God and the Church with a reigned offering. Yet
there were more evils packed under this dissimulation: the contempt
of God, whom he feareth not, though he knew his wickedness;
sacrilegious defrauding, because he keepeth back part of that which
he professeth to be holy to God; perverse vanity and ambition,
because he vaunteth himself in the presence of men, without having
any respect unto Gods judgment; want of faith, because he would
never have gone this way to work, unless he had mistrusted God; the
corrupting of a godly and holy order; furthermore, the hypocrisy
itself was a great offense of itself. (237) The fact of Ananias did
bear a goodly show, (238) although he had given only the half of
his land. either is this a small virtue, for a rich man to bestow
the half of his goods upon the poor; but the sacrifices of the
ungodly are an abomination to God, (Proverbs 15:8;) neither can any
thing please him where the singleness of heart is wanting. For this
cause is it that Christ maketh more account of the two mites
offered by the widow, than of the great sums of others, who of
their great heaps gave some part, (Luke 21:2.) This is the cause
why God doth show an example of such sharp punishment in Ananias.
ow, let us note every point by itself.He laid it at the feet of the
apostles. Lo, what ambition doth! Ananias is ashamed not to be
accounted one of the best; therefore, although he be greedy of
money, yet to the end he may purchase a name amongst men, he
depriveth himself of some part of his riches. In the meanwhile, he
doth not consider that he lieth and deceiveth in the sight of God,
and that God will punish this lie. So it is, that he honoreth the
apostles feet more than Gods eyes. Wherefore, we must take good
heed, that when we do well, we do not seek to be praised of the
bystanders; (239) and it is not without cause that Christ saith,
that it is profitable for us when we give our alms, to have the
left hand ignorant of that which the right hand doth. BARCLAY,
"TROUBLE I THE CHURCH Ac.5:1-11 A man called Ananias, together with
his wife Sapphire, sold a bit of ground he had, and surreptitiously
kept back part of the price, and his wife knew about it. He brought
some part of the price and laid it at the feet of the apostles.
Peter said to him, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart so
that you have deceived the Holy Spirit and kept back part of the
price of your ground? While it remained yours did it not remain
your own, and after it had been sold was it not entirely at your
disposal? Why did you put this business into your heart? It is not
to men you have lied but to God." As Ananias listened to these
words, he collapsed and breathed his life out. Great awe came upon
all who heard it. The young men rose and bound him up and carried
him out and buried him. After an interval of about three hours his
wife came in and she was not aware of what had happened. Peter said
to her, "Tell me, did you sell the piece of ground for so much?"
"Yes," she said, "for so much." Peter said to her, "Why is it that
you agreed to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Look now, the feet of
those who have buried your husband are at the door and they will
carry you out." Immediately she
5. collapsed at his feet and breathed her life out. When the
young men came in they found her dead and they carried her out and
buried her beside her husband. And great awe came upon the whole
Church and upon all who heard these things. There is no more vivid
story in the book of Acts. There is no need to make a miracle of
it. But it does show us something of the atmosphere which prevailed
in the early Church. It is on record that once Edward the First
blazed with anger at one of his courtiers and the man dropped dead
in sheer fear. This story shows two things about the early Church,
the expectancy of men's minds and the extraordinary respect in
which the apostles were held. It was in that atmosphere that the
rebuke of Peter acted as it did. This is one of the stories which
demonstrate the almost stubborn honesty of the Bible. It might well
have been left out because it shows that even in the early Church
there were very imperfect Christians; but the Bible refuses to
present an idealised picture of anything. Once a court painter
painted the portrait of Oliver Cromwell. Cromwell was disfigured by
warts upon his face. The painter, thinking to please the great man,
omitted the disfiguring warts. When Cromwell saw the picture, he
said, "Take it away, and paint me warts and all." It is one of the
great virtues of the Bible that it shows us its heroes, warts and
all. There is a certain encouragement in this story, for it shows
us that even in its greatest days the Church was a mixture of good
and bad. Peter insists that sin is sin against God. We do well to
remember that, very specially in certain directions. (i) Failure in
diligence is sin against God. Everything, however humble it may be,
that contributes to the health, the happiness and the welfare of
mankind is work done for God. Antonio Stradivari, the great maker
of violins, said, "If my hand slacked, I should rob God." That is a
motto for every man to take. (ii) Failure to use our talents is sin
against God. God gave us such talents as we have; we hold them in
stewardship for him; and we are responsible to him for the use we
make of them. (iii) Failure in truth is sin against God. When we
slip into falsehood it is sin against the guidance of the Spirit in
our hearts. COFFMA , "This chapter recounts the tragic fall of
Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11), the continued success and
popularity of the apostolic mission (Acts 5:12-16), the renewed
opposition of the Sanhedrin with another arraignment of the
apostles before them (Acts 5:17-32), the purpose of the Sanhedrin
to slay the apostles thwarted by Gamaliel, and the beating of the
Twelve by the Jewish authorities (Acts 5:33-42). But a certain man
named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. (Acts
5:1) A A IAS A D SAPPHIRA But ... This word clearly connects the
event of Barnabas' generous action which had
6. just been narrated, with what ensues here. As Boles noted,
"The two illustrations here were intended to be brought in
contrast, as the conjunction `but' introduces the sentence."[1] The
parallel with the conquest of Canaan in the Old Testament is
evident in this event, this story being to the book of Acts what
the story of Achan is to the book of Joshua. "In both, an act of
deceit interrupts the victorious progress of the people of God."[2]
(Joshua 7:1ff). Ananias and Sapphira ... The first of these names
means "Jehovah hath been gracious," and "If SAPPHIRA is Greek, it
means SAPPHIRE; if Aramaic, it means BEAUTIFUL."[3] How tragic is
the contrast between these lovely names and what befell those who
wore them. Sold a possession ... This does not mean that they sold
all that they had, or that they had been commanded to sell anything
at all. The event about to be related was a dramatic change from
the wonderful miracles of mercy and healing which, until then, had
marked the deeds of the apostles; but it was necessary that the
severity of God, as well as his mercy, should be stressed. And,
just as Jesus had withered the fig tree, there appeared here "an
instance of severity, following the instances of goodness: God is
to be both loved and feared."[4] The truth of the narrative of
Ananias and Sapphira is guaranteed by its painful character. o
historian would have gone out of his way to invent it.[5] As Ramsay
saw this narrative, "It is a moral apologue, not as invented to
embody a moral, but as remembered because it did so."[6] DeWelt was
correct in making this wonder the first of a class: We have
witnessed in the past record the evil forces from without, but this
chapter opens with the account of the first marks of the evil one
within the fold.[7] Wesley, however, it seems to us, was wrong in
his view of this incident as "the first attempt to bring propriety
of goods into the Christian Church."[8] Very few scholars have ever
agreed with Wesley on this. See under Acts 5:4. [1] H. Leo Boles,
Commentary on Acts ( ashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1953), p.
77. [2] F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm.
B. Eerdmans, Publishers, 1954), p. 110. [3] J. R. Dummelow,
Commentary on the Holy Bible ( ew York: The Macmillan Company,
1937), p. 824. [4] Thomas Scott, Henry-Scott Commentary (Grand
Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1960), p. 447.
7. [5] J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 825. [6] Sir William M.
Ramsay, Pictures of the Apostolic Church (Grand Rapids, Michigan:
Baker Book House, 1959), p. 35. [7] Don DeWelt, Acts Made Actual
(Joplin, Missouri: College Press, 1958), p. 73. [8] John Wesley, ew
Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House), in
loco. OTES, Most movies and stories that have happy endings have
very unhappy endings for the evil ones who have made life miserable
for the good. In Walt Disney's version of Snow White the ending is
at the wedding of the Prince and Snow White, but in the original
Grimm's Fairy Tales the wicked queen is invited to the wedding, and
when she sees Snow White she is enraged. She is made to put on iron
slippers heated in the fire, and she dances in the red hot shoes
until she falls down dead. Grim indeed, but happy endings need
justice for the wicked who made it all a complex mess to begin
with. This is a terrible chapter to read, for it frightened the
first Christians and it is frightning to read it yet today, for it
is about aweful judgment that falls on a Christian couple. It is
about the folly of faking and the horror, yet humor of hypocrisy.
It is capital punishment falling from God without a trial or
warning. It is scary and not funny at all. It is only funny in the
sense of being foolish. Foolishness is funny for it can be easily
avoided by being wise and honest. It was such a stupid thing to do
that God made a point of it being so stupid that is led to
immediate judgment. It was a warning not to deal falsely with God.
What can be more stupid than lying to God who knows all? This is
not laugh funny but scary funny and unbelievable stupid funny. When
people do something so stupid that it leads to their death we do
not laugh but say "How stupid can you be!" It is so stupid that it
is funny. It is tragic funny, and sad funny, and so unnessarily
aweful that it isn't even funny. Ananias and his wife Came into
some large cash. But instead of it improving life It led to their
great crash. They tried to play the cheater And make themselves
look kind. But they could not fool old Peter For he was to swift of
mind. You let Satan fill your heart So that you lied to God.
8. ow in his church you have no part. You'll be buried in the
sod. You did't have to give us any, But you have had the gall To
say you gave us every penny, And that's the cause of your downfall.
When Ananias heard this word He fell right down and died. The
people thought what a nerd And they never even cried. The people
then were seized with fear. It was not a pleasant day. There was
not a single word of cheer As they carried him away. It was only
three hours later When his wife came in the door. Peter did not
debate her But simply asked as he did before. What was the total
price You two got for your land? She tried to seem so nice But she
lied to beat the band. Peter made it clear to her She would join
her husband soon. Suddenly everything was a blur And she fell into
a swoon. Young men came and found her dead. By her husband she was
laid. The whole church was filled with dread, For this event made
them all afraid. The issue here is motive. They saw great
admiration for those who gave so much and they were jealous of such
fame and honor and wanted it for themselves, but were not willing
to pay the full price. They hoped to imitate Barnabus and get what
he had in reputation without the cost. Cheap glory was their goal,
and if they had to lie to God, what is the big deal? The tempation
to get what others have gotten by great sacrifice by making a small
sacrifice is with all of us. We all crave recognition and some
degree of fame, and are tempted to find short cuts to get it.
9. IVP, "This chilling account of the sudden deaths of Ananias
(Hebrew, "the Lord is gracious") and Sapphira (Aramaic,
"beautiful") makes us face the fact that God deals with sin,
especially church members' deceit and lack of integrity. If God
acts to preserve the integrity of the community that the gospel
produced, we can have increased confidence in the truthfulness of
the message itself (Lk 1:4). That's the good news for the inquirer.
This narrative is bad news, though, for any who would take a casual
approach to entering the kingdom of God. DAILY BREAD, "Two young
women lost their lives in a fire that swept through their apartment
as they slept. Their home was equipped with a smoke detector that
was in good working order, but it hadn't gone off. Why? Fire
inspectors concluded that the device had been deactivated for a
party the night before. The unit had been disconnected to keep it
from sounding off because of the smoke from cooking and candles. In
Acts 5 we have another example of two people who apparently
deactivated an alarm system that could have saved their lives.
Ananias and Sapphira must have quenched the Holy Spirit by turning
a deaf ear to their consciences, believing they had plenty of good
reasons for doing what they did. But their action cost them their
lives. We need to realize that the Holy Spirit was not given to
annoy us like a sensitive smoke detector. He doesn't sound false
alarms. When He activates our conscience by bringing to mind a
principle or warning from God's Word, it is really His love and
wisdom in action. By weighing the warnings of His love against the
cost of our foolishness, we'll soon realize that it's always better
to be safe than sorry. MRD II Mart De Haan Our conscience is a gift
from God, It is a guiding light; And when aligned with God's true
Word, It shows us what is right. Sper SBC 1-10, "From the conduct
of Ananias and Sapphira we see: I. The vital difference between the
spirit and the fashion of Christianity. (1) We may imitate Christ,
yet not know Him after the Spirit. (2) We may mingle with
Christians, and yet know nothing of the spiritual power of
Christianity. II. The fatal temptation to give the part as the
whole. III. The concealed sin, as well as the public iniquity will
be followed by the judgment of God. (1) There is yet to be a
reading of hearts. (2) Not only what we have done, but what we have
left undone is to be judged. (3) Sins which apparently do no harm
to society, are to be punished. Parker, City Temple, vol. ii., p.
124.
10. HAWKER 1-10. "But a certain man named Ananias, with
Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, (2) And kept back part of the
price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part,
and laid it at the apostles feet. (3) But Peter said, Ananias, why
hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep
back part of the price of the land? (4) While it remained, was it
not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own
power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast
not lied unto men, but unto God. (5) And Ananias hearing these
words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all
them that heard these things. (6) And the young men arose, wound
him up, and carried him out, and buried him. (7) And it was about
the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was
done, came in. (8) And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye
sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. (9) Then
Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to
tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have
buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. (10)
Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the
ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying
her forth, buried her by her husband. We have here a most
interesting record of two abominable hypocrites, whose crimes and
punishment are circumstantially related, for the instruction and
comfort of the Church in all ages. It is blessed to observe how God
the Holy Ghost watches over his Church, in causing such histories
to be handed down to the people. Without such records, we might
have been led to suppose, that in those happy days no characters of
a contrary principle to the Apostles standard were to be found. But
now we learn that the best of Churches, and the best of times, have
their spots. In the ark, there was an Ham. Among the Apostles, a
Judas, Under the first days of the Holy Ghosts ministry, the Lord
permitted Ananias and Sapphira to mingle for a space with the
faithful. But so far are these things from proving injurious to the
Church, that they ultimately minister to her glory. Reader, let us
first contemplate the dreadful state of the human heart. Here were
two persons most fully convinced, as far as head-knowledge could
carry conviction, of the truths of God, professing a belief they
never felt, and to preserve an opinion among the faithful,
consenting, apparently, to give up the whole of their worldly goods
for the benefit of the Church of Christ; and yet all the while had
not the least real love to Jesus, or his people. And are such
instances singular? Alas! the reverse. Perhaps there is not now
upon earth a single congregation of professing Christians, of any
number, but what hath some of the same description. And doth not
the Lord overrule such events to his glory, and his peoples
welfare? Yes! for it tends to make the Lords people jealous of
themselves, when they discover such goats got into the sheepfold.
It tends to humble the soul, under a sense of common corruption.
And it operates most blessedly to the Lords glory, when a child of
God is thereby led to discover, that all the difference between one
and another is all of grace. Let us next learn from this picture of
human depravity, to admire the tender love of the Lord to the
Church, in qualifying Peter to the detection of it. By the power
which the Holy Ghost gave him of discerning spirits, the iniquity
was found out, and the Church cleansed from the impurity. And thus
the Lord watches over his people for good in all ages. I beg the
Reader particularly to remark with me, that Peter charged this man
with lying to the Holy Ghost. But why is it so specially said that
the lie was to the Holy Ghost? I apprehend on this account. Because
conversion-work is the personal operation of God
11. the Holy Ghost? So that the whole, and every part of this
mans conduct, was directly leveled against the Holy Ghost. He never
had been converted. He never had felt the love of God, and of
Christ, in his heart And therefore the deception was principally
against God the Spirit. I pray the Reader, under this head, not to
overlook how Peter speaks of the Godhead of the Holy Ghost. In
verse three, (Act_5:3) he chargeth Ananias with lying to the Holy
Ghost. And in another, (Act_5:4) he saith that lie was not unto
men, but unto God. A plain proof, in Peters view, that the Holy
Ghost is God. One observation more meets us on this wonderful
transaction, I mean the judgment of God, in instant death, both on
the man and his wife. It must have been very awful; but it should
seem that the Lord deemed it to be necessary. The honor of God the
Spirit. The honor of the Church of Christ now more eminently
forming. The dreadful alarm it must have given hypocrites, to keep
them from the Church. The fears it must have awakened in cautioning
the foes of Christ to be very careful how they molested the
Apostles. And the terror in all the future ages of the Church it
might afford, to preserve the faithful from numberless instances of
deception. These were certainly among the causes for which the
speedy judgment of the Lord fell upon Ananias and Sapphira; and for
which they stand forth, and will stand forth to the end of the
world, monuments of the Lords anger. Reader! let you and I, in the
contemplation, learn to bless God for his unspeakable gift! COKE,
"Acts 5:1-2. But a certain man, &c. In Psalms 110 where our
Saviour is prophetically described in the person of a king advanced
to the throne of divine majesty, glorious and triumphant, it is
said, that his people, in the day of his power, should offer him
free-will-offerings; which alludes to the Eastern custom of
bringing presents to their kings on their inauguration. This
prophesy was fulfilled in some small degree, in a temporal sense,
as we find in the fore-going chapter; when, after Christ's
ascension into heaven, and his inauguration was proclaimed by the
descent of the Holy Ghost, they, who by believing in him
acknowledged him their king, dedicated their goods to his service,
selling their lands, &c. and laying down the money at the
apostles' feet, to be distributed for the relief of the poor. But
the consecration of the heart to him, makes infinitely the superior
sense of the prophesy. Among those who had joined the church, there
was one Ananias, who, as if he had intended to imitate the zeal and
liberality of Barnabas, sold a possession of land for the supply of
this charitable fund: but, after he had sold it, he conspired with
his wife Sapphira privately to keep back part of the price, and yet
publicly to deliver in the remainder as the whole price. St. Peter,
who had the gift of discerning spirits, and probably received a
direct revelation from heaven on the present occasion, immediately
detected this lying and deceitful behaviour. MCGARVEY, "1, 2. In
close connection with this unprecedented liberality of the
brethren, we are now introduced to a remarkable case of corruption,
of which it was the occasion. The praise always lavished on
disinterested benevolence sometimes prompts illiberal men to make a
pretense of liberality. But the mere desire of praise is incapable
of subduing selfishness, so as to make a truly liberal heart; for
it is itself a species of selfishness. In contrast with the course
of Barnabas, we are told: (1) "But a certain man named Ananias,
with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, (2) and kept back part
of the price, his wife being also privy to it, and brought a
certain part and laid it at the feet of the apostles." This
language implies, what is distinctly
12. avowed by the wife below, that this part was represented as
the whole price of the possession. GUZIK, "After they saw the great
generosity of Barnabas, and how well he was respected, Ananias and
Sapphira decided they wanted some of the same respect. b. He kept
back part of the proceeds: They sold the possession, and gave only
a portion to the church, while implying that they had sacrificially
given it all to the church. i. The word for kept back is
nosphizomai, which means "to misappropriate." The same word was
used of Achan's theft in the Greek translation of the Old Testament
(Joshua 7:21), and in its only other ew Testament use, it means to
steal (Titus 2:10). ii. "The story of Ananias is to the Book of
Acts what the story of Achan is to the book of Joshua. In both
narratives an act of deceit interrupts the victorious progress of
the people of God." (Bruce) c. His wife also being aware of it:
Clearly, both husband and wife were in on the deception. i. "There
may indeed be the further implication that Ananias and Sapphira had
vowed to give the whole proceeds of the sale to God, but then
changed their mind and handed over only part." (Bruce) ii. "Once
the love of money takes possession of a person, there is no evil
that he cannot or will not do." (Horton) THE HIGH COST OF DECEIT
ACTS 5:1-11 To the all-seeing (omnipresent), all-knowing
(omniscient) eyes of God, there are no secret sins. As Thomas
Brooks put it, "Those sins which lie closest and are most secretly
lurking in the heart, are as obvious and odious to God as those
that are most fairly written upon a man's forehead." We deceive
ourselves to think that we can nurture sin without its ugliness
affecting our lives and those about us. It is a remarkable thing
that the Bible gives us not only the good and positive, but also
the evil and negative things that have happened throughout biblical
history. We can see a David slay Goliath by the hand of the Lord,
then see him blacken his holy reputation by his sin with Bathsheba.
Peter received the divine revelation of Jesus being Messiah, then
found himself denying the very Messiah he had proclaimed. We can
learn from both the positive and negative.
13. The movement of the Spirit in the early church is
captivating throughout the first four chapters of Acts. We see the
coming of the Spirit in power, the unforgettable drama of Jerusalem
coming together to hear Peter's "Pentecostal sermon," the healing
of the lame beggar, and the testimony of Peter and John before the
Jewish religious leaders. So far, so good! When you read the latter
part of chapter 4 you discover the practical unity of the church
displayed in their care for one another. And the congregation of
those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them
claimed that anything belonging to him was his own; but all things
were common property to them. And with great power the apostles
were giving witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and
abundant grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person
among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell
them and bring the proceeds of the sales, and lay them at the
apostles' feet; and they would be distributed to each, as any had
need. And Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called
Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means, Son of
Encouragement), and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought
the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. (Acts 4:32-37) Here
was the magnificence of Christian unity which Christ had prayed
about in His high priestly prayer of John 17. These brethren stood
together in "one heart and soul," giving of themselves and their
means for the cause of the gospel and the good of the church. They
did not sell all their material possessions and put them in a
common fund as the Essenes did in the Qumran region, but as anyone
had need, they would sell property and goods, using the proceeds to
meet the needs of others in the body. Luke carefully points out one
such believer who acted in this way, a man we know as Barnabas. He
had a tract of land which he sold and gave all the proceeds for the
church. Obviously, he was held in great esteem by the rest of the
church and this act of sacrificial giving was admired by others in
the body. Perhaps there was a buzz of excitement about this
substantial gift which Barnabas laid at the apostle's feet. It is
was in the context of such a selfless act of giving that we see the
first real blight upon the infant church. The names of Ananias and
Sapphira will forever go down in the annals of church history as
the first members of the church to strike a blow against the unity
of the church as instruments in Satan's hands. The adversary had
assaulted the church externally, using religious persecution as a
means to deter the Christians from their Christ-centered mission.
But that assault only served to increase the church rather than
destroy it. So Satan turned his evil attention inward and filled
the heart of two church members to do something that would pollute
the church. Two important questions arise from this text. First,
what is the nature of the church for a member's secret sins to be
so serious? Second, is the Holy Spirit really serious about the
purity and holiness of the church? Both of these questions are
answered
14. with clarity in our text. We must never lose sight of the
truth that the saving work of Christ purifies a people for Himself
(Titus 2:14). We must not presume upon the purity and unity of the
church. It is vital that we constantly search our motives and
actions to make sure that we do nothing to grieve the Spirit (Eph.
4:30) and hinder the church of Jesus Christ. With this exhortation
in mind, let us see... I. The nature of the church I believe that
one of the great benefits of studying the book of Acts is to
understand more about the whole nature and workings of the local
church. It addresses the local church as opposed to the mysterious,
universal church. The first instance of the word "church" being
used in Acts is found in v. 11. Let's admit that there is probably
a great deal of confusion concerning precisely what the church is
in our day. I would point out that whatever the true church "was"
in the first century, it "is" in the 20th century. The problem
comes in our sifting through the many ideas of "church" that seem
to be prevalent and coming to some firm, biblical conclusions on
the nature of the church. The church is described by many terms. It
is called "the body of Christ" (I Cor. 12; Eph. 4), "the bride of
Christ" (Eph. 5:23ff; Rev. 19:6,7), the "pillar and support of the
truth" (I Tim. 3:15), and dozens of other names. The church, in its
truest sense, is composed of all true disciples of Jesus Christ,
i.e., those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ and who
now live under the Lordship of Christ. ow, I am speaking in the
true, biblical terms concerning the church. The unfortunate thing
is that it is difficult to get a clear picture of the church by
looking at the thousands of organized churches which exist
throughout our world. The term "church" seems to imply more of the
idea of a building or an active organization or a membership roll
or a calendar of programs and activities rather than the redeemed
of the Lord. I want to challenge us to think in biblical terms
about the church rather than the modern, worldly ideas. I would
point out at least three truths concerning the nature of the church
that are inherent within our text. 1. A habitation of the Spirit
The emphasis on the sin of Ananias and Sapphira is that they have
lied to the Holy Spirit and sought to put the Holy Spirit to the
test. The language used shows that the activity and life of the
church is in relationship to the Holy Spirit. We must begin by
noting that the deity of the Spirit is clearly confirmed in these
verses. otice in verse 3 that Peter tells Ananias that he has lied
to the Holy Spirit. Then in the next verse he states, "You have not
lied to men, but to God." Again, in verse 9, Peter calls the Holy
Spirit "the Spirit of the Lord." The Holy Spirit is called "God" by
this use of parallelism in these verses. Just as the Father is God
and the Redeemer, Jesus Christ, is God, the Holy Spirit is Himself
God of very God. The
15. 1689 London Baptist Confession states: "Three divine
Persons constitute the Godhead--the Father, the Son (or the Word),
and the Holy Spirit. They are one in substance, in power, and in
eternity. Each is fully God, and yet the Godhead is one and
indivisible..." (p. 19). If He is not God, then to pray to Him, to
depend upon Him, to trust in Him, to ask for His power would
constitute the highest form of idolatry! We must understand that
the Holy Spirit is a Person. Only a person can be lied to or put to
the test. Some have the mistaken notion that the Holy Spirit is an
"it," albeit a 'powerful it'. Others think that He is merely a
'force' or a 'power' that works in people's lives. But Peter
unmistakably shows that He is a Person. And as a Person, He is
involved in relationships with other persons. The Holy Spirit is
One with whom we have to do, One to whom we must answer, One whom
we must not ignore or presume upon. He is One with whom we have
fellowship, according to II Cor. 13:14, and you cannot have
fellowship with anyone who does not have personhood. The fact of
the Spirit's deity lays the groundwork for the essential truth we
must see. The church is a "habitation of the Spirit." Paul
expressed it like this in Ephesians 2:22, "in whom you also are
being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit." That
word "dwelling" means "a place of settling down" or "a habitation."
Think of the enormity of that statement. When the church gathers
together the Holy Spirit, God Himself, dwells right in our midst!
When we come to worship, the Spirit is among us. When we come and
go to serve, the Spirit is among us. When we come together in any
fashion, the Spirit is among us. The point we must see is that
since the Holy Spirit is among us, we must not in any way offend
Him by unholiness or disobedience. Let us consider some practical
outworking of this truth. Do you prepare for Sunday School and
worship as if you are going to be in the presence of the Spirit of
God Himself? Perhaps your mind is on some project or a television
show or an activity. Do you think the Spirit is unaware of this,
yet you are gathered with the church which is His holy habitation?
Maybe you are not really interested in the truth of God's Word
being proclaimed. Instead, you just want lots of programs and
activities to keep you busy and make you 'feel' spiritual. Dare you
have such an attitude when the Author of the Word of God who
breathed the Scriptures into existence through human personalities
is right in our midst? This Holy Spirit who habitates among us as a
local church can be grieved by our sin (Eph. 4:30), quenched by our
resisting the proclamation of God's Word (I Thess. 5:19-20), and
offended by our attempts to "use" the church for self-centered
purposes (context). 2. An organic unity The seriousness of the sin
of Ananias and Sapphira can be seen in how they took liberty with
the unity of the church. They were willing to treat the "one heart
and soul" of Acts 4:32 lightly by deceiving the church. They lived
under the ruse that the
16. church was an organization they could use rather a body to
whom they were responsible. Unity is to always be at the heart of
the local church. This is not merely an organizational unity. It is
not a unity that is structured because you have all the right
programs and personalities in place. It is a unity that is grounded
in the redemptive work of Christ. It is a unity that is threaded
together by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. It is a unity
that is bound as tight as the unity of the Father and the Son (John
17:21). It is a unity that is a grand display of the glory of the
indwelling Christ (John 17:22-23). Sanctify them in the truth; Thy
word is truth. As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have
sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself,
that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask
in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me
through their word; that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father,
art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the
world may believe that Thou didst send Me. And the glory which Thou
hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as
We are one; I in them, and thou in Me, that they may be perfected
in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and
didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me. (John 17:17- 23) Unity
does not mean uniformity, that is, we all look alike, act alike,
think alike. Unity implies that we are bound together at the
deepest level of the soul. Our hearts and minds beat in sync though
we may have different ideas and interests and ministries. Unity is
a fact that is wrought through Christ so that though we are
different in many ways, we harmonize together due to our common
bond in Jesus Christ and common desire to bring glory to His name.
The truth is that as Christians we have unity and we must not do
anything to obscure the unity which has been purchased at the cost
of the blood of Jesus Christ. This organic or living unity is
described by Paul as the many members of the human body functioning
together though different in many ways (I Cor. 12). The hands,
feet, ears, eyes are all distinctly different but belong to the
same "head" and have the same purpose, to do all that the "head"
desires them to do. Such unity can be hindered only by one of two
things: "There are always those in the church who are not of it.
Inevitably they occasion division....And those who are truly of the
church are still at best very poor Christians. The frequent
disobedience of the members of the church to its Head drives them
apart" (R.B. Kuiper, The Glorious Body of Christ, 97-98). 3. A holy
people The prayer of our Lord, "Sanctify them in the truth; Thy
word is truth," was a prayer for our holiness as the people of God.
Paul explained what it meant to be a recipient of the grace of God
in Christ:
17. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to
all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and
to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking
for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great
God and Savior, Christ Jesus: who gave Himself for us, that He
might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a
people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. (Titus
2:11-14) There is no doubt in this passage and many others like it,
that the work of Christ in the heart of a sinner is not to leave
that sinner living the same old way. It is a work that makes him a
"new creation" (II Cor. 5:17), so that he lives in a way that is
distinctly Christian. Holiness means that we are set apart to the
Lord. In practical fashion, being a holy people means that we are
living our lives as if we belong to the Lord and not to this
worldly system. The threat by Ananias and Sapphira was that of
obscuring the holiness of the church. Christ had saved this body of
believers, given them a new nature, filled them with new desires,
so that they distinctly lived as the people of God in the midst of
a corrupt people. When Ananias and Sapphira thought that they could
deceive the church, embezzle funds (the meaning of "kept back" in
v. 2), lie about their gift, and gain a position of prominence in
the church for their own selfish purposes, the Holy Spirit would
not allow it to go on! Holiness is one of those words which people
don't like to talk about. Yet at the heart of the saving work of
Christ is that of producing a holy people. This does not mean that
we are just to be holy in "position" but not in practice. It
implies that we are to give ourselves to the practice of personal
holiness in word, attitude, deed, and actions. In his classic work,
Holiness, J.C. Ryle has written, "I fear it is sometimes forgotten
that God has married together justification and sanctification.
They are distinct and different things, beyond question, but one is
never found without the other. All justified people are sanctified
people, and all sanctified are justified....Tell me not of your
justification, unless you have also some marks of sanctification.
Boast not of Christ's work for you, unless you can show us the
Spirit's work in you" (p. 46). II. An offense to the church Keeping
in mind that the nature of the church is one of being a habitation
of the Spirit which exists in unity as a holy people of God, when
sin creeps in it is something that is "foreign" to the church's
nature. We have in our text the first great offense of the church.
There have been many since then, but perhaps none so clearly seen
and severely dealt with than the one found in our text. We must
remember that the church was in its infancy. If it began to
tolerate sin among its members it would soon become defiled and
impure, losing its salty effect in its ministry. It was in this
pristine condition that the adversary assaulted the church from
within. Though Satan was at work, the blame lay not at his 'feet'
but at the feet two church members, Ananias and Sapphira. As Thomas
Brooks has
18. pointed out, "Satan must have a double leave before he can
do anything against us. He must have leave from God, and leave from
ourselves, before he can act anything against our happiness"
(Works, vol. 1, 153). Though Providence permitted this assault,
Ananias and Sapphira had the responsibility of opposing it and
resisting it (I Cor. 10:13; I Peter 5:8-9). They did not and we
have for an example to us the seriousness of an offense against the
Holy Spirit and the church whom He inhabits. 1. Wrong motives When
we begin to analyze the sin of this husband and wife duo, we must
see that at the root of it lay wrong motives (an evidence of
breaching the 10th commandment-- coveting). They wanted to use the
church for personal gain and personal glory. They were interested
in drawing attention to themselves, receiving the accolades of
their fellow church members, and giving the perception that they
were very spiritual, sacrificial people. They were satisfying their
own craving for personal prestige and power. They hoped to gain
greater influence within the infant church. Though their hearts
were corrupt they wanted everyone else to think they were
good-hearted and pure. We must understand, as our text points out
in verses 1-4, Ananias and Sapphira did not have to sell their
property and give all the proceeds to the church. They could have
sold it and given a portion to the church and that would have been
fine. But the ruse was that they were giving all of the proceeds of
the sale of their property to the church. Can you imagine for a
moment the scene in the gathering of the church. The body had
gathered for worship and the proclamation of the Word. At some
particular time, Ananias came before Peter with a sack of money
which he had set aside and presents to him as the full proceeds of
the sale of his property. We have already seen that Barnabas had
done this. Evidently Ananias had stated that he was going to give
all of his proceeds to the church, so when he approached Peter it
was under the guise of giving a magnanimous gift. The smile on his
face was suddenly dismissed by the questioning of Peter. The wrong
motives of Ananias and his wife were exposed. o longer could Peter
or the church be neutral about such a sin. What of your motives?
All of us are susceptible to falling prey to wrong motives. It may
be in our preaching or our teaching or our leadership or our
singing or our acts of service that we begin to think of 'what's in
it for me' rather than the glory of God. Perhaps we do what we do
so that others will notice us and stroke us. If it bothers you when
no one notices your service then you best check your motives for
serving. Perhaps you come to church so that you might please others
or satisfy some carnal desire rather than the glory of God.
"Francois Fenelon was the court preacher for King Louis XIV of
France in the 17th century. One Sunday when the king and his
attendants arrived at the chapel for the regular service, no one
else was there but the preacher. King Louis demanded, "What does
this mean?" Fenelon replied, "I had published that you would not
come
19. to church today, in order that your Majesty might see who
serves God in truth and who flatters the king" (ODB). We must have
a motive check lest we find ourselves offending the Holy Spirit who
habitates the church. 2. Cruel deception The act of Ananias and
Sapphira is called "embezzling" by our text. In verse 2 it states
that he "kept back some of the price for himself," then in verse 3
Peter questioned him because he kept back some of the price of the
land. The word can literally be translated 'embezzled'. This couple
secretly took some of the larger portion that belonged to the Lord
for themselves and their own selfish purposes. They intentionally
sought to deceive the church. Peter wastes no time in calling their
sin an act of lying to the Holy Spirit. What they had failed to
recognize is that when you seek to deceive, you are actually
deceiving your own selves. "But prove yourselves doers of the word,
and not merely hearers who delude themselves" (James 1:22). How
could they do such an act of deception to the church? They were
part of this pristine assembly of the redeemed of the Lord. They
had joined together at the Lord's table. They had partaken of the
good things of God hand-in-hand. They had prayed together,
fellowshipped together, shared of their goods together. They had
witnessed the blessing of the Lord upon their fellowship. Then,
with malice in their hearts, they subtly attempted to improve their
personal appearance before the church by an act of embezzling. But,
my brethren, God will not be mocked! 'Be sure your sin will find
you out!' I would exhort any of you who may be flirting with such
secret sins, whether of brazen acts like Ananias and Sapphira or
disdaining attitudes like David's wife Michal or doctrinal
deception like those at Galatia or abandoning the faith and going
after the world like Hymenaeus and Alexander (I Tim. 1:18-20), TUR
FROM YOUR SI ! Realize that your offense is not in isolation but in
relationship to the church and the Holy Spirit who dwells among us.
It is odious in the sight of God! You cannot please God, no matter
how many good deeds you try to add to your account, when you are
living in such sin and rebellion against the Spirit of God! III.
The price of an offense Sin is always costly. For our redemption,
sin demanded the precious blood of the sinless Son of God. For
those who are careless with sin, there is always a cost. When Achan
stealthily took a Babylonian garment along with gold and silver
during the battle of Jericho and hid them in his tent, he thought
that no one would ever know. Yet his sin cost the lives of 30 men
who went to battle against the city of Ai. And his sin ultimately
caused the loss of his life, his family, and everything he
possessed,
20. aside from the demoralizing of the congregation of Israel.
We seem to have too light of an attitude about sin in our day. Sin
is odious in the sight of God! He hates sin! Sin is the very
opposite of His holy character and acts. Sin is a description of
everything which God loathes and declares that He will punish.
Since sin is so contrary to God and His character it should come as
no surprise that when those who are redeemed by the blood of Christ
give way to sin it affects that body that has been set apart to
holy living. 1. Costly to the church's unity and purity You may
think that the quick execution of Ananias and Sapphira by the Holy
Spirit was not fair, perhaps even bordering on the edge of
injustice. But I would submit to you that what was done was
merciful to the entire church! Their unity was at stake. Without
unity they could not worship, they could not fellowship, and they
would not go forward in the work of proclaiming the gospel. To have
let this sin of wrong motives and deception slide would have
amounted to a cruelty exacted upon the church. Everyone of us
contributes to the ongoing unity of this church. Unity is as much
your responsibility as it is mine. I must guard my motives, my
attitudes, my tongue, my actions, my thoughts, and my deeds. But so
must you, for you are as much a part of the church as anyone else
if you are indeed born again. The redemptive purpose of our Lord is
seen Ephesians 5:25-27. "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ
also loved the church and gave Himself up for her; that He might
sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the
word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory,
having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be
holy and blameless." In light of this, we cannot allow ourselves to
do anything that would affect the purity of the body. Is there a
sin you are harboring, nurturing, hiding? Then repent of it! Call
upon the Lord for His forgiveness and mercy and turn away from such
sin. The unity and purity of this church is before you, so give
glory to God by holy living. 2. Judgment upon the offender Once
Peter confronted Ananias, he fell dead at the hearing of those
words. What happened exactly in medical terms, we do not know. The
text just says, "Ananias fell down and breathed his last." And when
Sapphira was confronted with the fact that she "agreed together"
with Ananias' deception of the church, she too "breathed her last"
and was carried out and buried by her husband. ow the question is,
were they saved? Our text does not state that, but you would assume
from the fact that they had evidently partaken of the Spirit to
some degree that they may well have been. They were part of the
church, given all of the rights and privileges of partakers of
Christ. The fact that such severe discipline was dealt to them
appears to infer that they were indeed part of the church as
believers, but
21. who had fallen into grievous sin. God mercifully stayed
their sin by bringing severe measures of death upon them. This is
an example, I believe, of a "sin unto death" which I John 5:16-17
speaks of. I would ask you, would it be better to live a life of
hypocrisy or for God to take them out of the way to protect the
rest of the body? The answer is obvious. The ew Testament gives
plenty of teaching about "church discipline." We might say that the
Holy Spirit took matters 'in his own hands' at this point, but we
are given strong teaching in both the gospels and epistles
concerning not tolerating sin in the body. Conclusion ow, what are
we to make of all this? First, we must live with a deeper
consciousness of the nature of the church. We gather, not as an
organization, but as the body of Christ inhabited corporately by
the Holy Spirit, preserving our unity that has been purchased and
paid for by Christ, and maintaining holy lives seven days a week.
We must realize that being part of the church is not like being
part of a civic club. We are in covenant with one another. We are
responsible to the entire body. We are accountable to one another
and to the Holy Spirit who abides with us. Consequently, we must
regularly review our own motives in everything we do within the
church. If those motives are impure, then repent of them with
haste! If you are sinning against the church by attitude,
conversation, or actions, then repent of it immediately! If you are
trying to use the church to bolster your own ego, then repent of it
now! If you are living as a hypocrite, then turn from your sin and
cast yourself upon God's mercy. Realize that all of us are to guard
the unity and purity of the body. The Holy Spirit is serious about
the church indwells being pure and holy before the Lord. Let us not
take this lightly. Let's exhort and admonish and even correct one
another for the sake of the body. Let's not resist the brotherly
admonitions for the sake of the church of Jesus Christ. Copyright
2007, South Woods Baptist Church, All Rights Reserved EBC, "HONESTY
AND PRETENCE IN THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH THE exact period in the
history of the apostolic Church at which we have now arrived is a
most interesting one. We stand at the very first origin of a new
development in Christian life and thought. Let us observe it well,
for the whole future of the Church is bound up with it.
Christianity was at the beginning simply a sect, of Judaism. It is
plain that the Apostles at first thus regarded it. They observed
Jewish rites, they joined in the temple and synagogue worship, they
restricted salvation and Gods favour to the children of Abraham,
and merely added belief in Jesus of Nazareth as the promised
Messiah to the common Jewish faith. The spirit of God was indeed
speaking through the Apostles, leading them, as it led St. Peter on
the day of Pentecost, to speak words with a meaning and scope far
beyond their thoughts. They, like the prophets of old, knew not as
yet what manner, of things the Spirit which was in them did
signify.
22. "As little children lisp, and tell of Heaven, So thoughts
beyond their thought to those high bards were given." Their speech
had a grander and wider application than they themselves dreamt of;
but the power of prejudice and education was far too great even for
the Apostles, and so, though the nobility and profuseness of Gods
mercy were revealed and the plenteousness of His grace was
announced by St. Peter himself, yet the glory of the Divine gift
was still unrecognised. Jerusalem, the Temple, the Old Covenant,
Israel after the flesh, -these things as yet bounded and limited
the horizon of Christs Church. How were the new ideas to gain an
entrance? How was the Church to rise to a sense of the magnificence
and universality of its mission? Joseph, who by the Apostles was
surnamed Barnabas, emerges upon the scene and supplies the answer,
proving himself in very deed a son of consolation, because he
became the occasion of consoling the masses of mankind with that
truest comfort, the peace of God which passes all understanding.
Let us see how this came about. I. The Christian leaders belonged
originally to the extreme party in Judaism. The Jews were at this
time divided into two sections. There was the Hebrew party on the
one hand; extreme Nationalists as we might call them. They hated
everything foreign. They clung to the soil of Palestine, to its
language and to its customs. They trained up their children in an
abhorrence of Greek civilisation, and could see nothing good in it.
This party was very unprogressive, very narrow-minded, and,
therefore, unfit to recognise the developments of Gods purposes.
The Galileans were very prominent among them. They lived in a
provincial district, remote from the influences of the great
centres of thought and life, and missed, therefore, the revelations
of Gods mind which He is evermore making through the course of His
providential dealings with mankind. The Galileans furnished the
majority of the earliest Christian leaders, and they were not
fitted from their narowness to grasp the Divine intentions with
respect to Christianity and its mission. What a lesson for every
age do we behold in this intellectual and spiritual defect of the
Galileans. They were conscientious, earnest, devout,
spiritually-minded men. Christ loved them as such, and devoted
Himself to their instruction. But they were one- sided and
illiberal. Their very provincialism, which had sheltered them from
Sadduceism and unbelief, had filled them with blind prejudices, and
as the result had rendered them unable to read aright the mind of
God and the development of His purposes. Man, alas! is a very weak
creature, and human nature is very narrow. Piety is no guarantee
for wisdom and breadth, and strong faith in Gods dealings in the
past often hinders men from realising and obeying the Divine
guidance and the evolution of His purposes amid the changed
circumstances of the present. The Galilean leaders were best fitted
to testify with unfaltering zeal to the miracles and resurrection
of Christ. They were not best fitted to lead the Church into the
possession of the Gentiles. There was another party among the Jews
whom God had trained by the guidance of His providence for this
purpose. The Acts of the Apostles casts a strong and comforting
light back upon the history of the Lords dealings with the Jews
ever since the days of the Babylonish Captivity. We can see in the
story told in the Acts the reason why God permitted the overthrow
of Jerusalem by the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, and the apparent
defeat for the time of His own designs towards the chosen people.
The story of the dispersion is a standing example how wonderfully
God evolves good out of seeming ill, making all things work
together for the good of His Church. The dispersion prepared a
section of the Jews, by travel, by foreign civilisation, by
culture, and by that breadth of mind and sympathy which is thereby
produced, to be mediators between the Hebrew party with all their
narrowness and the masses of the Gentile world whom the strict Jews
would fain have shut out from the hope of Gods mercy. This liberal
and progressive
23. party is called in the Acts of the Apostles the Hellenists.
They were looked at askance by the more old-fashioned Hebrews. They
were Jews, children of Abraham indeed, of the genuine stock of
Israel. As such they had a true standing-ground within the Jewish
fold, and as true Jews could exercise their influence from within
much more effectually than if they stood without; for it has been
well remarked by a shrewd observer, that every party, religious or
political, is much more powerfully affected by movements springing
from within than by attacks directed from without. An explosive
operates with much more destructive force when acting from within
or underneath a fortification than when brought into play from
outside. Such was the Hellenistic party. No one could deny their
true Jewish character, but they had been liberalised by their
heaven-sent contact with foreigners and foreign lands; and hence it
is that we discern in the Hellenistic party, and specially in
Joseph, who by the Apostles was surnamed Barnabas, the beginnings
of the glorious ingathering of the Gentiles, the very first rift in
the thick dark cloud of prejudice which as yet kept back even the
Apostles themselves from realising the great object of the gospel
dispensation. The Hellenists, with their wealth, their culture,
their new ideas, their sense and value of Greek thought, were the
bridge by which the spiritual life, hitherto wrapped in Jewish
swaddling clothes, was to pass over to the masses of the Gentile
world. The community of goods led Joseph Barnabas to dedicate his
substance to the same noble cause of unselfishness. That dedication
led to disputes between Hellenists and Hebrews, and these disputes
occasioned the election of the seven deacons, who, in part, at
least, belonged to the more liberal section. Among these deacons we
find St. Stephen, whose teaching and martyrdom were directly
followed by St. Paul and his conversion, and St. Paul was the
Apostle of the Gentiles and the vindicator of Christian freedom and
Christian liberty. St. Barnabas and his act of self-denial and
self-sacrifice in surrendering his landed estate are thus
immediately connected with St. Paul by direct historic contact,
even if they had not been subsequently associated as joint Apostles
and messengers of the Churches in their first missionary journeys;
while again the mistaken policy of communism is overruled to the
worlds abiding benefit and blessing. How wonderful, indeed, are the
Lords doings towards the children of men! II. We have thus
suggested one of the main lines of thought which run through the
first half of this book of the Acts. Let us now look a little more
particularly at this Joseph Barnabas who was the occasion of this
great, this new departure. We learn then, upon consulting the
sacred text, that Joseph was a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race; he
belonged, that is, to the class among the Jews whose interests were
bound up with the maintenance of the existing order of things; and
yet he had become a convert to the belief proclaimed by the
Apostles. At the same time, while we give full credit to this
Levite for his action, we must not imagine that either priests or
Levites or Jews at that period fully realised all the consequences
of their decisions. We find that men at every age take steps
blindly, without thoroughly realising all the results which
logically and necessarily flow forth from them. Men in religious,
political, social matters are blind and cannot see afar off. It is
only step by step that the purposes of God dawn upon them, and
Joseph Barnabas, the Levite of Cyprus, was no exception to this
universal rule. He was not only a Levite, but a native of Cyprus,
for Cyprus was then a great stronghold and resort of the Jewish
race. It continued to be a great centre of Jewish influence for
long afterwards. In the next century, for instance, a great Jewish
rebellion burst forth wherever the Jews were strong enough. They
rose in Palestine against the power of the Emperor Hadrian, and
under their leader Barcochba vindicated the ancient reputation of
the nation for desperate and daring courage; while, in sympathy
with their brethren on the mainland, the Jews in Cyprus seized
their arms and massacred a vast multitude of
24. the Greek and Roman settlers, numbering, it is said, two
hundred and forty thousand persons. The concourse of Jews to Cyprus
in the time of the Apostles is easily explained. Augustus Caesar
was a great friend and patron of Herod the Great, and he leased the
great copper mines of the island to that Herod, exacting a royalty
upon their produce as we learn from Josephus, the well-known Jewish
historian (Antiqq., 16. 4:5). It was only to be expected, then,
that when a Jewish monarch was leasehoulder and manager of the
great mining industry of the island, his Jewish subjects should
flock thither, and it was very natural that amongst the crowds who
sought Cyprus there should be found a minister of the Jewish faith
whose tribal descent as a Levite reminded them of Palestine, and of
the City of God, and of the Temple of Jehovah, and of its solemn,
stately worship. This residence of Barnabas in Cyprus accounts for
his landed property, which he had the right to sell just as he
liked. A Levite in Palestine could not, according to the law of
Moses when strictly construed, possess any private landed estate
save in a Levitical city. Meyer, a German commentator of great
reputation, has indeed suggested that Jer_32:7, where Jeremiah is
asked to redeem his cousins field in the suburbs of Anathoth,
proves that a member of the tribe of Levi could possess landed
estate in Palestine. He therefore concludes that the old
explanation that the landed property of Barnabas was in Cyprus, not
in Palestine, could not stand. But the simple fact is that even the
cleverest German expositors are not familiar with the text of their
Bibles, for had Meyer been thus familiar he would have remembered
that Anathoth was a city belonging to the priests and the tribe of
Levi, and that the circumstance of Jeremiah the priest possessing a
right to landed property in Anathoth was no proof whatsoever that
he could hold landed property anywhere else, and, above all,
affords no ground for the conclusion that he could dispose of it in
the absolute style which Barnabas here displayed. We conclude then
that the action of Barnabas on this occasion dealt with his landed
estate in Cyprus, the country where he was born, where he was
well-known, and where his memory is even still cherished on account
of the work he there performed in conjunction with St. Paul. III.
Let us see what else we can glean concerning this person thus
prominent in the early Church, first for his generosity, and then
for his missionary character and success. It is indeed one of the
most fruitful and interesting lines upon which Bible study can be
pursued thus to trace the scattered features of the less known and
less prominent characters of Scripture, and see wherein Gods grace
specially abounded in them. The very personal appearance of
Barnabas can be recalled by the careful student of this book.
Though it lies a little out of our way, we shall note the
circumstance, as it will help us to form a more lively image of
Barnabas, the Son of Consolation. The two Apostles, Paul and
Barnabas, were on their first missionary tour when they came to the
city of Lystra in Lycaonia. There the multitude, astonished at the
miracle wrought upon the cripple by St. Paul, attempted to pay.
divine honours to the two Christian missionaries. "They called
Barnabas Jupiter, and Paul Mercurius, because he was the chief
speaker." It must have been their physical characteristics as well
as the mode of address used by the Apostles which led to these
names; and from the extant records of antiquity we know that
Jupiter was always depicted as a man with a fine commanding
presence, while Mercury, the god of eloquent speech, was a more
insignificant figure. Jupiter, therefore, struck the Lycaonian
people as the fittest name for the taller and more imposing-looking
Apostle, while St. Paul, who was in bodily presence contemptible,
was designated by the name of the active and restless Mercury. His
character again shines through every recorded action of St.
Barnabas. He was a thoroughly sympathetic man, and, like all such
characters, he was ever swept along by the prevailing wave of
thought or action, without allowing that supreme place to the
judgment and the natural powers which they should
25. always hold if the feelings and sympathies are not to land
us in positions involving dire ruin and loss. He was carried away
by the enthusiasm for Christian communism which now seized upon the
Jerusalem Church. He was influenced by the Judaising movement at
Antioch, so that "even Barnabas was carried away with the Petrine
dissimulation." His sympathies got the better of his judgment in
the matter of St. Marks conduct in abandoning the ministry to which
St. Paul had called him. His heart was stronger, in fact, than his
head. And yet this very weakness qualified him to be the Son of
Consolation. A question has, indeed, been raised, whether he should
be called the Son of Consolation or the Son of Exhortation, but
practically, there is no difference. His consolations were
administered through his exhortations. His speech and his advice
were of a consoling, healing, comforting kind. There are still such
men to be found in the Church. Just as all other apostolic graces
and characteristics are still manifested, -the eloquence of a Paul,
the courage of a Peter, the speculative flights of a John, - so the
sympathetic power of Barnabas is granted to some. And a very
precious gift it is. There are some good men whose very tone of
voice and bodily attitudes-their heads thrown back and their arms
akimbo and their aggressive walk-at once provoke opposition. They
are pugnacious Christians, ever on the lookout for some topic of
blame and controversy. There are others, like this Barnabas, whose
voices bring consolation, and whose words, even when not the
clearest or the most practical, speak counsels of peace, and come
to us thick-laden with the blessed dews of charity. Their advice,
is not, indeed, always the wisest. Their ardent cry is always,
Peace, peace. Such a man on the political stage was the celebrated
Lucius Carey, Lord Falkland, in the days of the great civil war,
who, though he adhered to the royalist cause, seemed, as the
historian tells us, to have utterly lost all heart once that active
hostilities commenced. Men of this type appear in times of great
religious strife. Erasmus, for instance, at the time of the
Reformation, possessed a good deal of this spirit which is devoted
to compromise, and ever inclined to place the interests of peace
and charity above those of truth; and principle, just as Barnabas
would have done at Antioch were it not for the protest of his
stronger and sterner friend St. Paul. And yet such men, with their
sympathetic hearts and speech, have their own great use, infusing a
healing, consoling tone into seasons of strife, when others are
only too apt to lose sight of the sweet image of Christian love in
pursuit of what they consider the supreme interests of religious or
political truth. Such a man was Barnabas all his life, and such we
behold him on his first visible entrance upon the stage of Church
history, when his sympathies and his generosity led him to
consecrate his independent property in Cyprus to his brethrens
support, and to bring the money and lay it down at the Apostles
feet. IV. Now for the contrast drawn for us by the inspired pen of
St. Luke, a contrast we find oft repeating itself in Church
history. Here we have the generous, sympathetic Son of Consolation
on the one side, and here, too, we have a warning and a type for
all time that the tares must evermore be mingled with the wheat,
the false with the true, the hypocrites with real servants of God,
even until the final separation. The accidental division of the
book into chapters hinders casual readers from noticing that the
action of Ananias and his wife is set by the writer over against
that of Barnabas. Barnabas sold his estate and brought the price,
the whole price, and surrendered it as an offering to the Church.
The spirit of enthusiastic giving was abroad, and had seized upon
the community; and Barnabas sympathised with it. Ananias and
Sapphira were carried away too, but their spirits were meaner. They
desired to have all the credit the Church would give them for
acting as generously as Barnabas did, and yet, while getting credit
for unselfish and unstinting liberality, to be able to enjoy in
private somewhat of that which they were believed to have
surrendered. And their calculations were terribly
26. disappointed. They tried to play the hypocrites part on
most dangerous ground just when the Divine Spirit of purity,
sincerity, and truth had been abundantly poured out, and when the
spirit of deceit and hypocrisy was therefore at once recognised. It
was with the Apostles and their spiritual natures then as it is
with ourselves and our physical natures still. When we are living
in a crowded city we notice not strange scents and ill odours and
foul gases: our senses are dulled, and our perceptive powers are
rendered obtuse because the whole atmosphere is a tainted one. But
when we dwell in the pure. air of the country, and the glorious
breezes from mountain and moor blow round us fresh and free, then
we detect at once, and at a long distance, the slightest ill-odour
or the least trace of offensive gas. The outpoured presence of the
Spirit, and the abounding love which was produced thereby,
quickened the perception of St. Peter. He recognised the hypocrisy,
characterised the sin of Ananias as a lie against the Holy Ghost;
and then the Spirit and Giver of life, seconding and supporting the
words of St. Peter, withdrew His support from the human frame of
the sinner, and Ananias ceased to live, just as Sapphira, his
partner in deceit, ceased to live a few hours later. The deaths of
Ananias and Sapphira have been ofttimes the subject of much
criticism and objection, on the part of persons who do not realise
the awfulness of their position, the full depths of their
hypocrisy, and the importance of the lesson taught by their
punishment to the Church of every age. Their position was a
specially awful one, for they were brought into closest contact, as
no Christian can now be brought, with the powers of the world to
come. The Spirit was vouchsafed during those earliest days of the
Church in a manner and style which we hear nothing of during the
later years of the Apostles. He proved His presence by physical
manifestations, as when the whole house was shaken where the
Apostles were assembled; a phenomenon of which we read nothing in
the latter portion of the Acts. By the gift of tongues, by miracles
of healing, by abounding spiritual life and discernment, by
physical manifestations, the most careless and thoughtless in the
Christian community were compelled to feel that a supernatural
power was present in their midst and specially resting upon the
Apostles. Yet it was into such an atmosphere that the spirit of
hypocrisy and of covetousness, the two vices to which Christianity
was specially opposed, and which the great Master had specially
denounced, obtruded itself as Satan gained entrance into Eden, to
defile with their foul presence the chosen dwelling-place of the
Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost vindicated His authority therefore,
because, as it must be observed, it was not St. Peter sentenced
Ananias to death. No one may have been more surprised than St.
Peter himself at the consequences which followed his stern rebuke.
St. Peter merely declared his sin, "Thou hast not lied unto men,
but unto God"; and then it is expressly said, "Ananias hearing
these words fell down, and gave up the ghost." It was a stern
action indeed; but then all Gods judgments have a stern side.
Ananias and Sapphira were cut off in their sins, but men are every
day summoned into eternity in precisely the same state and the same
way, and the only difference is that in the case of Ananias we see
the sin which provoked the punishment and then we see the
punishment immediately following. Men object to this narrative
simply because they have a one-sided conception of Christianity
such as this period of the worlds history delights in. They would
make it a religion of pure, unmitigated love; they would eliminate
from it every trace of sternness, and would thus leave it a poor,
weak, flabby thing, without backbone or earnestness, and utterly
unlike all other dispensations of the Lord, which have their stern
sides and aspects as well as their loving. It may well have been
that this incident was inserted in this typical church history to
correct a false idea which would otherwise have grown up. The Jews
were quite well accustomed to regard the Almighty as a God of
judgment as well as a God of love.
27. Perhaps we might even say that they viewed Him more in the
former light than in the latter. Our Lord was obliged, in fact, to
direct some of His most searching discourses to rebuke this very
tendency. The Galileans, whose blood Pilate mingled with their
sacrifices, the men upon whom the tower of Siloam fell-neither
party were sinners above all that were at Jerusalem, or were
punished as such. Such was His teaching in opposition to the
popular idea. The Apostles were once quite ready to ascribe the
infirmity of the man born blind to the direct judgment of the
Almighty upon himself or upon his parents. But men are apt to rush
from one extreme to another. The Apostles and their followers were
now realising their freedom in the Spirit; and some were inclined
to run into licentiousness as the result of that same freedom. They
were realising, too, their relationship to God as one of pure
filial love, and they were in great danger of forgetting that God
was a God of justice and judgment as well, till this stern
dispensation recalled them to a sense of the fact that eternal love
is also eternal purity and eternal truth, and will by no means
clear the guilty. This is a lesson very necessary for every age of
the Church. Men are always inclined, and never, perhaps, so much as
at the present time, to look away from the severe side of religion,
or even to deny that religion can have a severe side at all. This
tendency in religious matters is indeed simply an exhibition of the
spirit of the age. It is a time of great material prosperity and
comfort, when pain is regarded as the greatest possible evil,
softness, ease, and enjoyment the greatest possible good. Men
shrink from the infliction of pain even upon the greatest
criminals; and this spirit infects their religion, which they would
fain turn into a mere matter of weakly sentiment. Against such a
notion the judicial action of the Holy Ghost in this. case raises
an eternal protest, warning the Church against one-sided and
partial views of truth, and bidding her never to lower her standard
at the worlds call. Men may ignore the fact that God has His severe
aspect and His stern dispensations in nature, but yet the fact
remains. And as it is in nature so is it in grace: God is. merciful
and loving to the penitent, but towards the hypocritical and
covetous He is a stern judge, as the punishment of Ananias and
Sapphira proved. V. This seems one of the great permanent lessons
for the Church of every age which this passage embodies, but it is
not the only one. There are many others, and they most important.
An eminent modern commentator and expositor has drawn out at great
length, and with many modern applications and illustrations, four
great lessons which may be derived from this transaction. We shall
just note them, giving a brief analysis of each. (1) There is such
a thing as acting as well as telling a falsehood. Ananias did not
say that the money he brought was the whole price of his land; he
simply allowed men to draw this conclusion for themselves,
suggesting merely by his conduct that he was doing exactly the same
as Barnabas. There was no science of casuistry in the apostolic
Church, teaching how near to the borders of a lie a man may go
without actually being guilty of lying. The lie of Ananias was a
spiritual act, a piece of deception attempted in the abyss of the
human soul, and perpetrated, or attempted rather, upon the Holy
Spirit. How often men lie after the same example. They do not speak
a lie, but they act a lie, throwing dust into the eyes of others as
to their real motives and objects, as Ananias did here. He sold his
estate, brought the money to the Apostles, and would fain have got
the character of a man of extraordinary liberality and
unselfishness, just like others who truly sacrificed their all,
while he enjoyed in private the portion which he had kept back.
Ananias wished to make the best of both worlds, and failed in his
object. He sought to obtain a great reputation among men, but had
no regard to the secret eye and judgment of the Almighty. Alas! how
many of our actions, how much of our piety and of our almsgiving
are tainted by precisely the same vice. Our good. works are done
with a view
28. to mans approbation, and not as in the sight of the Eternal
God. (2) What an illustration we find in this passage of the saying
of the Apostle, "The love of money is the root of all evil; which
while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and
pierced themselves with many sorrows!" The other scriptures are
full of warnings against this vice of covetousness; and so this
typical history does not leave the Church without an illustration
of its power and danger. Surely if at a time when the supernatural
forces of the unseen life were specially manifested, this vice
intruded into the special sphere of their influence, the Church of
every age should be on its perpetual guard against this spirit of
covetousness which the Bible characterises as idolatry. (3) What a
responsibility is involved in being brought near to God as members
of His Sons Church below! There were hypocrites in abundance at
Jerusalem at that time, but they had not been blessed as Ananias
had been, and therefore were not punished as he. There is a reality
in our connection with Christ which must tell upon us, if not for
good, then inevitably for evil. Christ is either the savour of life
unto life or else the savour of death unto death unto all brought
into contact with Him. In a far more awful sense than for the Jews
the words of the prophet Ezekiel are true, "That which cometh into
your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the
heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and
stone"; (Eze_20:32) or as the poet of the "Christian Year" has well
put it in his hymn for the eighteenth Sunday after Trinity:- "Fain
would our lawless hearts escape, And with the heathen be, To
worship every monstrous shape In fancied darkness free." "Vain
thought, that shall not be at all, Refuse we or obey; Our ears have
heardth Almightys call, We cannot be as they." "We cannot hope the
heathens doom To whom Gods Son is given, Whose eyes have seen
beyond the tomb, Who have the key of Heaven." (4) Lastly, let us
learn from this history how to cast out the fear of one another by
the greater and more awful fear of God. The fear of man is a good
thing in a degree. We should have respect to the opinion of our
fellows, and strive to win it in a legitimate way. But Ananias and
his consort desired the good opinion of the Christian community
regardless of the approval or the watchful eye of the Supreme
Judge, who interposed to teach His people by an awful example that
in the new dispensation of Love, as well as in the old dispensation
of Law, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and that
they and they alone have a good understanding who order their lives
according to that fear, whether in their secret thoughts or in
their public actions. BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR 1-11, "But a certain man
named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. Ananias
and Sapphira The word Ananias means grace of God; and the word
Sapphira signifies just a sapphire, the familiar jewel of
brilliance and beauty. We sh