The Saga of Ananias and Saphira
From a background of my own evangelical christian American thinking I had always squirmed with a certain sense of unfairness that Ananias and Saphira died instantly at Peter’s feet when the Apostle confronted them about a sale of THEIR OWN possessions.
Wasn’t the profit from THEIR MONEY from a SALE of their land one of the most generous GIFTS of CHARITY anyone could have given to the Apostles? They gave most of it to the CHURCH. It was certainly more than a 10% tithe.
So how much should Anaias and Saphira have given to the CHURCH?
Our Offerings to ‘the church’
Here’s MY gentile ALL-AMERICAN take on what Peter and the Apostles should have expected.
- Wouldn’t giving EVERYTHING to the Apostles make the saints of the first century Church COMMUNISTS, or at the very least SOCIALISTS?
The COMMUNITY of the Jerusalem Church seems unlike everything WE THE PEOPLE of the United States have come to expect as a 21st century christian ‘church.’ Yet most of our our preachers love to proclaim such generous gifts of substance from leading contributers like Ananias and Saphira to the church. (We know who they are.)
- How many of US would sell our possessions just to give money to our local church?
- WHY would GOD strike DEAD any believer in Jesus for holding back a few possessions for themselves?
- It seems ‘un-American, doesn’t it?
- OUR hearts recoil as our tongues to cry out, ‘THIS IS UNFAIR.’
ACTS of the Church in context
Most Christians know this story from ACTS 5:1-11 and the generosity of Joseph of Cypress from the preceeding two verses in Acts 4. I have not skipped this story until now to avoid controversial contempory issues, but rather to maintain a storyline of Peter as the first leader of the Church.
A Chronological context of Acts from a first century perspective
Luke published Acts of the Apostles in about
the year of our Lord, 62,
just prior to empire-wide persecution of the Jews (including the sect of Christ followers) and the Jerusalem War which led to its fall in A.D. 70.
The Forgotten Saga of The Way
Christians reading Luke’s historical account of events some thirty years earler (in ~A.D. 30’s) would already have suffered persecution, loss of their possessions and lands, and even deaths of family and other saints of their church as most fled with little left to places of reletive safety.
This sect of The Way, along with Jerusalem’s former ruling classes, would no longer have enough possessions to sustain daily life in Jerusalem, some even without food to eat.
Short list of a few more historical events impacting AD 1st century readers of ACTS;
- 28 AD John the Baptist is executed by Herod Antipas, son of King Herod in Judaea.
- 32 – 36 AD Estimated date of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
- 44 AD Judaea is annexed as a Roman province after the death of Herod Agrippa.
- 49 AD Claudius passes an edict expelling all Jews from Rome.
- 64 AD The Great Fire of Rome speculated to have been started by Nero to make room for his palace. Christians Persecuted as scapegoats. Nero begins construction of the domus aurea (the Golden House).
- 67 AD The future Emperor Vespasian is sent to Judaea to put down a Jewish revolt.
- Death of Paul the Apostle.
Some believe Luke wrote Acts after the fall of Jerusalem (A.D. 70; his death was probably in the mid-eighties).
It is more likely, however, that he wrote much earlier, before the end of Paul’s first Roman imprisonment (ca. A.D. 60–62).
John MacArthur :: Bible Introductions – Acts
Early examples of faith
Who should these new disciples of the Apostles ACT like during these desparate times of yet another jewish diaspora due to persecution?
Certainly the daily lives of every saint of the early church read like an unseen saga of suffering known to early readers of the GOSPELS, ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, the EPISTLES and THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST to John.
Roger@TalkofJESUS.com
Possessions of the Church + Banking on the Risen Lord
We return now to Luke's second account ACTS of the Apostles in about AD 32-36, as we have learned, and a fledgling gathering of saints in Jerusalem who increasingly must depend on the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the cohesion of love binding their community to each other.
ACTS of the saints of the CHURCH 4:
The Apostolic Community of 1st Century Jerusalem
Luke reveals their agreement or community compact:
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 to the extent that any had need.
ACTS of the Jerusalem church 4:34-35 NASB – AD 30’s
This NEW community in the Spirit of The Way in Jerusalem applied Christ’s love for each other AND IT WORKED.
Luke tells later saints of the church how the Apostles gave us this example.
Luke begins with a positive example.
Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus by birth, the one the apostles called Barnabas, (translated Son of Encouragement) sold a field he owned..
Joseph, from the priestly Levitical line, is a faithful Jew who traveled to Jerusalem for its major festivals. Then after the Holy Spirit fills the community of faith on Pentecost, Barnabas (Joseph) fully commits to this new community of The Way led by the Apostles.
Joseph of Cypress (Barnabas) sold a field he owned, brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
ACTS 4:37 CSB
Luke encourages the poor and needy commuinties of Christ who will read of their sacrificial generocity years later while many saints suffer severe persecution.
32 Now the multitude of those who believe were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.
.. all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.
ACTS 4:33,35b-36 NKJV of the Jerusalem Chruch after Pentrecost
Luke continues with a negative example
But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession.
Unlike Joseph of Cypress, Luke does not give us much detail about this couple, but his name, Ananias, would have been familiar in their community of fellow Jews.
Ἁνανίας – Ananías, an-an-ee’-as; of Hebrew origin (H2608); Ananias, the name of three Israelites:—Ananias.
- a certain Christian [at Jerusalem], the husband of Sapphira: Acts 5:1-6.
- a Christian of Damascus: Acts 9:10-18; Acts 22:12
- a son of Nedebaeus, and high priest of the Jews circa A.D. 47-59.
Ananias = “whom Jehovah has graciously given”
(Luke the gentile Physician likely understands this irony as will the Apostles.)
The Hebrew root of Ananias also points to a familiar Scriptural example from Daniel: חֲנַנְיָה
Hananiah = "God has favoured" the godly friend of Daniel whom Nebuchadnezzar renamed Shadrach; one of the three friends who with Daniel refused to make themselves unclean by eating food from the king's table which went against the dietary laws which God had given the Jews; also one of the three who were thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to bow down to a graven image of Nebuchadnezzar and who were saved by the angel of the Lord. source: BlueLetterBible.org Lexicon :: Strong's H2608 - ḥănanyâ
Ananias is a leading man of means among these five hundred or so followers of the Apostles. And he has sold some of his possessions for the church to graciously give to others in need of his charity.
(But is their generous gift to the church truly their own?)
Psalm 104 excerpt
מָֽה־רַבּוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ יְֽהוָה כֻּלָּם בְּחָכְמָה עָשִׂיתָ מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ קִנְיָנֶֽךָ׃ יִתַּמּוּ חַטָּאִים מִן־הָאָרֶץ וּרְשָׁעִים עוֹד אֵינָם בָּרֲכִי נַפְשִׁי אֶת־יְהוָה הַֽלְלוּ־יָֽהּ׃
LORD, how many are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all;
The earth is full of Your possessions…
May sinners be removed from the earth
Tehillim (Psalms) 104:24,35 :: Westminster Leningrad Codex (WLC), NASB20
And may the wicked be no more.
Bless the LORD, my soul.
Praise the LORD!
His ‘portion’ of the proceeds
ACTS 5:2 However, he kept back part of the proceeds with his wife’s knowledge, and brought a portion of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
WHY?
- Didn’t Luke tell us that ALL brought the proceeds of the things that were sold and laid them at the apostles’ feet?
- AND also, these ACTS of GENEROSITY of ALL sharing ALL of their possessions resulted in
- the Apostles distributing to each as anyone had need?
The offering of Anaias’ portion of the sale may have exceeded the value of what most could contribute who shared everything they sold. So often leading contributors of the Church receive public accolades for their ‘generosity.’
Yet what had Peter learned from Jesus preaching about our portion of riches?
Gospel of Luke 12:– Lying to the HOLY SPIRIT & GREED
10 “And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him;
but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him.
“Now when they bring you before the synagogues and the officials and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Peter and ALL of those touched by the tongues of fire on Pentecost have already experienced this.
But in this same teaching, Jesus warns again of the danger of riches to those who would cling to their possessions.
“Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one is affluent does his life consist of his possessions.” And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive..
Gospel of Luke 12:15b-16[21] NASB20 – Jesus cautioning against greed
AND IN THE END of Jesus’ parable:
We know the expression, but hear little of it's context: EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY.. ‘And I will say to my [SOUL], “You have many goods stored up for many years to come; relax, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!”’
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is demanded of you; and as for all that you have prepared, who will own it now?’
Gospel of Luke 12:[19-20] NASB20
Why do you lie to the HOLY SPIRIT?
ACTS 5: of their Deceit
3 But Peter said,
“Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control?
Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart?
You have not lied to men, but to God.”
Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last.
So great fear came upon all those who heard these things.
6 And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.
FAR DIFFERENT from our 21st century receiving of this weeks 'offering' when we are obliged to put something in the basket (or plate) rather anonomously.
Saphira
I might easily expound at length on Saphira's role as the wife of Ananias. Should she agree with her husband's dishonesty OR tell the truth even when her husband is dishonest? Just a Scriptures familiar to her for your own consideration: All quotes from BlueLetterBible.org
- and they shall become one flesh. – Genesis 2:24b
- There certainly was no one like Ahab who gave himself over to do evil in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife incited him. – 1 Kings 25:25
- His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.” But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong. – Job 2:9-10
- An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,
- But she who shames him is like rottenness in his bones. – Proverbs 12:4
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.
Gospel of Luke 14:26 + a caution of JESUS – v.27 “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
SAPHIRA, one with ANANIAS as his wife had a choice: Yet both also gave their word to the Apostles to remain one with the community of Christ in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Which choice will SHE make when confronted by truth?
Three Hours Later
Perhaps she had been window shopping in Jerusalem for some new clothes or possions appropriate to their high status. Maybe she had asked Ananias for some of their new-found profit. (This is just spectulation.)
ACTS 5: of Saphira
..his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8 Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?”
“Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.”
9 Then Peter said to her, “Why did you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord?
She must have immediately wondered, ‘HOW does he know that Ananias received more? I never thought that Ananias would cave in and tell him.’
Peter continues as she stands before these witnesses in shock at his words and she hears some men approaching the door of their meeting place..
Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.”
Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last.
And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband.
ACTS of the Apostles - To be continued...
