Today's reading shows us a somewhat unexpected side of the Kingdom. At first glance, the story of Ananias and Sapphira as told in today's reading may seem to testify to God's demanding nature and the harshness of the Kingdom's laws. Indeed, is not...
Today's reading shows us a somewhat unexpected side of the Kingdom. At first glance, the story of Ananias and Sapphira as told in today's reading may seem to testify to God's demanding nature and the harshness of the Kingdom's laws. Indeed, is not death too cruel a punishment for deception (vv. 2–3, 8–10)? But a different logic operates in the Kingdom: the logic of complete freedom together with complete responsibility. In the earliest Christian community, it seems, no one compelled anyone joining it to donate everything they owned to the Church: each person could decide how much they could give (v. 4). And if someone gave everything they had, they did so wholeheartedly, fully aware of their responsibility for what they were doing (Acts 4:34–37).
In this case, however, things happened differently. Apparently Ananias did not understand very well the degree of freedom and responsibility that life in the Kingdom entails. Perhaps these donations seemed to him something like the Temple tithe, which every Jew was obliged to pay. So, on joining the community, he decided to observe the prescribed rule while allowing himself a few concessions. And then it turned out that this was not simply a matter of joining a community, but nothing less than entering the Kingdom, where there is no room for deceit. The principle proved simple: give as much as you can, but do so with complete openness. There are no rules, only the righteousness of the Kingdom, which imposes no limits except those a person sets for themselves. But such righteousness does not allow deception or deceit.
Those who have deceived God die not because God is cruel. It is simply that a person who has tasted the life of the Kingdom can never again do without it. Yet remaining in the Kingdom without trusting God completely is also impossible: keeping two sets of books has no place here. And so Ananias and Sapphira die.
In the Kingdom there is no middle ground: here there is either life in all its fullness or death in all its inevitability. In our world, not yet transfigured, it is possible to live less than fully, to drag out an existence that spiritually resembles death more than life, and yet not die physically. In the Kingdom this is impossible: here life is life to the full, and death, too, is complete. There is no third option.
5
5:1 But a certain man named Ananias - It is certain, not a believer, for all that believed were of one heart and of one soul: probably not baptized; but intending now to offer himself for baptism.
5:2 And bringing a certain part - As if it had been the whole: perhaps saying it was so.
5:3 To lie to the Holy Ghost - Who is in us. And to keep back - Here was the first instance of it. This was the first attempt to bring propriety of goods into the Christian Church.
5:4 While it remained, did it not remain thine? - It is true, whosoever among the Christians (not one excepted) had houses or lands, sold them, and laid the price at the feet of the apostles. But it was in his own choice to be a Christian or not: and consequently either to sell his land, or keep it.And when it was sold, was it not in thy power? - For it does not appear that he professed himself a Christian when he sold it.Why hast thou conceived this thing in thy heart? - So profanely to dissemble on so solemn an occasion? Thou hast not lied to men only, but to God also. Hence the Godhead of the Holy Ghost evidently appears: since lying to him, Act 5:3, is lying to God.
5:5 And Ananias fell down and expired - And this severity was not only just, considering that complication of vain glory, covetousness, fraud, and impiety, which this action contained: but it was also wise and gracious, as it would effectually deter any others from following his example. It was likewise a convincing proof of the upright conduct of the apostles, in managing the sums with which they were intrusted; and in general of their Divine mission. For none can imagine that Peter would have had the assurance to pronounce, and much less the power to execute such a sentence, if he had been guilty himself of a fraud of the same kind; or had been belying the Holy Ghost in the whole of his pretensions to be under his immediate direction.
5:7 About the space of three hours - How precious a space! The woman had a longer time for repentance.
5:8 If ye sold the land for so much - Naming the sum.
5:10 The Church - This is the first time it is mentioned: and here is a native specimen of a New Testament Church; which is a company of men, called by the Gospel, grafted into Christ by baptism, animated by love, united by all kind of fellowship, and disciplined by the death of Ananias and Sapphira.
5:12 And they were all - All the believers.
5:13 None of the rest - No formalists or hypocrites, durst join themselves - In an outward show only, like Ananias and Sapphira.
5:14 But so much the more were true believers added, because unbelievers kept at a distance.