NOTES for Act 5:1-11
1 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 Whiles 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. |
11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. |
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The story of Ananias and Sapphira perplexes some readers of Acts. Indeed, if this is the punishment for any sin, even a relatively small one, can anyone hope for salvation at all? Yet this story offers the clearest illustration of what the Jerusalem community of the first Christians was in spiritual terms. Evidently, many who joined sold everything they owned and donated the money to the community's common fund. But judging by Peter's words to Ananias, this was not a mandatory condition of entry. “Does what is yours not belong to you?” the apostle asks him.
These words show that, on entering the community, each person was free to dispose of their property and determine the size of their own donation. The issue was not that Ananias had failed to give everything he had. It was that he lied, as his wife did a few hours later. “And God punished him for lying,” a pious reader might hasten to conclude. But it turns out not to be so simple. God sees the human heart, and if punishment were the issue, Sapphira would probably have fallen dead on the threshold without saying a word.
Nor would there have been any need to ask Ananias so many questions. This is not about punishment for lying, although beginning life in the community with deception and duplicity is, of course, hardly a good idea. Breaking a commandment is breaking a commandment. But behind the lie in this case is an obvious desire to look better than one really is, to play a role before the community that is not one's true self. That is entirely incompatible with the “one heart and one soul” the author uses to describe relationships in the earliest Jerusalem Christian community. The issue is the depth and conscious character of the intentions that shape a person's life.
It is also the quality of that life itself, the stream that the biblical books call “soul.” To live in the community, the spiritual quality of this life had to be high enough. Moreover, the community's life formed a single stream, “one soul.” A person, wishing to enter this life that is new to him, comes into contact with its stream. His own life instantly disintegrates, flies apart—the disparity between the stream of his life and that of the community is so great.
There, in the community, life is real, while his is imaginary: he does not want to be his real self, preferring to play a role. Such inner disintegration does not always affect a person's physical condition immediately, but if the difference is too great, it can. Then anything may happen, from fainting to instant death.
But there is no question of punishment here. If someone completely unprepared, and well aware of it, tries to climb a mountain summit accessible only to trained climbers, they cannot be unaware of how the attempt may end. If that person eventually falls into the abyss, there is no one to blame but themselves.
Other notes
For Act 5:1-11
1 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 Whiles 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. |
11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. |
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For Act 5:1-16
1 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 Whiles 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. |
11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. |
12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. |
13 And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. |
14 And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) |
15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. |
16 There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one. |
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For Act 5:1-16
1 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 Whiles 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. |
11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. |
12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. |
13 And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. |
14 And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) |
15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. |
16 There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one. |
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