ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA

Acts 5:1-11

By David J. Riggs

   1. The good has its counterpart.  This is the first recorded sin  
      after the church was established.
   2. Vs. 2 - A part was represented as the whole.  See also vs. 8
      a. Thus, they compromised between two ungodly desires:         
         praise of men and love of money.  They were trying to       
         make themselves appear more generous than they really were. 
   3. Vs. 3 - Satan is a real being acting upon and influencing      
      people to do evil.
      a. Actually, he had lied to both God and man, but it is far    
         more serious to lie to God.  Men would not have know it, but
         Peter being filled with the Holy Spirit, knew.
   4. Vs. 4 - A voluntary service.  After it was sold, they could    
      have done with it as they pleased.
         a. The sin had to do with what they had determined in their 
            own hearts.  Thus, a lesson on lust being conceived.     
            James 1:14-15; Matt. 5:27-28
         b. "Not lied to men but to God" - The gravity of the sin was
             before God.  We must watch deceptions and false         
             impressions (sometimes to be praised) before other      
             brethren.
   5. Vs. 5 - God's severe punishment shows how He hates this sin. 
      Ananias and Sapphira are not the only ones guilty of this sin. 
      They are held up as warnings to all.
   6. Vs. 6 - Neither the place nor the circumstances would admit    
      much formal preparation for a funeral.
   7. Vs. 8 - A test of her own conscience here.  She could have
      confessed her sin and lived.  Instead of confessing, she       
      chooses to lie.
   8. Vs. 9 - "To test" - In the sense of trying the Spirit's power  
      to detect such things.
   9. Vs. 11 - They would be careful not to be guilty of the same.   
      The example of Ananias and Sapphira shows how seriously God
      regards this type of sin.

Lessons: Let us avoid lying, covetousness, vain-glory, and hypocrisy.
Be careful not to give false impressions (deceiving brethren) so that
they think we are better than we really are.