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“Lesson 12 - How Satan Defeated Ananias and Sapphira”
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Lesson 12 - How Satan Defeated Ananias & Sapphira
Introduction:
In all of Scripture, there are eleven verses devoted to Ananias and Sapphira. God’s punishment for them was swift and deadly. What happened to them had an immediate impact on the church. And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things, Acts 5.11. We may wonder why God’s punishment in this case was so sudden and severe. Ananias and his wife were certainly not the first hypocrites who attempted to serve God under pretense.
How did darkness play a role in the demise of this couple? How does darkness work similarly during our time to lead us off the path into greed, coveting the praise of others, and hypocrisy?
The Background
Months earlier, the church had gotten off to a fantastic start on the day of Pentecost. Peter preached the first gospel sermon and received an incredible response with over 3000 souls naming Jesus as Lord through baptism. Acts 2.44-47a describes the incredible atmosphere. Great wonders and signs were being conducted by the apostles. Those who were needy were taken care of through the sale of personal possessions and belongings. The brethren were together day by day and found themselves on an extended and incredible spiritual high. New Christians were coming into the kingdom everyday, 2.47b. By Acts 4.4, the number of believers had gone past the 5000 mark. The Church was incredibly unified and stood as one against the growing opposition from the Jewish religious leaders, 4.31. Imagine how thrilling it would have been to have been a part of such a special time in the history of the church.
Our story in Acts 5 is prefaced by the background information provided by Luke in 4.32-35. Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. What Luke is describing is the ultimate in family togetherness, compassion, and generosity. People gave freely and often. No one was in need. Those who gave placed the needs of others above themselves and saw the material things of this world for what they really are. This is the ultimate in Christian steward and a direct application of the principles found in Philippians 2.3-4. Paul said, Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Starting in Acts 4.37, Barnabas is introduced in order to set up a contrast with the events of the next chapter. He sold a field that belonged to him and laid the proceeds at the apostles’ feet, 4.37. There were no strings attached. Barnabas gave his gift in full trust that the apostles would use it in the proper way in order to meet the needs of the impoverished inside the church.
Barnabas was not alone as the record says that many were doing this. Ananias and Sapphira also wanted in on the action. They sold a piece of property and held back some of the proceeds for themselves. They then presented the remaining balance to the apostles. On the surface we would look at their actions and not see any sin. There had been no command stating that they were required to give everything. All gifts were spontaneous and were completely voluntary. After they sold the property they were perfectly within their rights to hold back any portion they wanted to keep for themselves, 5.4a. Their sin was that they gave funds in the pretense that they were contributing the total amount of the proceeds of the sale of the land. After Peter questioned him, Ananias fell down and breathed his last, 5.5a. Ananias never got a word in to defend himself. Before he could say anything, he fell down dead. Luke goes on to say that great fear came upon all who heard of it, 5.5b. Can you imagine witnessing this event? Can you imagine being a member of the detail who had to wrap up his body and dig his grave to bury him? No one who went to services that day would have ever imagined those events taking place.
Three hours later his wife comes into the assembly. She was unaware of what had happened with her husband earlier in the day. This time Peter asked her about the price she and her husband sold the land for. She gave him an answer. Her response was obvious that she and Ananias had conspired together and that she too was a willing participant in their plan. Just like her husband, she died immediately. Those who had just finished burying Ananias now had to carry her out for burial. What a day it must have been for those men who were charged with that task. It was certainly something they would never forget.
How Darkness Worked in Their Defeat
A key to understanding how these events played out is seen in Peter’s remark in 5.3. When Ananias presented the gift to the apostles, Peter immediately questioned him saying, Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? Obviously, Peter was given information only God would know. No human would have had the ability to judge the thoughts and the intentions of the heart. But, these things were not missed by God. There is something else we must not miss in this verse. Did you see it? Darkness was at work here. Peter said Satan filled the heart of Ananias. Specifically, how did darkness influence Ananias and Sapphira?
Darkness defeated them through the love of money. This is a powerful thing. The god of wealth has derailed many Christians off the pathway toward heaven. While money and possession of financial wealth is not sinful itself, there are many dangers associated with it. It can lead to greed and covetousness. Paul warned, But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs, 1 Timothy 6.9-10.
Darkness defeated them through the love of the praise of men. Picture the scene. Acts 4.32-35 says that everyone who owned land and property were participating in the giving. Did Ananias and Sapphira think that a large sum of money would impress the other Christians? When Sapphira was questioned by Peter and gave the amount she said the land sold for, did she say it with a sense of pride - just waiting to hear all the praise and commendation that would have come from the apostles and everyone else gathered there? It is quite obvious that they wanted to be thought of by others as being generous, godly, and compassionate. This was their first priority and their actions present us with a powerful lesson. Serving God in order to gain notoriety, power, and prestige will get one nowhere in His kingdom. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted, Matthew 23.11-12.
Darkness defeated Ananias and Sapphira through hypocrisy. The love of praise and acceptance by others will lead us to a very ugly place: outright deception and fraud. God hates the sin of hypocrisy so much that Ananias and Sapphira serve as an eternal example in emphatically stating its treachery. For the hypocrite, the first priority is self - not God. Maybe it had been this way from the beginning. Perhaps they were caught up in the euphoric atmosphere of the early church and became Christians just to satisfy their need to be socially accepted. (Many still obey God insincerely and serve with improper motives.) While it could be argued if they were ever genuine Christians, it should be clear that in the days leading up to their deaths, Ananias and Sapphira had moved their hearts away from God and were serving the ways of Satan through themselves.
Even still, we may ask why God punished Ananaias and Sapphira in the way He did. Why so quickly? Why so severely? Hypocrisy can have a devastating effect on the church. It can spread like a cancer, destroying the church from within. Later, Paul would instruct New Testament Christians to remove themselves from those who served God only in pretense. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things, Philippians 3.18-19. He would write this to Timothy avoid those who have the appearance of godliness, but deny its power, 2 Timothy 3.5. By killing these Ananias and Sapphira, God sent a powerful message to Christians of all time. God must always be approached with a sense of genuineness, sincerity and humility.
Conclusion
Even though it has been two thousand years, reading the story of Ananias and Sapphira should make every Christian pause with sobriety. The love of money, praise of men, and hypocrisy are still effective tools of Satan in the 21st century. We must always be vigilant as these often work in tandem and start off in subtle tones. If we allow these things to fester inside our heart, it will lead to our destruction.
With what motives do you serve God? Don’t interpret the lack of God’s immediate judgment and punishment as approval. All who fail to give their heart to God will come up short on the day of judgment. Put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 1 Peter 2.1.
Questions for Discussion
1. How does Acts 2.44-47 describe the atmosphere of the church during the days immediately following Pentecost?
2. What can we learn from the actions of the individuals in Acts 4.32-35?
3. Who was Barnabas? What is significant about him in today’s lesson?
4. What sin did Ananias and Sapphira commit?
5. How did the love of money play a role in their sin?
6. How can the seeking of praise from others derail us in our spiritual pursuit?
7. How does God view hypocrisy?
8. Why do you think God punished Ananias and Sapphira so suddenly and so severely?
9. How can darkness use these same tools against us today?
10. Why is it so important to examine our motives as we serve God?
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