This is an exposition of the judgment that fell on Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-14.
It comprehensively covers the ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐ญ’๐ฌ ๐ ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฆ ๐ซ๐จ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฉ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฌ.
The message ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ฆ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ฉ๐จ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฒ, ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐’๐ฌ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฅ, ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐’๐ฌ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง.
Furthermore, ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐๐ง๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ก๐ข๐ซ๐’๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐, ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ง ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฉ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐ก ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ.
1. ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐ญ
The Holy Ghost was the true leader of the early church, and submission to His leading prevented confusion and division. Leaders are instruments of God when firmly rooted in Scripture and guided by the Spirit.
๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฅ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐-๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ
The communal sharing in Jerusalem was a temporary response to immediate needs, not a lasting doctrine. The instruction to the rich was to willingly share, not to live communally. The act of selling property, as done by Barnabas, was recognised because it flowed from sincerity and love, unlike the hypocrisy of Ananias and Sapphira.
๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐-๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ฒ
Ananias and Sapphira’s offering was for appearance and recognition, not sincerity. Serving, praying, and giving should be for God’s glory, not for human praise. The sin began in the heart; they conceived, nurtured, and agreed together in deceit.
๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐-๐๐๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ, ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐ญ
Peter discerned the lie through the gift of revelation. The Spirit never sleeps and is always ready to reveal the truth. Leaders need the Spirit’s gifts of word of knowledge, word of wisdom, and discerning of spirits to uncover half-truths and uphold the purity of the church. Lying to a God-indwelt man like Peter was lying to God Himself.
2. ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐
Living with honour means refusing to degrade oneself with lies, as truth preserves honour and consistency.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐-๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฌ
Seeking human approval led to Ananias’s and Sapphira’s sudden death and burial without honour. Death is separation from God, and every lie brings that separation. The condition in which a person dies is how they remain in eternity. Living in lies leads to dishonour and eternal separation from God.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
Hidden ambition and dissatisfaction become a door to perversion. The enemy seeks an entry point and will take advantage of those whose pursuit is recognition and human exaltation. Agreement with a spouse must be in righteousness, as agreement in falsehood leads to destruction.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐๐ซ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐
Believers must make up their minds against pretence, lying, deception, and hypocrisy. They must be continually purged by the Spirit. All liars, including private liars and professional liars, will have their part in the lake of fire.
3. ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฉ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฌ
Personal obedience to Scripture is the first responsibility while labouring for others.
๐๐ง๐๐ง๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ก๐ข๐ซ๐๐ก ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ (๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฉ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐) ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ง
Their union and agreement in deception under Satan brought judgment. Agreement outside the scripture is no excuse before God.
๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฉ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ (๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐) ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ (๐๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง) ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฉ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฌ
Their agreement was rooted in sanctification, purity of heart, and holiness of life. Agreement outside God’s Word leads to destruction, but unity within Scripture brings blessing and eternal life. The Word of God must stand above all, and no one can reach heaven by supporting evil.
๐๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ (๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐๐ฅ๐-๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ) ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐ญ
The unity of the apostolic ministry flowed from supportive agreement without rivalry. This unity allowed the power of God to flow mightily in their ministry. The final goal is for the church to rise to a higher level of revival, with the power of the Holy Ghost fully manifest.
