Acts 5: 3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?”... 9 Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord?” (NIV)

The above passage is part of one of the most difficult stories in the Book of Acts, in fact in all Scripture. It’s not my goal in this blog to make it easy. From one viewpoint, a married couple sold property and gave a (presumably) generous contribution for the poor in the community of Jesus followers. They were rewarded for their generosity by death at the hands of a vengeful God. Is that a distortion? Of course. Yet, it cannot be swept away by the broom of easy orthodoxy.

What we can do is take the passage seriously on its own terms, asking what Luke was trying to say. In doing that, we need to, as always, consider the context. The immediate context begins in Luke’s second summary statement in Acts 4:32-37. A number of key points are made here:

The summary statement in Acts 2:42-47 is reinforced.

The fellowship of the church was lived within the power of the Holy Spirit.

None considered their possessions their own (see Luke 14:33).

As in a loving family, they shared all things, meeting the needs of all.(1)

The grace of God worked powerfully.

Possessions were sold, and the proceeds were laid at the apostle’s feet.(2)

At this point, we are given two contrasting examples, which is one of Luke’s favorite literary devices. The first example is very positive—that of Barnabas. The second is the one to which we now come, in Ananias and Sapphira.

As did Barnabas, they sold property and placed proceeds at the apostles’ feet. However generous the amount given, they, unlike Barnabas, misrepresented the nature of the gift. At this point we come to Luke’s purpose.

Acts 53 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?” (NIV)

We are likely to assume that this couple was motivated by the desire to share the high-status Barnabas’ generosity gave him. However, we are not told this. We may not know what was in their hearts, but Peter knew who was in their hearts! The father of lies, invited in, prompted their lies. Their lies were intentional. Apparently, what was not intentional was lying to the Holy Spirit. This reminds one of the story of Achan, who kept and hid some of the items consecrated for destruction (Joshua 7), but even Achan ultimately confessed without lying.

What are we to learn from this story?

It’s about the heart, not the money.

The church is the holy people of God. Ananias and Sapphira thought they were simply lying to people. It turned out that a sin against the church was a sin against the Lord of the church. In a culture of consumerism, it is common to view the church, purchased by the blood of Jesus, as a mere commodity. “We love Jesus but not the church,” is not a Biblical option.

Although our culture is not the first or the only culture to do so, we have mainstreamed lying. Lying is justified as an expedient act in order to achieve important (to us) goals. We demand truth from the politicians we oppose, but too often excuse lies from “our side.”

To treat the church, made holy by the LORD, with contempt is dangerous (see last week’s blog).

Yes, this story is both strange and disturbing. However, that doesn’t mean that it should be ignored or dismissed. It still needs to be heard, especially today.

Tim Kelley

(1) Money was not demanded, taxed, or confiscated. It was freely shared (given, not taken), as in a family of sisters and brothers.

(2) Apparently, this was in recognition of the apostles’ authority, demonstrated by their preaching about the resurrection of Jesus and the working of the Holy Spirit through them in “signs and wonders.” The image of higher status people laying their gifts at the feet of “lowly” fishermen would not be lost on Luke’s readers.