Daily Bread Acts 5
Daily Bread Acts 5
Ananias and Sapphira
1 But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. 2 He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest.
3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. 4 The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!”
5 As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified. 6 Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him.
7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?”
“Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.”
9 And Peter said, “How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too.”
10 Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.
Observation: While in the previous chapter we saw the sacrificial giving happening in the community, in this story we see the opposite. And it seems that the most grievous error they made was lying to the Holy Spirit/God. Notice that Peter talks of the Holy Spirit as a person, not just a mysterious force. There is great emphasis in Luke-Acts on the power of the Holy Spirit.
In this case the penalty for both Ananias and Sapphira’s acts of lying to the Holy Spirit was death. It seems like a harsh penalty, but it certainly must have been a “teachable moment” for the young men who saw what happened. Lesson learned: don’t lie and deceive God and/or the Holy Spirit. This is also called the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. That is to claim to do something good in God’s name, only to be deceptive and do something for your own personal gain.
Perhaps this is the worst kind of deception, using God’s name to promote your own name. This is a sobering story but reminds us to be carry what we say or do or promise in God’s name.
Application: We often see people on TV doing many things in the name of Jesus. It is not for me to judge them, only God can know their true hearts and the true authenticity of their ministry. I certainly believe that God’s gifts of healing in the power of the Holy Spirit are as much needed and given today as to the early church.
One thing is for sure, any of us who claim to do something in God’s name and use the name of the Holy Spirit should be careful in how we use it. We are reminded in the Second Commandment to not take the Lord’s name in vain. There are two equally dangerous uses of God’s name. One is to be so afraid of God so that you never use His name for anything, bad or good. Secondly, would be to get so casual in the use of His Name that we make unfounded promises, or even use His name deceptively to win praise for ourselves.
Today’s story reminds us of God’s holiness and the power of His name. We must remember the story of Ananias and Sapphira, so that we will always honor God’s name and never use His name for deception or personal gain. If we say we are going to do something in His Name, we should be careful to carry it out. As Paul said, “Let your yes be yes, and your no be no!”
Prayer: God help us to honor our commitments that we make to you. It would be better for us not to say we are going to do something for you, than deceive you for personal gain. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Ananias and Sapphira
1 But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. 2 He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest.
3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. 4 The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!”
5 As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified. 6 Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him.
7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?”
“Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.”
9 And Peter said, “How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too.”
10 Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.
Observation: While in the previous chapter we saw the sacrificial giving happening in the community, in this story we see the opposite. And it seems that the most grievous error they made was lying to the Holy Spirit/God. Notice that Peter talks of the Holy Spirit as a person, not just a mysterious force. There is great emphasis in Luke-Acts on the power of the Holy Spirit.
In this case the penalty for both Ananias and Sapphira’s acts of lying to the Holy Spirit was death. It seems like a harsh penalty, but it certainly must have been a “teachable moment” for the young men who saw what happened. Lesson learned: don’t lie and deceive God and/or the Holy Spirit. This is also called the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. That is to claim to do something good in God’s name, only to be deceptive and do something for your own personal gain.
Perhaps this is the worst kind of deception, using God’s name to promote your own name. This is a sobering story but reminds us to be carry what we say or do or promise in God’s name.
Application: We often see people on TV doing many things in the name of Jesus. It is not for me to judge them, only God can know their true hearts and the true authenticity of their ministry. I certainly believe that God’s gifts of healing in the power of the Holy Spirit are as much needed and given today as to the early church.
One thing is for sure, any of us who claim to do something in God’s name and use the name of the Holy Spirit should be careful in how we use it. We are reminded in the Second Commandment to not take the Lord’s name in vain. There are two equally dangerous uses of God’s name. One is to be so afraid of God so that you never use His name for anything, bad or good. Secondly, would be to get so casual in the use of His Name that we make unfounded promises, or even use His name deceptively to win praise for ourselves.
Today’s story reminds us of God’s holiness and the power of His name. We must remember the story of Ananias and Sapphira, so that we will always honor God’s name and never use His name for deception or personal gain. If we say we are going to do something in His Name, we should be careful to carry it out. As Paul said, “Let your yes be yes, and your no be no!”
Prayer: God help us to honor our commitments that we make to you. It would be better for us not to say we are going to do something for you, than deceive you for personal gain. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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