Acts - 4:32 - 5:11 - Sins of the Saints

Lesson 17

Teacher’s Commentary

Introduction — A Tale of Two Offerings

Luke closes Acts 4 and opens Acts 5 with a masterful contrast. First he showcases a Spirit-empowered community marked by unity, generosity, and bold proclamation. Then he records the chilling story of Ananias and Sapphira, whose hypocrisy threatens that very purity. Together, these scenes reveal a timeless truth: wherever God is powerfully at work, Satan will attempt a counterfeit — and God will jealously guard His church’s holiness.

I. The Sharing of the Saints (4 : 32-37)

1. Spiritual Participation (v. 32)

– Luke reports that the believers were “of one heart and soul.” This is more than organizational membership; it is a Spirit-forged unity of affection and purpose. – Jesus had foretold this witness of love: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13 : 34-35).

2. Strong Preaching (v. 33a)

– The apostles testify “with great power” to the resurrection. Their holy boldness springs from deep conviction: a life lived without Christ is, as they understood, “a constant offense to God.” – Offending someone temporarily with the truth is preferable to leaving them eternally offended by God’s justice (cf. 1 Cor 1 : 23; 2 Cor 2 : 15-16).

3. Sacrificial Generosity (vv. 33b-35)

– “Great grace was upon them all,” evidenced by open-handed stewardship: believers voluntarily liquidate property and lay proceeds at the apostles’ feet. – Secret, need-driven giving is the purest form of charity (1 Jn 3 : 17); here the leaders merely distribute, ensuring equity.

4. A Living Illustration — Barnabas (v. 36-37)

– Joseph, surnamed Barnabas (“son of encouragement”), sells a field and gives everything. As a Levite, he had once been landless under the old covenant; now, freed from that restriction, he invests his asset in the new covenant community. – Luke holds Barnabas up as a model of wholehearted, transparent generosity.

II. The Sins of the Saints (5 : 1-11)

Luke now places Barnabas’ sincerity beside the deceptive gift of Ananias and Sapphira, exposing four sobering principles.

1. Sinful Pretense (vv. 1-4)

– Their crime is not withholding money per se (Peter stresses the sale was theirs to control); the sin is hypocrisy — pretending total surrender while secretly keeping part. They crave spiritual status more than spiritual integrity. – “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them” (Mt 6 : 1); God abhors those who appear spiritual yet remain carnal.

2. Spiritual Perception (v. 3)

– Peter, Spirit-led, discerns the lie: “Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?” The verb for “filled” (ἐπλήρωσεν) echoes “demon-filled.” Persistent, wilful sin grants the enemy a foothold even in believers (Eph 4 : 27). – All sin in a Christian’s life is ultimately against the Holy Spirit, the resident sanctifier.

3. Swift Punishment (vv. 5-10)

– Ananias falls dead on the spot; three hours later Sapphira repeats the lie and meets the same fate. – Does God always judge this dramatically? No — but He sometimes does to underscore His holiness (cf. 1 Cor 11 : 27-32; 1 Jn 5 : 16-17). “Sin unto death” is the final rebellion God permits before recalling a believer home.

4. Solemn Purging (v. 11)

– “Great fear came upon the whole church and all who heard.” A purified church possesses evangelistic power; when judgment begins “at the household of God” (1 Pet 4 : 17), the watching world recognizes the seriousness of sin and the reality of a holy God.

Practical Applications

| Principle | Modern Implication | | Authenticity over Appearance | God values honest confession more than public image. Resist performing spirituality for praise. | | Spirit-Filled Generosity | Hold possessions loosely; ask, “How can my resources meet kingdom needs?” | | Sin’s Seriousness | Hypocrisy invites discipline. Regular self-examination (1 Cor 11 : 28) keeps hearts tender. | | Fear of the Lord | Healthy reverence guards against casual treatment of worship, giving, or community life. |

Student Summary

– The early believers displayed remarkable unity, bold preaching, and radical generosity; Barnabas exemplified this spirit. – Ananias and Sapphira, however, sought reputation without sacrifice, lying to God and the church. – God’s immediate judgment served as a warning: hypocrisy is lethal to the body of Christ. – A reverent, purified church becomes a powerful witness — when the church gets serious about holiness, the world takes the gospel seriously.

“Lord, deliver us from hollow religion; make us genuine in love, generous in deed, and holy in heart, that Your name may be feared and Your grace made famous.”