Acts 5 Part 2
Notes
Transcript
Handout
1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. 6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
In the early 16th century, Hernán Cortés orchestrated an intricate web of deceit against the Aztecs. By presenting himself as a god and manipulating the local tribes, he gained their trust, only to betray them and seize their wealth. He told the Aztecs that he suffered from a “disease of the heart which can be cured only with gold," a desire that never ended, even after immense plunder. While he became renowned for his conquests, it came at the cost of countless lives and cultures. This story illustrates the danger of seeking glory through betrayal and deceit, reminding us not to sacrifice integrity for temporary success.
Here we find Ananias and Sapphira, with what seems to be a couple desiring to give an offering to the church in an attempt to help the struggling people in the time of persecution.
Was the church in Jerusalem under persecution and the church (people) struggling financially?
Yes.
At first glance, does this really seem that wrong?
I think for many people, at first glance, this seems extreme.
I remember when I was preaching at the Rescue Mission, that a man approached me after the service. He wanted to ask me a question so I told him that he could ask me anything he felt that he needed to ask.
Here was his question:
Why did God kill Ananias and Sapphira for lying about the money they were giving to the church? It seems extreme to kill someone for simply lying.
I want to break this question down today and help each of us understand what is happening in this passage.
First let’s look at all the facts and moving parts here.
What was Ananias’ story?
He sold a property and was giving the money to the church.
What was Sapphira’s story?
She told Peter the money they gave was the price of the sale.
Is the money really that important in this story?
No.
What is really the important factor here?
That they lied and conspired to fabricate a lie to receive praise of men.
Who was the lie directed towards?
God.
3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Was it really wrong to keep back a certain portion for themselves?
No.
So what is the real problem with what they gave?
They purposefully conspired among themselves to hold a portion back but acting and telling the Apostles that it was the full amount.
See they wanted to pretend to be as committed as many others who gave, such as Barnabas, but rather they only wanted the glory without the sacrifice.
When we give our tithes and offerings to God, what is that?
Worship.
Does God desire false worship?
What about partial worship?
No.
I think one of the keys to understanding this passage is not simply that they failed to give the church some money. I also don’t think it is simply a matter of telling a ‘white lie’ but rather that it is a deliberate act of false worship to God in an attempt to receive self glory for a deed that many would deem ‘noble’ or ‘honorable’.
Remember when Cain gave his offering, there were many things wrong with it but one thing that was wrong was Cain’s heart. See if Cain’s heart would have been in the right place, then he woulda have done all the other things right in his sacrifice.
Because Cain’s heart did not desire to worship God in a way that he knew was right, he instead premeditated an offering he would rather give. It was not simply that he did not know but rather it was intentional.
Here, Ananias and Sapphira know that they are crafting an attempt to manipulate the people into thinking that they are sincere followers of Christ. The truth is that they are sincere followers of self.
Because of what happened to Ananias and Sapphira, how did the church and other people feel?
Afraid.
I think it is important to understand that the people were afraid of what all took place.
Where are the Apostles located at the temple?
Solomon’s porch.
What does it mean in verse 13 that ‘no man join himself to them’?
It means that no other nonbeliever would attempt to join with the Apostles or the church in the same manner as Ananias and Sapphira.
Once the people saw what happened, they received the message loud and clear so that they would not dare attempt to come publically or privately to the apostles with a gift pretending to be a believer in Christ.
I think the last part we should take away from this entire passage is:
Were Ananias and Sapphira true believers or deceivers?
I personally believe that they were deceivers and that the scripture here teaches that no one else tried to join into the church by the same means as them.
Despite what I think there are two camps here:
The search results present two competing interpretations, and scholars genuinely disagree on this question.
The case for nominal or false believers: Some view them as phony Christians whose lifestyle contradicted their profession[1]. One perspective suggests they were not true believers, since genuine believers were characterized by complete devotion and willingness to share possessions without reservation[2]. They may have been church members who never entered into a personal saving relationship with Jesus[3].
The case for genuine believers under divine discipline: Other scholars argue there is nothing in the narrative to indicate they were not true Christians, and in such contexts we should assume they were believers unless told otherwise[4]. The entire narrative seems to indicate these were born-again Christians who were very much part of the Jerusalem congregation[3]. Evidence supporting this view includes the fact that Acts 4:32 indicates all who engaged in community sharing were believers, and lying to the Holy Spirit is more easily understood of Christians indwelt by the Spirit than of unbelievers[5]. Most scholars believe these believers retained their salvation and will experience eternal life[3].
The fundamental tension is this: As one scholar notes, it is difficult to determine their eternal condition—certainly they did not behave as true believers should, but we cannot be certain they were not believers unless we claim no Christian can commit deliberate deception[1]. The most likely resolution is that they committed a sin that leads to death, and God applied ultimate punishment[3]—whether they were false professors or genuine believers who fell into catastrophic sin remains genuinely ambiguous from the text.
[1] Derek W. H. Thomas, Acts, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2011), 124.
[2] David Gooding, True to the Faith: The Acts of the Apostles: Defining and Defending the Gospel, Myrtlefield Expositions (Coleraine, Northern Ireland: Myrtlefield House, 2013), 115.
[3] Kenneth O. Gangel, Acts, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998), 5:82–83.
[4] Edward F. Murphy, Handbook for Spiritual Warfare (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996), 311.
[5] Homer A. Kent Jr., Jerusalem to Rome: Studies in the Book of Acts (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic: A Division of Baker Publishing Group, 1972), 53.
Despite what happened to Ananias and Sapphira, what happened to the church?
It continued to grow.
Why did people bring their sick to the Apostles?
They were able to heal and perform many miracles and signs.
15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.
Did Peter’s shadow really heal people?
We do not have enough evidence to conclusive know.
What does seem to be true is that the people believed that Peter’s shadow could heal them.
I truly do not believe it to be impossible.
Acts Believers Were Added to the Lord, 5:12–16
Ancients believed the shadow was an extension of the personality and power of the person, a view that the narrator assumes.
So Luke seems to be writing from this view that they believe the shadow is an extension of the personality and power of a person.
So to an ancient person, Peter’s shadow passing by them would be the equivalent of Peter himself touching them.
This does give some greater context to the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. Remember what she said? If she could but only touch the hem, she would be healed. Recognizing that the power of Jesus was more than His physical body.
We open the next section of Acts 5 with our boys the high priests here again.
Who did the sanhedrin arrest?
The Apostles.
Notice this time it is not simply Peter and John but this is now an attack on the entire group.
Why did they arrest the Apostles?
Jealousy.
What would make the sanhedrin jealous of the Apostles?
There are many factors here that could cause them to be jealous. One of them being the attention that the Apostles were getting from such large crowds of people who were interested in the gospel.
Also remember there were probably thousands of people who were witnessing the miracles being performed by the Apostles. Those witnesses were probably beginning to wonder why the sanhedrin couldn’t perform such miracles if they were so ‘holy’ and ‘devote’.
A common prison would have been a place where most malefactors were placed.
How did the Apostles get out of prison?
An angel opened the doors.
This is the first of three miraculous prison escapes in the book of acts.
What were the sanhedrin attempting to do by gathering all the people and councils together?
It seems they were attempting to force a fast trial in which to permanently silence the Apostles. These were the same men who put Jesus to death.
What comical event takes place here?
They can’t find the Apostles. They are gone.
This is one of those moments when you realize God has a sense of humor and is watching this whole series of events unfold. Can you imagine watching this from the sidelines and seeing all foolish these guys look when trying to bring the Apostles up before all the people to trial and can’t find them.
This does shame them and makes an even greater mockery of them. However this will fuel their fire of hatred even more.
Where were the Apostles at this time?
In the temple teaching.
The sanhedrin were so consumed with power, authority, and their appearance before men that they would rather destroy those who are teaching God’s word.
I think there is another miracle that takes place here with the Apostles escaping the prison. Though it is not mentioned, it is hinted.
What other ‘miracle’ takes place in this prison escape?
No one saw them escape.
Remember, during this time a Roman soldiers would have to stand guard at the prison. This would have also been heavily guarded with many other guards nearby. For the Apostles being a larger group to escape, especially without a trace, they must have been guided and guarded by the Holy Spirit.
When the sanhedrin and the captain go to the temple, how do they arrest the Apostles?
Without violence. Peacefully.
Why did they not lay hold on them aggressively as they did before?
They feared the people.
It cannot be stated enough how much the people really hold the power. If every nation of people actually realized the power they hold if they would unite and stand as a group, a lot of wars and corruption could be changed.
The sanhedrin and the Romans feared there would be a massive uproar of the people who would want to rebel against them.
What did they think the people would do to them?
Stone them.
Not a great way to die honestly. This means they feared for their lives. The people must have been visibly upset when they came and took them. Enough that the sanhedrin and the guards believed the people would not be controllable and could overtake them and kill them.
The sanhedrin and said they commanded the Apostles not to teach or preach in the name of Jesus
What did the Apostles say in response?
We ought to obey God rather than men.
Notice they preach again to the sanhedrin, showing them that they were responsible for Jesus’ death and that they need to repent.
How did they react to this message?
They were angry and wanted to kill them.
Who stopped them from killing the Apostles?
Gamaliel.
Gamaliel is an important person and he will pop up again in scripture.
Gamaliel was a first-century Jewish rabbi and a Pharisee who was a leader in the Sanhedrin and considered the greatest living authority in Judaism between 20-50 AD. He was the grandson of the famous Rabbi Hillel and was known for taking a lenient view of Old Testament law[1][2]. He was an open-minded and liberal leader who was particularly concerned with easing burdens on women and the poor. His rulings were often humanitarian, including extending rights to poor non-Jews and protecting wives and widows[2][3].
In a notable biblical account, Gamaliel intervened during a Sanhedrin meeting where the apostles were on trial, advising caution and suggesting that if the apostles’ movement was not from God, it would fail on its own. His counsel persuaded the council to spare the apostles, demonstrating his significant influence[1]. He is perhaps best known as the teacher of Saul of Tarsus (who became the apostle Paul), under whose tutelage Paul developed an expert knowledge of Hebrew Scriptures that later enabled him to preach effectively in synagogues[1]. While his precise opinion about the early Christian church remains debated, he died a strict Jew, and his death was so significant that, according to the Mishna, “with the death of Gamaliel the reverence for the law ceased, and purity and abstinence died away”[3][4].
[1] Got Questions Ministries, Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2014–2021). [See here, here, here, here.]
[2] W. E. Nunnally, “Gamaliel,” in Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, ed. David Noel Freedman, Allen C. Myers, and Astrid B. Beck (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 2000), 481–482.
[3] George Milligan, “GAMALIEL,” in A Dictionary of the Bible: Dealing with Its Language, Literature, and Contents Including the Biblical Theology, ed. James Hastings et al. (New York; Edinburgh: Charles Scribner’s Sons; T. & T. Clark, 1911–1912), 2:106.
[4] Moisés Silva and Merrill Chapin Tenney, in The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible, D-G (Grand Rapids, MI: The Zondervan Corporation, 2009), 693.
What does Gamaliel suggest the sanhedrin to do?
Leave them alone.
He suggests to see if this whole thing dies down or if someone or something else takes care of the problem for them.
What does Gamaliel say in verses 38 & 39?
If it is not of God it will come to nothing, but if it is of God than you cannot overthrow it.
Probably the most wise words he ever spoke and still as we know Gamaliel never became a Christian as he died a Jew with the honors of the Jews.
After commanding the Apostles not to speak in the name of Jesus, what did the council do them?
Beat them.
How did the Apostles respond to the beating?
With joy and thankfulness.
Why were they praising God?
Because they were counted worth to suffer for Christ.
Imagine, having joy and thankfulness because were able to suffer persecution because you are a Christian being obedient to God.
Did they stop?
No. They continued DAILY in the temple and in every house preaching and teaching Jesus Christ.
