So I have been reading and studying the book of Acts lately. I have actually never read through the book from start to finish even though I've said that I wanted to many times. In light of that I am trying to read a few chapters and week and do some extensive research by reading commentaries and doing some word studies, a la bib ex class in college.
Anyways, I wanted to ask you what your take is on the story of Ananias and Sapphira. Here is a very interesting story that seems a bit out of place in light of the God that is portrayed in the New Testament. I have a few thoughts that I will share as the conversation unfold in the comments but wanted to hear from you as well. The whole story context is found in Acts 4:32-5:11.
Ananias and Sapphira are not killed for refusing to give all thier posessions to the church. Some teachers mispresent what really happens, because at first read that's what it looks like. In the book of Acts, the church was coming together as a community. People were joining the church, becoming members of the community, and Acts said they "had all things in common." They shared everything, gave to each other as they had need, and some people were selling their homes and property to give to the common treasury. This is what Ananias and Sopphira see happening. Several people give all they have to the church community, and their gifts are appreciated and the givers loved on. Ananias and Sopphira could have sold what was lawfully thiers and donated any portion of the money to the church. The sin was in telling the church leaders they were donating the entire selling price, which was a lie. They were hoping to receive the glory for doing a good dead they didn't really do in the first place. They had the wrong motivation, and lied to God's people to get an ego boost.
ReplyDeleteWe live in the Age of Grace, but God's righteous judgement is still his discretion. Does this help but the story in a better light?
So was the bigger sin in the lying or in the breaking of community? Or let me put it a different way. What is the bigger issue, lying or breaking community?
ReplyDeleteI don't know what the "bigger" sin is between those two. I was just pointing out that most people walk away from that story with the mistaken notion that God killed them for not giving all they had to the church. That was not required. Their motivation for giving was wrong. They wanted the praise and honor that comes from people, not from God. In seeking their own glory, they lied to the church leaders and before God. They were never really a true part of this community. This community was made up of sincere believers; Ananias and Sopphira only a had a superficial faith. They were posers.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your input. I appreciate it very much. Isn't it funny how the Bible throws in things that seem to come out of nowhere at times?
ReplyDelete