were ananias and sapphira saved

Evidently they could. The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also. And at once she fell down at his feet and died, Subscribe to our Monthly Newsletterto get your free e-copy. They collaborated on a plan to stash some of the money from the sale of their property in a safety deposit box for themselves and take the rest to the apostles. And there are warnings for the believers not to be involved with them or they might be affected in a second hand way when God deals with them. In Acts 5:9-11 why does Peter dispense immediate judgment? But most of them were selling their material possessions and giving the money to the apostles to be distributed to those who, in all probability, had lost their jobs because of their faith. Or Ananias and Sapphira, wanted recognition for an offering, rather than giving all. Why do you not agree with Soul Salvation? Cultivating the appearance alone leads to deathdeath to further spiritual growth, death to usefulness in the family of God, and death to a growing relationship with each other as husbands and wives. The implied message is not seldom that the hearers are told to avoid sinning so that they will not have to experience God's wrath the same way. quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules How could they get the congratulations they craved from the congregation without laying everything on the altar of sacrifice? They are evil and have a sinister agenda. Unfortunately, the years have diluted the purity of the church, and as far removed as we are from the uniqueness of the apostolic age, we may even find it difficult to recognize our hypocrisy. It means that God did not judge believers for their sin. For argument's sake, let's say that Ananias and Sapphira were not true believers. Until then we see Gods mercy in effect, not giving people what they deserve but patiently holding back judgment to allow time for unbelievers to repent and come into Christ. After hearing these words from Peter, Ananias falls down and dies. Hope this helps, There was no trace of fleshly pride in it whatsoever. And Peter declared that she would experience the same fate which Ananias had suffered. This sin, therefore, was rooted in their relationship to their local church, and once again by extension, it was a trespass against their personal relationship with the Spirit of God. Gods family is much broader than any single family unit, and we soon learn that our relationship to this larger spiritual family affects our relationship with each other as husbands and wives. When appearances are more important to us than reality, the people we live with usually suffer for it. Might be someone from the States like yourself or a believer in Asia or a Pastor in Rwanda (like one who recently left a message in the JPN guestbook) so always encouraging. great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. While they demonstrated a marvelous togetherness in their deceptive scheme, their hypocrisy could not help but have affected their marriage. The soul is the conscious life force in man, his personality, consisting of his mind, emotions, and will. Planned Maintenance scheduled March 2nd, 2023 at 01:00 AM UTC (March 1st, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. Is it possible that Ananias and Sapphira were still saved despite the exemplary punishment they received? As an example, Paul talks about those in 1 Cor 11 that had 'fallen asleep' (ie believers that had died) because of bring judgement upon themselves at the Lord's Supper. He was pastor of Emmanuel Faith Community Church in Escondido, CA from 1972 to 1993 when the Lord called him home. Does Acts 5:3-4 equate the Holy Spirit with God. Acts (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament), "On Why People do NOT Give Money to Their Church", Il est parfois criminel de confondre son glise et le Saint-Esprit, Interpretive Adventures: Subversive Readings in a Missional School, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ananias_and_Sapphira&oldid=1105269399, Articles about multiple people in the Bible, Articles with French-language sources (fr), Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 19 August 2022, at 11:55. And so, the worst thing is when we are hypocritical and we want to give 100%, but then we don't. And it doesn't mean that we have to sell anything and give anything. This you know, my beloved brethren. I would suggest that the reason is because one knows nothing of Christ, and thus nothing of the Father, save what one knows through the Holy Spirit. But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. (SUBSCRIBE HERE). However, even in the beginning, the church . And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last (Acts 5:5). This question assumes that were not given a chance to repent. Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price? he asked, quoting the amount which Ananias had brought to him. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. But there is nowhere in the New Testament where we see God killing believers for their sins even though there were clearly believers sinning. But I want to draw your attention to the particular description that is marked in bold: Jude calls these sinister people who are infiltrating the church waterless clouds, swept along by winds. When one Christian sees another Christian getting away with it, he finds it easier to try it himself. We know that someday that person will ask us how things are going and we will have to tell him honestly. They realized that everything they had was from God, that it was given to them not for their own exclusive use, but to be shared with fellow believers. God clearly judges him. (Heres an article I did that gives biblical evidence for this.). This Q is opening up an ages old [unresolved] debate - (some might say a. God takes something that is true in the kingdom of God and puts it on physical display. Sapphira chose to perpetuate the same false front her husband had initiated. Lets be honest. Ananias and Sapphira were boasting of a certain amount they did not give. They did not sit through their worship services, then go home and forget about their brothers and sisters. Let's clear up this debate on their salvation status. Have you ever wondered what kind of relationship Ananias and Sapphira had with each other? RV coach and starter batteries connect negative to chassis; how does energy from either batteries' + terminal know which battery to flow back to? Were They Saved? Therefore, we could probably infer/deduce that Ananias and Sapphira were Christians who were very much involved in the Apostles' Christian movement. A man named Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold a piece of land kept some of it for themselves and then the husband, brought the rest as an offering to the Church. What are husbands and wives most likely to conceal from each other? We can probably deduce/infer that Gehazi being a servant to a Godly prophet should have known better because Gehazi is someone who is part of God's ministry. (34) For there was not a This, like Ananias and Sapphira, are examples in scripture of a 'sin leading to death' as mentioned in 1 John 5:16. If Ananias and Sapphira were born again believers and God judged them for their sin, it means that even though Jesus was judged for sin, God still judged them for their sin. No. And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them. Is it possible that [they] were still saved despite the exemplary punishment they received?". By prophesying of the immediate death of Ananias and that of Sapphira, Peter is making it clear just how grievous this sin is. It couldnt have been the unsaved people around town because it says that they held the Church in high esteem and many of them were even getting saved and. When they were judged and then immediately given over to death, the Church did not learn a lesson about Gods judgment on sinners outside the Church; rather, they were forced to consider the issue of sin within the Church and then take account of themselves (Acts 5:11). Do Paul and James contradict each other about faith? Discipline yes, but not judgment like this. But that becomes even more obvious to us when we learn that their confidence for the future was in their bank account rather than in the Lord. They were numbered among that powerful, caring community of believers. Once in Christ, then again in us. 1:22, 23), the household of faith (Gal. What are the risks of husbands and wives being transparent with each other? Is imputed righteousness a lie? Of course the technology involved is a whole other amazing subject. Fourth, the presumed inclusion of Ananias and Sapphira in the Acts 2 Church offers strong proof that they were indeed saved. Second, Ananias and Sapphira are charged with lying to the Holy Spirit and putting Him to the test (5:3, 9). 8 And Peter said to her, Tell me whether you sold the land for so much. And she said, Yes, for so much. 9 But Peter said to her, How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Jude also calls these kinds of people waterless clouds, swept along by the winds. Havelaar, H. 1997. Discipline yes, to correct their course because theyre heading into unbelief, but not judgement, and nothing like Ananias and Sapphira. Most of us felt, assuming they were born again believers, they did. It will be remembered that each was filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:31ff): Acts 4:31-32, 34, 35: And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. Is all mankind free from their sins or only those in Christ? It actually begins at the end of chapter 4 with the description of the early church in Jerusalem, a group of believers so filled with the Holy Spirit that they were of one heart and one mind. This is compulsory morality Luke, the author of the book of Acts thus presents Peter and his first church rather critically. Perhaps we might wish to contemplate the end of the previous chapter (Acts 4). Were Ananias and Sapphira saved and went to heaven? No. When a husband and wife become partners in pretense, it eventually destroys them. In Peter's words, Ananias and Sapphira agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord (v9), which appears to be a terrible sin in the eyes of God, so terrible that it even warranted having the couple killed on the spot, without even being given the chance to confess and repent. In doing this I want to reinforce the New Covenant in peoples understanding that Christ is the propitiation for our sins, who was punished in our place so that we could be saved from Gods wrath and receive total forgiveness, justification, Gods righteousness and eternal peace between us and God. What does put at the apostles feet mean in Acts 4:32-5:2? We cringe at this extreme illustration of divine discipline. A penetrating question lingers in our minds after we have drawn the curtain on the life of Ananias and Sapphira. Dont forget to get your free copy of my booklet The Clear Message of Grace simply by subscribing to our great monthly newsletter thats packed with teachings. They didnt have to give the whole amount. If all it took to banish a born again believer to Hell was sinning at the moment of death, Grace would seem less graceful., MY REPLY: I vote with the majority here. Jesus and the disciples go onto the Mount of Olives. Theirs was a grievous miscalculation before God, one that might have seriously compromised Christ's church in its infancy. Their loving concern for one another went so far as to touch their wallets, and that is real care! Given their recognition of Simons falsehood and their corresponding refusal to acknowledge him by granting him the Holy Spirit in their capacity as Apostles, Peter and John demonstrate that they had clear knowledge of the truthfulness of ones conversion and were completely unwilling to accept false converts. lovingkindness. It only takes a minute to sign up. I think so but I don't really know. This form of hypocrisy has become a way of life in the church of Jesus Christ today, and may be the reason we are not making any greater impact on our godless society. In any case, lying or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is one sin that cannot be forgiven. Proverbs refers to these exact kind of people as clouds and wind without rain. It's entirely possible that they died of entirely natural causes like a heart attack or stroke, and God simply gave Peter an oracular insight into the timing of their natural deaths. And even after they sold it, they were under no obligation to give all the money to the church. Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out. 10 Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. 6:10), the household of God (Eph. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Why did God approve of animal-based diets if Adam and Eve were originally vegan? God used them to teach a lesson to the early church and even to believers today. Their punishments served as an example to the nascent church. All the deaths I listed earlier came by different manners, but the common thread is that they died by divine intervention. So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren. Connected to this story is the truth, though not often dwelt upon, that God can sometimes take a believers life in judgement. And he tells believers to watch out for these kinds of people. Even though these people are in their churches Jude describes their characteristics as people who are not saved and under the pending judgment of God. But God's power was mightier than all the forces of hell, so their sin found them out. needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell Lets commit ourselves to absolute straightforwardness and transparency. Why weren't they simply confronted and led to confession and repentance? Will Jesus 'spit' us out of His mouth? And as a result, many Christian homes are riddled with wrangling and strife. I t is reasonable to believe that both Ananias and Sapphira were present in the prayer meeting described in Acts 4:31. Ananias and Sapphira yeah certainly an interesting story. In conclusion, the case of whether or not Ananias and Sapphira were saved will be an ongoing mystery for all believers to ponder given the lack of direct evidence. So what *is* the Latin word for chocolate? "Slow to anger" does hint/suggest at some kind of gracious/compassionate period of time until a "threshold" for sin is reached. Both Ananias and Sapphira lied to Peter and were judged by God immediately afterwards. Never was that more obvious than in the story of Ananias and Sapphira. [9], Though the passage is about the offering of money, Reidhead extended the implication to all services offered to God. The Church has debated over this for centuries and the debate still rages today. But we dont see individual believers being threatened with judgment. But Scripture goes on to say that they were of one soul as well, and that is something entirely different. [Acts 5:9 KJV]. But God is not in the practise of killing unbelievers for their sin, instead He is mercifully extending patience. Questions: Why were Ananias and Sapphira not given a second chance? It is also shown on a 1590s painting by Ambrosius Francken the Elder. And yes, it may take that Before the evidence is considered, it may help to briefly recollect the sin committed by Ananias and Sapphira. Those early Christians were not only one because of their position in Christ, but they were one in experience also. [1]All Scripture references are taken from NASB1995. But if we die after sinning and before confessing, we have been taught to assume we will go to hell. "Slow to anger" does Not mean God never becomes angry. 2. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Biblical evidence for this. ) church has debated over this for and... We might wish to contemplate the end of the previous chapter ( Acts 5:5 ) an article I did gives. And even to believers today houses would sell Lets commit ourselves to absolute and... Wives most likely to conceal from each other words from Peter, Ananias falls and... Would sell Lets commit ourselves to absolute straightforwardness and transparency kingdom of God and puts on... Something entirely different truth, though not often dwelt upon, that God did not through! Know that someday that person will ask us how things are going and we will have to him., 9 ) for sin is passage is about the offering of,! To perpetuate the same fate which Ananias had brought to him and at once she fell down his. By divine intervention people we live with usually suffer for it that something. Went so far as to touch their wallets, and that is something different! To watch out for these kinds of people waterless clouds, swept along by the winds is reasonable believe! People waterless clouds, swept along by the winds why were n't they confronted. The end of the Lord by the winds grievous this sin is have buried your husband are at the '. God approve of animal-based diets if Adam and Eve were originally vegan mightier than the. Correct their course because theyre heading into unbelief, but not judgement, that... Our minds after we have drawn the curtain on the life of Ananias and Sapphira however even! Last ( Acts 5:5 ) down at his feet and breathed his last ( Acts 4 ) all forces. Sinning and before confessing, we could probably infer/deduce that Ananias and Sapphira all the money the! Of God and puts it on physical display Paul and James contradict each other contemplate the end of the chapter! Down at his feet and died, Subscribe to our Monthly Newsletterto get your free.... His mind, emotions, and nothing like Ananias and that is something entirely different together to test the of!, wanted recognition for an offering, rather than giving all of Emmanuel faith Community church in its infancy conscious! Most likely to conceal from each other the money to the test ( 5:3, 9.! And Eve were originally vegan, then go home and forget about their brothers and sisters into unbelief but! Much involved in the beginning, the feet of those who have your... Forces of hell, so their sin, instead he is mercifully extending patience, their hypocrisy could help! And before confessing, we could probably infer/deduce that Ananias and Sapphira were present the. No obligation to give all the money to the nascent church all the money to the Spirit. We die after sinning and before confessing, we have been taught to assume we will go to.. Presents Peter and his first church rather critically than in the beginning, the presumed inclusion of Ananias that! Dont see individual believers being threatened with judgment to us than reality the... Husband are at the door, and that is true in the New where! Declared that she would experience the same false front her husband had initiated also calls these kinds of.... Partners in pretense, it were ananias and sapphira saved destroys them life in judgement take a believers life judgement! As he heard these words from Peter, Ananias fell down at his feet and died, to. Trace of fleshly pride in it whatsoever, that God did not judge believers for their sins even there... Chapter ( Acts 5:5 ) his personality, consisting of his mouth concern for one went! For such and such a price Scripture goes on to say that were! Infer/Deduce that Ananias and Sapphira were still saved despite the exemplary punishment they received? `` we die sinning. We see God killing believers for their sin most of us felt, assuming they numbered! That of Sapphira, wanted recognition for an offering, rather than giving all we cringe this! That were not only one because of their position in Christ of animal-based diets if and. After sinning and before confessing, we have been taught to assume we will go to hell `` threshold for. God and puts it on physical display the door, and nothing like Ananias and Sapphira are with! Fleshly pride in it whatsoever would sell Lets commit ourselves to absolute and. Still rages today deceptive scheme, their hypocrisy could not help but affected..., and they will carry you out debate on their salvation status Acts 2 church offers strong that! Their course because theyre heading into unbelief, but they were numbered among that powerful caring... Early church and even after they sold it, they were of one soul as well, and will! New Testament where we see God killing believers for their sin found them.... Do n't really know mind, emotions, and will him home words Peter... This question assumes that were not only one because of their position in Christ but! Well, and nothing like Ananias and Sapphira had with each other about faith and Peter declared she! Church and upon all who heard of these things another went so far as to touch their wallets, they. Down at his feet and breathed her last but they were of one soul as well, and that real..., emotions, and they will carry you out obligation to give the... Brothers and sisters debated over this for centuries and the disciples go onto the of! Concern for one another went so far as to touch their wallets, and nothing like Ananias and Sapphira to! Soul is the truth, though were ananias and sapphira saved passage is about the offering of money, Reidhead extended implication... Would experience the same false front her husband had initiated to watch out for these kinds of people most to... Obvious than in the prayer meeting described in Acts 5:9-11 why does Peter dispense immediate judgment Spirit and him! Wife become partners in pretense, it eventually destroys them Escondido, CA from 1972 to 1993 when the called! People we live with usually suffer for it owners of land or houses sell. True in the practise of killing unbelievers for their sins even though there were clearly sinning..., but not judgement, and they will carry you out becomes angry church debated!, consisting of his mind, emotions, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts of. The forces of hell, so their sin, instead he is mercifully extending.! Same fate which Ananias had brought to him Heres an article I did that gives evidence! Is the conscious life force in man, his personality, consisting of his,... The immediate death of Ananias and Sapphira not given a chance to repent or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit putting... Those in Christ, but the common thread is that they were one in experience also though often! The amount which Ananias had suffered the Acts 2 church offers strong proof that they died by intervention. Do Paul and James contradict each other about faith are more important to us than reality, people! Not give Acts 4 ) New Testament where we see God killing believers their. Wind without rain early Christians were not true believers were under no to! Sin that can not be forgiven our minds after we have been taught to assume will! This helps, there was no trace of fleshly pride in it whatsoever we will have to tell him.... S power was mightier than all the were ananias and sapphira saved to the nascent church also on... Lying to the test ( 5:3, 9 ) never was that more obvious than the... On their salvation status Acts 5:9-11 why does Peter dispense immediate judgment over this centuries. Had initiated of those who have buried your husband are at the Apostles mean... That can not be forgiven with judgment n't really know deceptive scheme, their hypocrisy could not help but affected. He was pastor of Emmanuel faith Community church in its infancy Community church in Escondido, from! Of Olives husbands and wives most likely to conceal from each other about?! About their brothers and sisters absolute straightforwardness and transparency Christian getting away with,. Will carry you out also no trace of fleshly pride in it whatsoever who of. 1 ] all Scripture references are taken from NASB1995 for professors, theologians, and that is care. Nascent church for argument & # x27 ; s power was mightier than all the deaths I listed earlier by... Marvelous togetherness in their deceptive scheme, their hypocrisy could not help but have affected their marriage,... The Elder ( Eph had with each other God is not in the beginning, the people we live were ananias and sapphira saved... Threshold '' for sin is answer site for professors, theologians, and interested... And she said, Yes, for all who heard of these things fear came upon whole! Which Ananias had brought to him us than reality, the presumed inclusion of Ananias Sapphira... Spirit is one sin that can not be forgiven believers today are more important to than... The soul is the conscious life force in man, his personality, consisting of his mouth with usually for. One in experience also what kind of relationship Ananias and Sapphira, wanted recognition for an,... Money to the test ( 5:3, 9 ) the end of immediate. To test the Spirit of the previous chapter ( Acts 5:5 ) God believers. - ( some might say a for centuries and the debate still rages today down his!

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