Acts 5:1-11

Ananias and Sapphira. Barnabas-' unworthy counterpart is Ananias, who, in league with his wife, was unwilling to part with all his property, but anxious to appear to have done so. Their crime was that they tried to deceive the Church and God by keeping back part of what was dedicated and belonged to God, and so insulting and wronging the Church. Peter feels the attack as directed against the Spirit, therefore a monstrous one which could only proceed from Satan, the first liar. No compulsion, he says, was applied to anyone to part with his property, nor, when it was sold, with the price of it; this shows the statements of Acts 2:45; Acts 4:32 to be exaggerated; but to pretend to dedicate a property to the community and to keep back part of the price, that was to lie to God who dwelt in the community. The death of Ananias takes place forthwith, whether from a violent convulsion of feeling, or in consequence of a deliberate exercise of the power spoken of by Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:5, we need not decide. The inviolability of the Church is thus placed beyond question (Acts 2:43). Not only its members felt it but all who heard of the occurrence. No customary rites, no elaborate mourning were bestowed on Ananias; his family was not summoned. The younger men (not here the description of an office but a plain statement of fact) disposed of his body as quickly and simply as possible. The second act of this judgment required that Sapphira should not know her husband's fate. The young men have scarcely returned from their dreadful errand; when they come in they find the wife also dead, and do the same to her as to her husband. The impression produced on the Church and on those outside is again dwelt on.