”All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need. For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles. But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!” As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified. Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him. About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?” “Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.” And Peter said, “How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too.” Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.“
Acts of the Apostles 4:32-5:11 NLT
The curious case of Annaia and Saphira is one of the few times that the presence of the Holy Spirit evokes dread so strongly. The story begins with the fact that the new church had come to a general conclusion. This new conclusion was the fresh perspective that everything they had did not belong to them. Instead it belonged to God and therefore should rightfully be available to the church as an asset to use. This wasn’t an edict but a reorientation of the heart. In later passages we see that Peter kept ownership of a house and a boat. These were often used for ministry. Yet, due to this, many believers freely gave their assets and this created a balance of economy within the Body. It was the intended outcome. A change of heart prompts a change of giving which prompts a change of culture and community. But it is a cautionary tale. We see that Ananias and Saphira gave to achieve status, but not out of a change of heart. The result was a deadly culling. Peter makes it clear that the sin was against the Spirit, and it was one of dishonesty. They tried to exchange money for fame. The fact that they lied about keeping some money showed where their heart is. This is not acceptable in our faith cultures. We can take our time to learn how to give freely but we cannot lie about our progress in doing so. Doing this creates a toxic element that must be excised and done so with great prejudice.
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