Acts 5:   Ananias and Sapphira (Church Discipline)

  • The church was growing and united –Satan could not tolerate this.
    • His goal: Divide it / Disgrace it / Decrease it
    • Ch.4 thru outside persecution / Ch. 5 from within the church
  • People were selling lands in order to help those who were in need
    • Ananias / Sapphira did this and kept back part of the price
    • Hypocrite: “one who acts a part” (deliberate deception).
    • Their love of praise collided with their love of money (1 Tim.6.10)
    • They lied:  “Sin has many tools, but a lie is a handle that fits them all.”
  • God knows the hearts of all men (Heb.4.13;  Mark 2.8)
  • Ananias—“you conceived this deed in your heart (V.4)
    • Satan tempted but Ananias acted! He was responsible for his actions
    • He lied not only to men but more importantly to God.
  • What was the sin?
    • “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own?”
    • “And after it was sold, was it not under your control?”
    • He did not have to sell it; He did not have to give all the proceeds;
    • He/She said that they gave it all but kept back part of it. (Lied).
    • He fell over dead (Peter was probably as surprised as Ananias!
  • Reaction of the people: Great fear came over all who heard it.
    • See Lev. 10; 2 Samuel 6; Acts 12; Joshua 7.1.
  • Sapphira came in 3 hours later (Partner in the conspiracy)
    • “Tell me whether you sold the land?”
    • She had a chance to repent and tell the truth—she didn’t.
  • “Why have you put God to the test?”
    • Test/tempt: “to check up on God; too see how far He will go:”
    • Matthew 4.7: Jesus said,” You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”
  • If their deception had succeeded, the reliability and authority of the Spirit-led apostles would have been thrown into question and the church would have been left without effective leadership.
    • Galatians 6.7: You cannot make a fool of God!
    • “Great fear came upon all the church.”
    • The church grew as a result (V.12-16). “Believers were multiplied both men and women”
  • More Persecution: (V.17-42). Apostles were cast into prison.
    • An angel released them from prison; Go teach in the temple!
    • They were arrested again the next morning; they did not resist.
    • God can use them in prison or out of prison.
  • The Trial: (V.27-32). The stood before the Council (Sanhedrin) 71 men composed Sandhedrin.
    • “We must obey God rather than men.”
    • “We are witnesses of these things.”
  • Gamaliel’s Advice: (V.33-39).
    • The Sanhedrin was “cut to the heart” Kill them!
    • Pharisees: were ultra conservatives; they had no political ambitions; they believed in spirits and angels; they believed in the resurrection of the dead; (Acts 23.8).
    • Some Pharisees became Christians (Acts 15.5; 23.6).
    • They considered the traditions of men equally as binding as the commandments of God (Matthew 15. 1-9).
    • Leave the apostles alone: if it is of men, it will die out; but if it is of God, then we can’t fight against it. It would succeed in spite of their efforts.
    • God providentially used Gamaliel to preserve the lives of the apostles.
  • The Flogging and Release of the Apostles (V.40-42).
    • They were whipped with strips of leather and on the tips were pieces of bone or metal.
    • The Law allowed up to 40 strokes (Deut. 25.1-3)
    • One executioner did the beating and the other counted the strokes (could not go over 40 strokes. For each one over 40, the executioner was beaten himself.
    • If this blooding beating was successful, then the church would cease to exist.
    • The apostles went on their way rejoicing! What would you have done?
      • Considered worthy to suffer for His name (Matt.5.10-12).
      • Peter’s past, he would have struck back (Matt.26.51). Jesus had changed him!
  • Lessons for Us:
    • Church discipline: sin in the church hurts the cause of Christ; See 1 Cor.5; 2 Thess. 3.6;
    • Our motives must be pure—God knows our hearts
    • Sin is serious business: Achan in Joshua 7; Acts 5; James 1.14,15;
    • We must obey God rather than men. (Romans 13).
    • One cannot rob God and get away with it. (Malachai 3.8).
    • The value of trials—“tested by fire:” (1 Peter 1.6; 4.12). Strengthened!
    • $10,000 example: We are given $10,00 to spend on suffering
      • Some Christians are called to lay down the entire $10,000 at one time as they sacrifice their lives for Christ.
      • For many of us, it is a matter of laying down one dollar at a time
        • We protest when a co-worker uses God’s name in vain
        • We stand up for someone who is being mistreated
        • We refuse to go along with immorality, dishonesty and we are ridiculed.
        • In the end, it all adds up to the same thing! (2 Tim.3.12)