Ananias and Sapphira

Ananias and his wife Sapphira

Acts 5:5-11 Ananias and Sapphira

ACTS 5:5 5 Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things.

How serious of a sin is lying to the Holy Spirit?
Serious enough to be struck dead on the spot, as Ananias and Sapphira learned the hard way.

How serious are all other sins?
Serious enough for Jesus to have died on the cross to save you from them.

ACTS 5:6-7 6 And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him. 7 Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.

Why did Sapphira show up "about three hours" (Acts 5:6) Ananias died?
She hadn't seen him in three hours so may have been looking for him.

ACTS 5:8 8 And Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?” She said, “Yes, for so much.”

Did Peter trap Sapphira with his question, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?" (Acts 5:8)
No, he "answered" her with that question, which means Sapphira first asked him a question or said something that led him to respond with the question.

Why do Peter and Sapphira converse in terms of "so much"?
Both of them most likely could visualize the money that Ananias had brought in and were conversing while looking at and/or pointing to it.

ACTS 5:9-11 9 Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. 11 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.

What does Peter learn from Sapphira's answer?
She had been party to Ananias' lie: "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord?" (Acts 5:9)

Did Peter kill Sapphira?
No, he prophesied that she would end up dead like Ananias.

Were Ananias and Sapphira Christians?
Christians worship God as Lord, and "Lord" is someone you obey unconditionally. Ananias and Sapphira "agreed together" - i.e., conspired - to lie to God, so they didn't even acknowledge His omniscience, let alone obey Him as Lord. Ananias and Sapphira may have claimed to be Christians and called Jesus "Lord," but Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’" (Matthew 7:21-23)

What effect did this incident have on the church?
"Great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things." (Acts 5:11)

Do you know anyone who calls Jesus "Lord" but continues to disobey Him and live in sin - i.e., "practice lawlessness"?