Ananias and Sapphira saw Barnabas' example (Acts 4:36-37) and wanted to get the same notoriety for themselves without the level of commitment that Barnabas showed. The notoriety doesn't belong to Barnabas, though, and they didn't seem to understand that. They weren't just stealing money from God, but honor. That, combined with their proximity to the center of The Way, served as a lightning rod for God's wrath.
Acts 5:1-11
Ananias' sin wasn't holding back some of the proceeds from the sale of his house. There's no command to sell your house and give everything to the community. He sinned by breaking a vow and lying about it. Acts 5:3-4
Many people have broken vows to God and lied about it like Ananias in Acts 5. That God hasn't struck them dead doesn't mean he doesn't care. It only means he's patient and slow to anger. The story of Ananias should inspire fear and obedience.
Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
Acts 5:10
Although Ananias is portrayed as the primary culprit in Acts 5, Luke makes a special point of highlighting Sapphira's complicity. A wife's duty to obey her husband isn't absolute. "Obey God rather than man" applies here too.
#patriarchy
My ortho’s logo is the tree of life with a splint. That’s pretty funny!
Many believers gave everything to the community in the beginning, but Barnabas was specifically named at the end of Acts 4 to present a counterpoint to Ananias and Sapphira in chapter 5.
The Bible frequently presents contrasting characters to emphasize a point. For example...
Jacob:Esau
Joseph:Judah
Barnabas:Ananias
Paul's whole closing to this chapter/subject is about not giving a false witness to non-believers. If they are participating in idolatry and ask us to do the same, then to them we are saying what they are doing is okay. However, if they are not freely giving information on things being sacrificed in idolatry, we don't need to worry about it.
While the action being spoken of here is eating, the premise of the whole chapter is idolatry. In America, we don't really have too much experience with this concept as most of what we think about when it comes to idolatry is things people did in the past.
https://thestraightandnarrow.cfw.me/comics/837
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"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."
Mt 7
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