Ananias and Sapphira, Acts 5:1-11

GOSPEL MEDITATION # 16

Ananias and Sapphira—Acts 5:1-11

(Also see: Lev. 10:1-11; Mt. 6:24, & 1 Peter 5:6-11)

  1. Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions.
  2. Be comfortably alert, still and at peace.
  3. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer
  4. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
  5. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.
  6. Reread it. From memory, determine the central points.
  7. Now a shift—Ananias and Sapphira connive to sell property but withhold a certain amount for themselves. It would be thought that they brought in the whole amount; perhaps they wanted attention and praise from the Church.
  8. First Ananias, after questioning by Peter, drops dead. Probably not due to fright and fear, but by the hand of God. Then, 3 hours later, Sapphira, the wife, has the same thing happen to her. They are buried, no official inquiry is made, no report to authorities is made either. We are not sure of what would have been proper or expected in that situation.
  9. This is not the first time something like this appears in Scripture. It is necessary now to study the story of Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron, found in Leviticus 10:1-11. These two priests offered, drunkenly, worship in an unauthorized manned. They paid for it with their lives.
  10. Then there is the story of Achan in Joshua 7:11ff.
  11. The account of Ananias and Sapphira shows a shift in the life of the Church; nothing like this ever occurs again in Acts. We are left to wonder why Luke included this event.
  12. It is in sharp contrast with Barnabas’ generosity. Notice “But” in 5:1. The “dirty laundry” is not hidden from view.
  13. Jesus made it clear we cannot serve God and mammon, and mammon meaning money. (see Mt. 6:24) Money, and power that goes with it, is so often the devil’s tool to corrupt us. We see this in our world and in ourselves.

 

They had Everything in Common & Ananias and Sapphira Acts 4:32-5:11

GOSPEL MEDITATION # 15

Acts 4:32-37 & 5:1-11

They had Everything in Common & Ananias and Sapphira

  1. Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions.
  2. Be comfortably alert, still and at peace.
  3. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer
  4. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
  5. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.
  6. Reread it. From memory, determine the central points.
  7. Some 5000 new believers in Jerusalem and many of these had homes far away, necessity was laid upon the new born Church and the Holy Spirit was working powerfully.
  8. “One heart and soul”—a common saying meaning they experienced homothumadon meaning one mind.
  9. The apostles continued to preach Jesus and the resurrection.
  10. They operated under two principles: one, they depended upon the apostles to distribute funds, and two, the distribution was based upon need.
  11. Luke now introduces the reader to Barnabas, one of the most significant figures in the early Church.
  12. Now a shift—Ananias and Sapphira connive to sell property but withhold a certain amount for themselves. It would be thought that they brought in the whole amount; perhaps they wanted the attention and honor of the apostles.
  13. First Ananias, after questioning by Peter, drops dead. Probably not due to fright and fear, but by the hand of God. Then, 3 hours later, Sapphira, the wife, has the same thing happen to her. They are buried, no official inquiry is made, no report to authorities is made either. We are not sure of what would have been proper or expected in that situation.
  14. This is not the first time something like this appears in Scripture. It is necessary now to study the story of Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron, found in Leviticus 10:1-11. These two priests offered, drunkenly, worship in an unauthorized manned. They paid for it with their lives.

16.       The account of Ananias and Sapphira shows a shift in the life

The Believers Pray Boldness

GOSPEL MEDITATION # 14

Acts 4:23-31

The Believers Pray for Boldness

  1. Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions.
  2. Be comfortably alert, still and at peace.
  3. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer.
  4. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
  5. Carefully read the passage of Scripture. Reread it.
  6. From memory, determine the central points.
  7. Peter and John, arrested by the Council are ordered to stop proclaiming Jesus, but state they must obey God instead.
  8. When released they rejoined their “friends” and make a full report to the gathered followers of Jesus.
  9. The reaction of those believers was to begin praying to their “Sovereign Lord” the creator of all things, and they also quote from Psalm 2, where David spoke of opposition and persecution that would come to the Lord’s anointed.
  10. The list of those who oppose the Gospel is essentially inclusive of all rulers and peoples.
  11. The early church is keenly aware of the predestination work of their creator God. Thus they are not shocked or shaken by the forces arrayed against them.
  12. The difficulties are not ignored nor minimized but admitted.
  13. There is no mention or retreating, going underground, or softening the message; rather the believers pray for boldness to keep on with their commission.
  14. The believers also know that by means of signs and wonders their message will be affirmed and confirmed.
  15. “Holy servant Jesus” is how those early believers spoke of Jesus, and servant is paida which is Greek for child.
  16. The prayer concluded, (it is not clear what form the prayer took nor if all prayed or if there was a leader) the unknown location they were in was “shaken” (wish we had more details on what this was) and the believers were “filled” with the Holy Spirit. Not likely a second Pentecost but an inner renewal and strengthening of those present at the time.