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NASB | Acts 5:1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Acts 5:1 Now a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, |
Bible Question:
Acts 5:1-11. I do not read an english version of the bible so i can not use the right words. But this part of the book i find a bit strange, Peter asks the husband about the price for his property etc. and as i read this it almost seems like he knows that they are both going to die. And therefor not be saved (?), wich makes me wonder if he really loved all people like a TRUE follower of christ. But i know he must have. But he throws some judgeing words at the husband like he wants him to feel really guilty? Im confused. Could anyone care to explane this a bit ? |
Bible Answer: If I understand your question, there is a prior assumption made in regards to this scripture. More specifically, that strong confrontation of sin and therefore the use of strong words is not an acceptable christian reaction.(See Matthew 23) We know that Jesus Loved the pharisees and saducees, therefore strong words brought forth to convict and bring people out of sin are accepthable. If Jesus used words to confront sin strongly, then it is necessary at times to do likewise. We must be careful how we apply that in our own lives. Speak in God's Name only with fear and trembling lest we misrepresent Him. We more closely resemble Christ when we "forgive one another" and "consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." "Love your enemies and do good to those who persecute you." "You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then the Lord and the Teacher washed your feet, you also ought to wash one anothers feet." And remember, Jesus also washed the feet of Judas. With this in mind, it is far safer to pray that the LORD convicts someone and brings them to repentence than to take it upon ourselves to bring about this end. Believe me, He is capable of convicting the heart. And change brought from the interior and worked out has far longer and more thorough results than change imposed from the exterior and tried to work in. Another assumption I perceive as being inherent to your question, was that of Peter's emotional response to what had occurred. Was there love in his actions? This is not explicitely stated in the verse and therefore can not be assumed. Maybe his heart was grieved for he of all of the people present saw and felt the weight of the consequence of the sin which Ananias and Saphira engaged in. Wouldn't I ask "Why have you done this?" if I were Peter? The consequence of their sin and the subsequent judgement (by God not Peter) caused great fear to come over the whole church. Imagine the questions and looks which Peter received after this event. Did He choose to be leader? I bet at this point he wondered if he could find a replacement. To further Peter's defense, he had a solemn calling on his life and he of all people had to place God's opinion of him over other peoples. If someone thought the event harsh and chose to judge Peter, God would acclaim and honor him for making a stand that God inspired and chose. There is no prophet that I know of that had an easy life. They all had to have the courage to stand up to kings and say "Thus says the Lord". They had to make unpopular decisions and were often ostracized and exhiled or killed for their stand for God. Just because a decision is not popular, does not mean it is not the right decision. Lets look more closely at the effect that the acceptance of sin in the early church would have. The corruption of integrity, trust, and the misunderstandings that would ensue could erode the very fabric that the church was being founded on. And what other deceptions and scheming would Ananias and Saphira participate in once if they were accepted in. Note the reaction of the church was that "A great fear came over the whole church and over all who heard of these things." I am sure that other believers were "encouraged" to remain holy after this example. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." and so the church would act more wisely as a result of witnessing all that occurred that day. As another result, "multitudes were added to their number."(acts 5:14) Who can scrutinize the ways of God and understand the mystery of His Wisdom. We can safely assume one of God's motives was love. How can we see this act as loving? Note the fruit in others lives first. The end result was greater love and holiness and unity in the church. Did the ends justify the means? We must be careful not to assume ill will on God's part. He Loved Ananias and Saphira with an everlasting love just as He loves each of us. So what could be good about what happened to them? Maybe God wanted to spare them from greater evil.(Isaiah 57:1-2) Maybe they were saved and were acting in the flesh in which case heaven was a merciful gift, not a punishment. We can not see life and death from all pespectives as God can and so with limited insight I delve into this topic. And if this was a case of God's judgement of evil, remember, 3 hours lapsed between Ananias' death and Sapphira's declaration that they were being honest and forthright. During those three hours, I like to believe that God convicted her of her choices and encouraged her to choose differently. I hope this helps. |
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