Bible Study Series: 3 Part Series: Biblical Exposition on the Book of Acts Chapter Five: Lies... "Hypocrisy and the Judgment of God"

Acts 5:1-11       " Lying to the Holy Spirit"
5 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him. Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter answered her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?" She said, "Yes, for so much."
"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." 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. So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things".

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​Bible Study Outline:  Bible Study Outline on the Book of Acts Chapter 5
Introduction:    
 
In Chapter 4, Luke gave us an account of how liberally and with sincerity the early Christians willingly sold property and goods and placed the proceeds at the Apostles’ feet to make provision for the poorer believers. Luke made special mention of Barnabas because he epitomized to what degree they were willing to make these provisions. But, alas, in this 5th chapter, Luke will reveal how hypocrisy quickly infiltrated the church through the act of giving and how severely God dealt with those who were guilty of doing this. The action of Ananias and Sapphira is a clear example of being the exact opposite spiritually in how the others gave and is the gravest example of insincerity, and hypocrisy in a person. Their very action serves as the example of the very definition of hypocrisy.
What these two did illustrates the art and cunning craftiness of (Satan) in his blatant attempt to corrupt the church, and to pervert the religion of the gospel and corrupt the rudiments of the church. Hypocrisy when displayed in a member of a church in the church setting is an attempt of that member to "imitate" the people of God, or to assume the "appearance" of religion, in whatever form it may be manifested without being truthful in their acts of benevolence..

Ananias and Sapphira :         Lying to the Holy Ghost                                     (verses 1-10)
 
Ananias and Sapphria sold property and keep some of the money, but brought the remaining part of the money and laid it at the apostle’s feet as if they had given the whole amount the property was sold for.  (vs. 1-2)

What we can deduce from the passage:​ 
According to Adam Clarke's Commentary, Ananias and Sapphira were evidently people who professed faith in Christ with the rest of the disciples. While all were making sacrifices for the present necessity, they came forward among the rest, yet pretending to bring all the money they had gotten for a possession which they had sold. For some reason, they kept back a part of the money they received,. For whatever their reasoning was to make the decision they did, on this, they weren't being willing to trust entirely to the bounty of Providence, as the others did; thinking probably, that, as the whole was their own, they had a right to do with it as they pleased. And so they had, they were under no necessity or obligation to sell their possession; They decided to sell the property of their own volition. but because they sold the property for the sole purpose to of bringing the money received into the common stock, they were left with an obligation to give all the money they received in the selling of said property. The money was no longer in their control over it, nor property in it; and their pretense, that the money which they brought was the whole produce of the sale, was a direct lie in itself, and an attempt to deceive the Holy Spirit, under whose influence they pretended to act. This constituted the iniquity of their sin. 

God’s Grave Rebuke:  Peter asked: Why did you lie?                            (vs. 3-4)

1. You allowed Satan to fill your hearts to lie to the Holy Ghost.
2. You conceived in your heart to keep back part of the money.
3. It was your money to do as you desired to do. Sharing your wealth was strictly voluntary. You had no obligation whatsoever to give….but….
4. You gave in deception and kept back part of money professing complete loyalty to God . Once you decided to give….you were then obligated to give it all!

Point: The action of Ananias and Sapphira is a clear example of being the exact opposite spiritually in how the others gave and is the gravest example of insincerity, and hypocrisy in a person. Their very action serves as the example of the very definition of hypocrisy.
What these two did illustrates the art and cunning craftiness of (Satan) in his blatant attempt to corrupt the church, and to pervert the religion of the gospel and corrupt the rudiments of the church. Hypocrisy when displayed in a member of a church in the church setting is an attempt of that member to "imitate" the people of God, or to assume the "appearance" of religion, in whatever form it may be manifested without being truthful in their acts of benevolence..

God’s Judgment for Their Lying: Immediate Death                     (vs. 5-9)
Tragically, Annaias dies immediately……..literally drops dead and takes his last breath, causing a fear within the crowd who heard the conversation between Peter and him.     (vs. 5)
Young men from the congregation (servants who were used as attendants during the worship services) wound up Ananias’ body (that is, wrapped up his body placing spices within the wrap as they wound the linen cloth around him to prevent “putrefaction”.)  (vs. 6)
Please note that Sapphira was not aware of the death of her husband and arriving three hours later to worship shows that they didn’t attend the same worship service that day. It’s also apparent no one either had left that service Ananias attended or if they did, they certainly didn’t inform his wife of what had taken place. She didn’t suspect anything had gone amiss and was totally unaware that death was awaiting her when she attended the next prayer hour,
Point of Interest: (The Jews held “hours” of prayer sessions at 3 hour intervals)    
And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
Sapphira was fully aware of the land transaction, the actual amount of money gained and the amount of money presented to the Apostles, even though she didn’t appear with him at that service.  
Peter interrogates her:  Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much?
Sapphira’s response:      Yea, for so much. (vs. 8)
Peter then asked: How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? (vs. 9a)
 
In other words, the question was: What made you think that you and your husband could come up with this deceptive plan of giving less than the actual amount you received for the land to the church as if the Holy Spirit wasn’t aware that the two of you acted in hypocrisy and lied to the church?
 
The belief here is they did this to see if the Holy Spirit could actually detect and act of Hypocrisy.
 
Peter continues: Behold, the feet of them (the servants) that buried your husband are at the door (that is, are on the way back from burying your husband and when they return) and they will carry you out (they will bury you too) (vs. 9b)
Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. (VS. 10-11)
 
The great “burning question is: why did God handle this situation this way?
Barnes and Noble Commentary offered the following reasons for our consideration:
Fact:  This was an atrocious crime-a deep and dreadful act of iniquity. It was committed knowingly, and without excuse. Acts 5:4.
God determined it was important that sudden and exemplary punishment should follow what they did:
Because the society of Christians was just then organized and
It was designed that it should be a "pure" society, and should be regarded as a body of holy men.
Much depended on making an "impression" on the people that sin could not be allowed in this new community, but would be detected and punished.
 
Fact:   God has often, in a most solemn manner, shown his abhorrence of hypocrisy and insincerity. By awful declarations and fearful judgments he has declared his displeasure at it.
The writer in this commentary states: “ In a particular manner, no small part of the preaching of the Savior was employed in detecting the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees, and denouncing heavy judgments on them”.
 
In the beginning stage of the Christian church, it was extremely important, to impress upon the church and the world the real danger and guilt of operating God’s church in members acting in hypocrisy. Jesus founded the church and stated “Upon this rock (faith in Jesus Christ as Messiah) I will build MY Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”. Jesus (God in the flesh) who cannot lie and who will not let any lie stand knew (in HIS infinite and intrinsic wisdom) that lying to the Holy Spirit (with the spirit of hypocrisy) is one of the most insidious and deadliest enemies to the purity of the church. So, it is clearly evident God Himself set up this solemn, stern warning to guard against it. Thus, God laid the bodies of Ananias and Sapphira (in causing their immediate death) in the path of every hypocrite that would enter the church as a vivid reminder of what could happen if you defraud HIS church. So if anyone entered in (in hypocrisy) and are destroyed because of it, they cannot make the plea that they were not fully warned beforehand of the danger of being openly a hypocrite with the agenda of defrauding the church of what belongs to the Church. If anyone practices iniquity "in" the church, they cannot plead ignorance of the fact that God intends to detect, call out hypocrisy and punish them severely.
 
Fact: The apostles were in the beginning stage of establishing their apostolic authority. They claimed to be (and were) to be under the influence of divine inspiration (Holy Spirit filled).
 
To establish their apostolic authority, it was necessary to show (through the Holy Spirit imparting discernment through them) that they could know the views and motives of those who became connected with the church. If their God given authority was easily imposed on, it would go far to destroy their authority and their claim to infallibility.
 
If they showed (through Holy Spirit discernment) that they could detect hypocrisy, even where most artfully concealed, it would establish the divine authority of their message. At the "commencement" of their work, therefore, they gave this decisive and most awful proof that they were under the guidance of the “infallible” Teacher, Jesus Christ
 
Fact: This incident does not stand alone in the New Testament.
 
There are other instances contained in the Bible they had the divine authority to call into question and execute judgment on insidious behavior that took place in the Christian church. It is clear from those other instances that the apostles had the power of punishing sinners, and clearly established that a violation of the commands of Christ was dealt with by sudden and fearful judgments. A good example of this was the case of Elymas the sorcerer in Acts 13:8-11. Neither does this event stand alone in the history of the world. Acts of judgment sometimes occur as sudden and decided, in the providence of God, as in this case. The profane man, the drunkard, the profligate offender is sometimes suddenly stricken down, as in this instance. Cases have not been uncommon where the blasphemer has been smitten in death with the curse on his lips; and God often thus comes forth in judgment to slay the wicked, and to show that there is a God that reigns in the earth.
 
Special Important Note: It must be emphasized here that God is the sole judge of how judgment against sin will be dealt with. God is the discerner of the heart and only HE knows the depth of wickedness contained in the soul of every man. God is a just God and HE will deal with every sin at His discretion to it would be ludicrous for anyone to say that God is not fair in His judgments. God’s ways are not our ways and God’s thoughts are not our thoughts.

Dr. William Edward Boddie​