Ananias's death and relevance for today?

[carlos123]

Hi everyone,

I have been reading in Acts and came upon the story of Ananias and his wife Sapphira (in chapter 5) and how they died for lying to the Holy Spirt and had a couple of questions about this that I would appreciate input on.

What was the lie that led to their deaths?

Is there a modern day equivalent of the kind of lie that led to their deaths?

Assuming there is a modern day equivalent, why are people not put to death by God when lying to the Holy Spirit today?

I don't want to get into a lengthy discussion of this on a thread (preferring much rather to discuss things at greater length through email) but am curious as to what some of you think in answer to these questions.

Carlos

[yomotalking]

When I read this post, what came into my mind was, The Church had to be born in holiness.

I've just read in my bible, the following,

"Ananias and Sapphira were judged for their hypocrisy and lying to God. Their deaths were necessary both to establishapostolicaythorityin the early church andto safegaurd the churches purity."

Perhaps it doesn't happen today because Jesus is forever interceding for us?

yomo

[Leonard]

Maybe it still happens, just not quite so dramatically.......?

[Guest shiloh357]

Hi everyone,

I have been reading in Acts and came upon the story of Ananias and his wife Sapphira (in chapter 5) and how they died for lying to the Holy Spirt and had a couple of questions about this that I would appreciate input on. 

What was the lie that led to their deaths?

Is there a modern day equivalent of the kind of lie that led to their deaths? 

Assuming there is a modern day equivalent, why are people not put to death by God when lying to the Holy Spirit today?

I don't want to get into a lengthy discussion of this on a thread (preferring much rather to discuss things at greater length through email) but am curious as to what some of you think in answer to these questions. 

Carlos

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Carlos,

Annanias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit. To have sold their property for a certain price. They sold their property for a higher price, held back some of the profit for themselves and tried to convince Peter that the amount they were giving was the total amount they recieved for the property.

They were not required to give all the money, and they were not even required to sell the property to begin with. They tried to appear more pious than they really were.

As for modern equivalents... any time we try to decieve people into thinking that we are more holy or pious than we really are, we are liars. There is no room for pretense in the body of Messiah.

Why are not people put to death by God for such things today? I don't know.

[tsth]

Maybe too simplistic, but it seems to me that it is a simple picture of those who are "in" church, but not of God. One who does not believe in Jesus Christ dies, even if they are "playing" church, which is seemingly what that story symbolizes to me.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[carlos123]

Hmmm...I wonder if the reason that God does not put to death more of us iis because either we are not selling houses and giving to each other to meet needs in a way that would put us in the kind of position Ananias and his wife were such that we could similarly lie

OR

perhaps the Church has fallen so far into being so full of sin and unrighteousness and lying to the Holy Spirit that if God were to put to death today He would have to take half the church in order to make the same point today.

Carlos

[carlos123]

I just thought of something else....

God has not changed has He? In other words He is the same yesterday, today, and forever right?

Given that ......

Observe that God did not act until AFTER Peter had said his piece and confronted Ananias and Saphirra.

Could it be that the Church has lost it's Peter's and Paul's? Could it be that in the Church of today leaders in the role of Peter are too intimidated by the thought of calling down death from God for lying to the Holy Spirit? And as such that God does not act among us in the same way?

Not because He does not want to. Not because He no longer acts that way. But rather because we as a Church have not called on God to be who He is in our midst?

If a Church leader were to do as Peter did it would likely result in them being investigated by the police for murder, calling in the coroner as opposed to the young men, and certainly the bodies could not be buried in the backyard. What would we do? So in one sense perhaps the Church has lost it's spiritual courage (I was going to use another word here that might not come accross very well on a Christian forum ).

Surely God has not changed. It must be us, the Church somehow!

Carlos

[Botz]

I think the point made by Yomo was a very good one.

The Church had been born into holiness...and in the establishing of the Church G-d was jealous of the purity of His Bride and did not want to see it sullied and to be ridiculed at such an important stage of development.

I can see similarities to this when Moses brought out the Children of Israel from Egypt...and in the Wilderness the people of G-d were purified often by many being killed by war or disease until G-d established those who were truely seeking Him to take the land and establish His Law throughout the area.

There is also an interesting Scripture that often puzzles people concerning Elisha..

2Kings 2:23 And he went up from there to Bethel. And he was going up in the highway. And little boys came out from the city and mocked him, and said to him, Go up, bald head! Go up, bald head!

2Ki 2:24 And he turned behind him and saw them, and declared them vile in the name of Jehovah. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two boys of them.

G-d is not going to allow the Devil to dishearten his chosen servant at the beginning of his ministry and demonstates that even children are not immune from His anger when it comes to establishing His servant.

[Dad Ernie]

Could it be that the Church has lost it's Peter's and Paul's?

[Anne]

DE,

Regarding your point, on Peter not calling down death, I was just about to post that...............lol.................Well said Dad Ernie.

*Waddles off and makes herself useful elsewhere*

Your Sister in Christ Jesus

Anne