Ananias and Sapphira
Ananias (pronounced /ˌænəˈnaɪ.əs/) and his wife Sapphira (/sæˈfaɪrə/) were, according to the Acts of the Apostles, members of the Early Christian church in Jerusalem.
[edit] The story
Acts chapter 4 closes by stating that the Christian believers in the early Church did not consider their possessions to be their own, but they had all things in common, and that a church member, Barnabas, sold a plot of land and donated the profit to the apostles. Ananias and Sapphira also sold their land, but withheld a portion of the sales, having decided that they did not wish to give it all to the common purse.
In chapter 5, Ananias presented his donation to Peter claiming that it was the entire amount. Peter replied, "Why is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit?" Peter pointed out that Ananias was in control of the money and could give or keep it as he saw fit, but that he had withheld it from Peter and lied about it, and stated that Ananias had not only lied to Peter, but also to God. Ananias died on the spot, and as a result, everyone who heard the tale became afraid. Three hours later, his wife told the same lie and suffered the same fate.
[edit] Interpretation
Other scholars say it may be a retelling of the story of Achan in Joshua 7. The meaning is unclear to many.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ Wickstrom, Mark (2008). The Gospel of Grace. Beaver's Pond Press. pp. 49–50. ISBN 13:978-1-59298-232-5.
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
- Acts 5 at WikiSource
- King James Version Bible Commentary. 1831 pages. Thomas Nelson Publishing: 2005. ISBN 1-4185-0340-1.
