The Tragedy of Ananias and Sapphira: The Lie Against the Holy Ghost
The story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11 is one of the most sobering and severe accounts in the New Testament. It occurs early in the life of the nascent Church in Jerusalem and serves as a terrifying demonstration of the Holy Spirit’s immediate demand for truth and absolute purity within the newly consecrated community.
1. The Context: The Community of Shared Goods (Acts 4:32-37)
The early Church was marked by an extraordinary level of voluntary devotion and unity, including the sharing of possessions to ensure no one was in need:
“And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.” (Acts 4:32, KJV).
A key figure in this communal system was Barnabas, who sold a tract of land and “laid it at the apostles’ feet,” receiving great honor for his generous act.
2. The Transgression: Lying About the Price (Acts 5:1-3)
Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, desired the prestige and acknowledgment given to those like Barnabas, but they were unwilling to surrender their entire material possession. They sold their land, but secretly kept back a portion of the money.
Their fatal mistake was attempting to present a false appearance of total sacrifice while retaining the material security for themselves. This was an act of hypocrisy, but Peter defined it as something far worse: a direct deception of the Holy Spirit.
“But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?”
— Acts 5:1-3 (KJV)
Peter clarified that keeping the money was not the sin; they were free to keep the land or the entire sum. The sin was the lie—attempting to deceive the spiritual authorities and, ultimately, God Himself.
3. The Judgment: The Immediate Condemnation (Acts 5:5, 9-10)
The judgment was immediate and absolute, delivered in two parts, first to Ananias, then to Sapphira three hours later, confirming the severity of the offense and the couple’s collusion.
The Death of Ananias
“And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.” (Acts 5:5, KJV).
The Death of Sapphira
Sapphira was given an opportunity to confess but perpetuated the lie. Peter’s final rebuke confirmed the gravity of their dual transgression:
“Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost…” (Acts 5:9-10, KJV).
This judgment was necessary to establish the sanctity and truthfulness required within the New Covenant Church. It solidified a foundation of great fear among the congregation, reminding them that the Holy Spirit’s presence demands integrity, distinguishing the spiritual sincerity of the true believer from the carnal motives of the hypocrite.
The Return Question: The Integrity of the Heart
The Lord’s Return will be a time when the “secrets of all hearts” are judged and exposed (Romans 2:16). How does the swift and severe judgment upon Ananias and Sapphira for attempting to deceive the Holy Spirit underscore the necessity of absolute sincerity and integrity of heart among the faithful as they prepare for the Second Coming, when no hidden motive will remain unexposed?
The tragic lesson of Ananias and Sapphira is a powerful answer to The Return Question. It serves as a perpetual warning against hypocrisy and the attempt to mix worldly security with spiritual devotion. The Church awaiting Christ must be characterized by total honesty before God, recognizing that the Spirit of the living God will not be deceived or mocked by outward show. True readiness for the returning Lord requires an inner reality that matches the outward profession, holding nothing back from God.