And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
Great fear fell on the whole young church and on all who heard when Sapphira dropped dead at Peter's feet about three hours after her husband for their agreed fraud in holding back part of the price while presenting it as the whole. They had been free to give or not, but in lying to the apostles they lied to God and to the Holy Ghost and tempted the Spirit of the Lord. The dread that seized all was reverential awe at God's swift judgment on hypocrisy and falsehood, producing greater caution and thorough testing of motives. Infinite Wisdom sent the check to keep the rapidly growing church from disgrace and corruption, making the discerning Spirit a terror to evildoers so that hypocrites could not long remain among true representatives of Christ. The same fear should rest on all who profess Christ afterward as a perpetual warning, for withholding what is consecrated to God remains just as heinous when no visible stroke falls and will be answered for in the final reckoning.
Events Leading to Fear
About three hours after Ananias fell dead, his wife Sapphira fell dead at Peter's feet for the same fraud. They had sold a possession and by agreement kept back part of the price while presenting part as though it were the whole, in order to appear fully self-sacrificing. Their aim was to gain high esteem among believers and to draw support from the common fund while pretending to be moved by the Holy Ghost, claiming to give the proceeds freely to God and to consecrate all while concealing part. They wanted commendation and to appear liberal and self-denying yet were unwilling to give all to God, laying only the rest at the apostles' feet.
No compulsion had been laid on them to give. Yet in lying to the apostles about the price they lied not to men but to God and to the Holy Ghost, and they had agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord. Satan filled the heart once the first approach was cherished, and their answer to Peter was a lie before God who searches the heart and knows the truth. The Holy Spirit read their deception and revealed their real character.
Their deaths came instantly and suddenly without delay. They were a signal manifestation of the wrath of a holy God who hates hypocrisy and falsehood. Lying is regarded with abhorrence as an enormous sin and not a slight evil, and the retribution was swift and terrible. The sudden divine judgment was noticed beyond the church, for Jewish leaders took notice of it. That notice intensified their determination to suppress the apostles.
In council the Jewish priests and rulers falsely charged the deaths upon the apostles as murder. They decided to accuse the apostles of killing Ananias and Sapphira as part of a charge of insurrection and conspiracy to deprive the priests of authority and put them to death. They trusted the mob would then be excited to deal with the apostles as they had dealt with Jesus. They did this because many who had not accepted Christ were weary of arbitrary Jewish rule and anxious for change. They feared that if such persons embraced the apostles' belief acknowledging Jesus as Messiah, the anger of the whole people would turn against the priests who would be made to answer for the murder of Christ, so they determined to take strong measures to stop the apostles.
Meaning of the Fear
Great fear fell upon the whole church, young and newly formed and early in its history, and upon as many as heard of what had happened to Ananias and Sapphira. The deaths brought that fear upon all the new converts and upon everyone who heard of the event, not upon the apostles alone. The sudden deaths were a warning against deception, selfishness, and breaking vows made to God, including pretending to give all while secretly keeping part, which is a grave sin.
That fear was dread in response to God's judgment, and that dread was reverential awe. It was reverential awe that fell on all the new converts and all who heard when God struck the dissemblers dead. The awe answered a signal manifestation of wrath upon avaricious hypocrites whose sin was detected by the Spirit of God.
That awe moved the new converts to greater caution and to more thorough self-examination. It checked hypocrisy and led believers to test the motives behind their actions. The fear produced a searching of the heart that examined why each act was done, rather than resting in outward profession.
Sin Exposed by Judgment
The judgment that brought fear exposed deceit and hypocrisy, fraud and falsehood and pretense. Ananias and Sapphira professed godliness and entire sacrifice while secretly cherishing iniquity, pretending to give fully while withholding part. The Holy Spirit exposed their deception, and selfish, dishonest dealing was shown to be what must be put away.
Their sin was rooted in selfishness warped into covetousness and love of money. They were serving self and worshiping mammon while professing to serve God, dissembling to withhold from the treasury of God means entrusted for advancing His cause. They sacrificed truth to gain favor and esteem, commendation and a reputation for devotion and liberality, ashamed to have brethren know they grudged what they had dedicated. The same principle acts when God's money is taken to supply a fancied deficiency in wages.
They had pledged certain lands to God under the Spirit's influence, then broke that vow by withholding what had been consecrated and promised to God and His cause. They robbed God while making it appear they had given everything, presenting part as a faithful gift while withholding what they had purposed to give. A gift offered under false pretenses is not accepted by God, and guilt rests on others in proportion to similar offenses.
The judgment showed that God searches the heart and human motives and purposes cannot be hidden from Him. He sees hidden sin, knows the truth and knows and will judge fraud, deception, and every kind of dishonesty even when it is hidden. He cannot be deceived or mocked, and will not be deceived by hypocrisy or fraud. The Spirit of truth revealed their real character as pretenders and deceivers, exposing what humans think will never be known, including withholding a portion of what God claims in the tithing system while thinking other people will never know it.
Guarding the Early Church
Infinite Wisdom saw that a check was needed to keep the rapidly growing, young, newly formed church from disgrace, corruption, and demoralization by professed servants of God worshiping mammon. The sudden, instant deaths without delay were a signal manifestation of retributive justice from a holy God who hates hypocrisy and falsehood, searching out hidden selfishness warped into covetousness and deliberate deception. No compulsion had been laid on them to give, yet having pledged under the Spirit's influence they withheld part of what had been consecrated and promised while pretending to give all, lying not to men but to God and to the Holy Ghost after cherishing Satan's first approach. That terrible example checked hypocrisy, warned against deception, selfishness, fraud, and broken vows, and kept the growing church from becoming corrupted and hindered in spreading light and truth.
This signal evidence of the discerning Spirit of Christ in the church, with the Spirit of truth revealing pretenders and deceivers who professed godliness and entire sacrifice while secretly cherishing iniquity and covetously withholding a portion, forever rid the church of this foul blot upon its purity. It was a terror to hypocrites and evildoers, exposing deceit and removing the threat to purity, so they could not long remain in connection with those who in habit and disposition were constant representatives of Christ. As trials and persecution came, only those willing to forsake all for the truth's sake desired to become disciples, so as long as persecution continued the church remained comparatively pure. But when persecution ceased, less sincere and devoted converts were added and the way was opened for Satan to obtain a foothold.
Their presence as unworthy members who joined themselves to the disciples proves that false brethren were mingled with true believers from the beginning and will be found in the church till the close of time. The world therefore has no right to doubt the truth of Christianity because of such members. Christians should not become disheartened because of them, but bear with perverse human nature as Christ bears with it.
Warning for Later Believers
The same fear that rightly fell on the young, rapidly growing church is to rest on all who profess Christ afterward. The judgment was left as a perpetual warning to Christians of all ages against the sin to which human hearts are continually inclined. It guards every generation against covetousness, fraud, hypocrisy, and pretense toward God, because He searches the heart and human motives and purposes cannot be hidden from Him. It warns believers that God sees hidden sin, cannot be deceived or mocked, hates selfishness warped into covetousness and deliberate deception, and requires faithfulness in performing vows made under the Spirit's influence. What brought wrath on God's people in ancient times can bring it on the church as well, for hidden sin can be exposed by God and bring swift judgment.
The absence of a visible judgment today does not make the same sin less serious or less heinous. Breaking a pledge made to God by keeping for oneself what was promised to His work remains a grave offense even when no visible punishment follows, and it will be answered for in judgment. The repeated sin may bring consequences even in this life, though the same signal punishment is not now seen. Those who selfishly enter the health-food work while giving customers the impression that profits aid benevolent enterprises, when in reality they are used for personal interests, are under God's displeasure and will surely meet the same fate in the day of final reckoning as those who acted a lie and met sudden punishment.
Many in the present from love of money dissemble by plans and excuses and withhold from the treasury of God means entrusted for advancing His cause. This includes withholding a portion of what God claims in the tithing system while thinking others will never know it, and withholding part of what is owed while pretending to comply. If visited with the same punishment now, there would be many dead bodies in the churches requiring burial. No one can defraud God and prosper because all are His property, and one unrepentant sinner who conceals covetousness and evades responsibility defiles and corrupts many and will not escape judgment.
The warning reaches churches in every place when dealings in the Lord's work are not straightforward but oppressive. Using lawyers to take advantage of circumstances, doing things that savor of injustice, exacting exorbitant prices, practicing connivance of fraud and hindrance to the triumph of truth, and diverting His means into a wrong channel will just as surely bring punishment and judgment against the wrongdoer. Secret misappropriation of what is given to God is not hidden from Him and can bring corruption into the church. The same principle acted when covetousness led to appropriating God's money to supply a fancied deficiency in wages, as when one who carried the bag stole sums that never appeared on the account while reasoning his labors were not appreciated and he had a right to pay himself until conscience was perverted, and the severe dealing was to stop untold evil from workers using the same excuse to take money or goods for themselves.
Selfish, dishonest dealing and all selfish meanness and underhand dealing must be put away, sin forsaken, and Christian graces cultivated, for the Holy Spirit still exposes deception and condemns it. Christian fathers must pray with children who lie and impress the enormity of lying upon their minds, since God regards lying with abhorrence as an enormous sin and not a slight evil, and continuing in falsehood retards God's work, injures influence, disgraces the liar and fastens the reputation of a liar. Those in positions of trust who carry responsibility and handle sacred things must maintain strict integrity in every transaction, exemplify the mind of Christ, and not overlook or conceal wrongdoing nor bring peculiar traits of character and selfishness into God's sacred cause to mar it, for God knows whether stewards are faithful and still regards sin as offensive and will not tolerate it among His people. Such pretense of entire consecration while lying to the Holy Spirit cost both this present life and the life to come.
Great fear fell on the whole young church and on all who heard when Sapphira dropped dead at Peter's feet about three hours after her husband for their agreed fraud in holding back part of the price while presenting it as the whole. They had been free to give or not, but in lying to the apostles they lied to God and to the Holy Ghost and tempted the Spirit of the Lord. The dread that seized all was reverential awe at God's swift judgment on hypocrisy and falsehood, producing greater caution and thorough testing of motives. Infinite Wisdom sent the check to keep the rapidly growing church from disgrace and corruption, making the discerning Spirit a terror to evildoers so that hypocrites could not long remain among true representatives of Christ. The same fear should rest on all who profess Christ afterward as a perpetual warning, for withholding what is consecrated to God remains just as heinous when no visible stroke falls and will be answered for in the final reckoning.
Events Leading to Fear
About three hours after Ananias fell dead, his wife Sapphira fell dead at Peter's feet for the same fraud. They had sold a possession and by agreement kept back part of the price while presenting part as though it were the whole, in order to appear fully self-sacrificing. Their aim was to gain high esteem among believers and to draw support from the common fund while pretending to be moved by the Holy Ghost, claiming to give the proceeds freely to God and to consecrate all while concealing part. They wanted commendation and to appear liberal and self-denying yet were unwilling to give all to God, laying only the rest at the apostles' feet.
No compulsion had been laid on them to give. Yet in lying to the apostles about the price they lied not to men but to God and to the Holy Ghost, and they had agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord. Satan filled the heart once the first approach was cherished, and their answer to Peter was a lie before God who searches the heart and knows the truth. The Holy Spirit read their deception and revealed their real character.
Their deaths came instantly and suddenly without delay. They were a signal manifestation of the wrath of a holy God who hates hypocrisy and falsehood. Lying is regarded with abhorrence as an enormous sin and not a slight evil, and the retribution was swift and terrible. The sudden divine judgment was noticed beyond the church, for Jewish leaders took notice of it. That notice intensified their determination to suppress the apostles.
In council the Jewish priests and rulers falsely charged the deaths upon the apostles as murder. They decided to accuse the apostles of killing Ananias and Sapphira as part of a charge of insurrection and conspiracy to deprive the priests of authority and put them to death. They trusted the mob would then be excited to deal with the apostles as they had dealt with Jesus. They did this because many who had not accepted Christ were weary of arbitrary Jewish rule and anxious for change. They feared that if such persons embraced the apostles' belief acknowledging Jesus as Messiah, the anger of the whole people would turn against the priests who would be made to answer for the murder of Christ, so they determined to take strong measures to stop the apostles.
Meaning of the Fear
Great fear fell upon the whole church, young and newly formed and early in its history, and upon as many as heard of what had happened to Ananias and Sapphira. The deaths brought that fear upon all the new converts and upon everyone who heard of the event, not upon the apostles alone. The sudden deaths were a warning against deception, selfishness, and breaking vows made to God, including pretending to give all while secretly keeping part, which is a grave sin.
That fear was dread in response to God's judgment, and that dread was reverential awe. It was reverential awe that fell on all the new converts and all who heard when God struck the dissemblers dead. The awe answered a signal manifestation of wrath upon avaricious hypocrites whose sin was detected by the Spirit of God.
That awe moved the new converts to greater caution and to more thorough self-examination. It checked hypocrisy and led believers to test the motives behind their actions. The fear produced a searching of the heart that examined why each act was done, rather than resting in outward profession.
Sin Exposed by Judgment
The judgment that brought fear exposed deceit and hypocrisy, fraud and falsehood and pretense. Ananias and Sapphira professed godliness and entire sacrifice while secretly cherishing iniquity, pretending to give fully while withholding part. The Holy Spirit exposed their deception, and selfish, dishonest dealing was shown to be what must be put away.
Their sin was rooted in selfishness warped into covetousness and love of money. They were serving self and worshiping mammon while professing to serve God, dissembling to withhold from the treasury of God means entrusted for advancing His cause. They sacrificed truth to gain favor and esteem, commendation and a reputation for devotion and liberality, ashamed to have brethren know they grudged what they had dedicated. The same principle acts when God's money is taken to supply a fancied deficiency in wages.
They had pledged certain lands to God under the Spirit's influence, then broke that vow by withholding what had been consecrated and promised to God and His cause. They robbed God while making it appear they had given everything, presenting part as a faithful gift while withholding what they had purposed to give. A gift offered under false pretenses is not accepted by God, and guilt rests on others in proportion to similar offenses.
The judgment showed that God searches the heart and human motives and purposes cannot be hidden from Him. He sees hidden sin, knows the truth and knows and will judge fraud, deception, and every kind of dishonesty even when it is hidden. He cannot be deceived or mocked, and will not be deceived by hypocrisy or fraud. The Spirit of truth revealed their real character as pretenders and deceivers, exposing what humans think will never be known, including withholding a portion of what God claims in the tithing system while thinking other people will never know it.
Guarding the Early Church
Infinite Wisdom saw that a check was needed to keep the rapidly growing, young, newly formed church from disgrace, corruption, and demoralization by professed servants of God worshiping mammon. The sudden, instant deaths without delay were a signal manifestation of retributive justice from a holy God who hates hypocrisy and falsehood, searching out hidden selfishness warped into covetousness and deliberate deception. No compulsion had been laid on them to give, yet having pledged under the Spirit's influence they withheld part of what had been consecrated and promised while pretending to give all, lying not to men but to God and to the Holy Ghost after cherishing Satan's first approach. That terrible example checked hypocrisy, warned against deception, selfishness, fraud, and broken vows, and kept the growing church from becoming corrupted and hindered in spreading light and truth.
This signal evidence of the discerning Spirit of Christ in the church, with the Spirit of truth revealing pretenders and deceivers who professed godliness and entire sacrifice while secretly cherishing iniquity and covetously withholding a portion, forever rid the church of this foul blot upon its purity. It was a terror to hypocrites and evildoers, exposing deceit and removing the threat to purity, so they could not long remain in connection with those who in habit and disposition were constant representatives of Christ. As trials and persecution came, only those willing to forsake all for the truth's sake desired to become disciples, so as long as persecution continued the church remained comparatively pure. But when persecution ceased, less sincere and devoted converts were added and the way was opened for Satan to obtain a foothold.
Their presence as unworthy members who joined themselves to the disciples proves that false brethren were mingled with true believers from the beginning and will be found in the church till the close of time. The world therefore has no right to doubt the truth of Christianity because of such members. Christians should not become disheartened because of them, but bear with perverse human nature as Christ bears with it.
Warning for Later Believers
The same fear that rightly fell on the young, rapidly growing church is to rest on all who profess Christ afterward. The judgment was left as a perpetual warning to Christians of all ages against the sin to which human hearts are continually inclined. It guards every generation against covetousness, fraud, hypocrisy, and pretense toward God, because He searches the heart and human motives and purposes cannot be hidden from Him. It warns believers that God sees hidden sin, cannot be deceived or mocked, hates selfishness warped into covetousness and deliberate deception, and requires faithfulness in performing vows made under the Spirit's influence. What brought wrath on God's people in ancient times can bring it on the church as well, for hidden sin can be exposed by God and bring swift judgment.
The absence of a visible judgment today does not make the same sin less serious or less heinous. Breaking a pledge made to God by keeping for oneself what was promised to His work remains a grave offense even when no visible punishment follows, and it will be answered for in judgment. The repeated sin may bring consequences even in this life, though the same signal punishment is not now seen. Those who selfishly enter the health-food work while giving customers the impression that profits aid benevolent enterprises, when in reality they are used for personal interests, are under God's displeasure and will surely meet the same fate in the day of final reckoning as those who acted a lie and met sudden punishment.
Many in the present from love of money dissemble by plans and excuses and withhold from the treasury of God means entrusted for advancing His cause. This includes withholding a portion of what God claims in the tithing system while thinking others will never know it, and withholding part of what is owed while pretending to comply. If visited with the same punishment now, there would be many dead bodies in the churches requiring burial. No one can defraud God and prosper because all are His property, and one unrepentant sinner who conceals covetousness and evades responsibility defiles and corrupts many and will not escape judgment.
The warning reaches churches in every place when dealings in the Lord's work are not straightforward but oppressive. Using lawyers to take advantage of circumstances, doing things that savor of injustice, exacting exorbitant prices, practicing connivance of fraud and hindrance to the triumph of truth, and diverting His means into a wrong channel will just as surely bring punishment and judgment against the wrongdoer. Secret misappropriation of what is given to God is not hidden from Him and can bring corruption into the church. The same principle acted when covetousness led to appropriating God's money to supply a fancied deficiency in wages, as when one who carried the bag stole sums that never appeared on the account while reasoning his labors were not appreciated and he had a right to pay himself until conscience was perverted, and the severe dealing was to stop untold evil from workers using the same excuse to take money or goods for themselves.
Selfish, dishonest dealing and all selfish meanness and underhand dealing must be put away, sin forsaken, and Christian graces cultivated, for the Holy Spirit still exposes deception and condemns it. Christian fathers must pray with children who lie and impress the enormity of lying upon their minds, since God regards lying with abhorrence as an enormous sin and not a slight evil, and continuing in falsehood retards God's work, injures influence, disgraces the liar and fastens the reputation of a liar. Those in positions of trust who carry responsibility and handle sacred things must maintain strict integrity in every transaction, exemplify the mind of Christ, and not overlook or conceal wrongdoing nor bring peculiar traits of character and selfishness into God's sacred cause to mar it, for God knows whether stewards are faithful and still regards sin as offensive and will not tolerate it among His people. Such pretense of entire consecration while lying to the Holy Spirit cost both this present life and the life to come.