… a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.  (Acts 5:1-2)

Ananias is a Jewish name derived from חֲנַנְיָה Chananyah, which means ‘God has been gracious’; it is common enough that it is given to three different men in the Acts of the Apostles.

Ananias was the High Priest during the establishment of the church and he confronts Paul at the apostle’s trial in Jerusalem.  Not realising his identity Paul insults him (ibid 23:3) calling him a ‘white-washed wall’ (a common term for a hypocrite, similar to that which Jesus himself used, Matthew 23:27).

Another Ananias also featured in Paul’s life, but this time to bless and heal the newly converted apostle (Acts 9:10-18).

However, Luke records the troubling tale of a further Ananias, in that he is judged and summarily slain for his sin.  

The early days of the church, are succinctly yet vividly recorded by Luke:

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.  (ibid 4:32-35)

This beautiful communality empowered by the Holy Spirit was sullied by an act of deception and Peter was given the sight to uncover it, and challenges Ananias:

‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.’(ibid 5:3-4)

That Peter is given this word of knowledge is not in itself remarkable, but the outcome is perhaps unique – at least, in terms of any other record in the New Testament, because immediately Peter has spoken, Ananias ‘fell down and breathed his last.’

What, we may ask was his grievous sin that required such an immediate response?  The text tells us it is ‘lying to God’.  

God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practise the truth.  (1 John 1:5b-6)

The Greek word translated ‘lie’ is the verb ψεύδομαι (pseudomai) and it means ‘to falsify’ or ‘to wilfully misrepresent’.

God cannot be deceived and will not tolerate mocking.  Because as God is all-knowing, he cannot be deceived.  In fact, they only deception is self-deception, if we like Ananias, think we can contrive to hide anything from God?

Nevertheless, Ananias’ life is taken, but is this the final judgment?  Surely, we cannot assume that he is sent directly to hell.  For one thing, and a thing of the greatest importance, as a member of the church, he presumably professed faith in Jesus as the Christ.  And for another, what if every time a Christian sinned, is there not always a sense of walking in the darkness that John speaks.  The apostle also goes on to say:

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (ibid 1:8-10)

Now Ananias was given little time to reflect on his mistake; yet was Ananias’ transgression so bad, so heinous, so unusual, that he should suffer summary judgment – judgment withheld from the rest of us in order we might repent?

But Luke gives us a clue as to another reason, it brought ‘great fear’ on those of the nascent church.  When Ananias’ wife is also exposed as being complicit in her husband’s deceit and she also dies, the text reads:

And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. (Acts 5:11)

Could it be then that Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, are made examples of for the sake of the church?  Take another example of church discipline from many years later in Corinth.  Paul admonishes the congregation for its tolerance of an incestuous relationship, one in which far from deception of concealment but was boasted of.

When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.  Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened.  (1 Corinthians 5:4-7)

Note that not only is this man disciplined for the sake of his salvation (not the loss of it) but that Paul speaks to the paramount purpose of protecting the church.  Now judgment lies with God, but discipline is a requirement of his followers, indeed one of the few instructions that Jesus gave concerning his church (Matthew 18:15-20).

If we pursue the notion that Ananias and his wife are made examples of, perhaps it is to engender the need for church discipline, but there is another train of thought.  What if God wished Christ’s church to retain fear, for great fear is the immediate corollary of God striking the couple dead.

And we should not pass by, that there can be no natural explanation for the sudden deaths, moreover, Peter is told by God and he tells other, that this was God’s explicit work.

And while we seeking clarity, let us also be clear the fear means fear, not respect or reverence, but terror; the word in Greek is phobos and it always meant ‘panic inducing dread’ in both Koine and Classical Greek. 

The problem comes we humanity takes God for granted; perhaps Ananias like every follower after him thought, now he was saved he had no need to fear God, and he could do as he liked.  This presumption is age old, it was in the garden of Eden, in all the records of the Old Testament.  

Prophets and Psalmists wrote much on the subject:

He sent redemption to his people;
    he has commanded his covenant for ever.
    Holy and awesome is his name!
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
    all those who practise it have a good understanding.
    His praise endures for ever!  (Psalm 111:9-10)

The best response to redemption is to retain a healthy fear and ‘practise it’; that is, put God-fearing at the heart of every thought, word and deed.

Another psalm says this:

Who considers the power of your anger,
    and your wrath according to the fear of you?
So teach us to number our days
    that we may get a heart of wisdom.  (ibid 90:11-12)

Ananias thought himself to have days unlimited, immune from judgment and even immediate sanction.  It is possible that God wished the church to know, at the time of its establishment and thereafter, that there is no such immunity and that his grace must not be so abused?  Indeed, all will be judged (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

It is hard, perhaps, to see how Ananias’ name applied to him when we recall it means ‘God has been gracious’, but firstly we must not assume that Ananias and his wife are least among the earliest saints to be glorified (so little loss, there) but also, that God’s grace is at work in the redemptive purposes of the church that He would have as a beacon of holiness for the world.

Paul says this:

… you (may) know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:

He was manifested in the flesh,
    vindicated by the Spirit, 
        seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
    believed on in the world,
        taken up in glory.  (1 Timothy 3:15-16)

We can trust that Ananias was treated justly, if he was called and justified, recalling also that: 

… he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.  (Romans 8:27-28)