No Pretending (or, “Greed kills”)—Acts 4:32-5:11

This week we will press on into Chapter 5 and see good examples, bad examples, and an interesting parallel with Israel’s entrance into the land of Canaan under Joshua.

While I usually use the ESV for preaching and blogging, I used the NASB this week to coordinate with the Bibles in the pews here in Longview, WA.

Our passage this week is the second major description of the congregational life and general practices of the early church in Jerusalem. Let’s look at it section by section.

1) They were united in love and purpose (v.32)

   And the congregation of those who believed

                    were of one heart and soul;

  and not one of them claimed that anything

                             belonging to him was his own,

 but all things were common property to them.

While this sharing “of one heart and soul” is a familiar description of the church, we may not understand that it implies both the relational bond of deep friendship and a unity of purpose. That should be the norm in our churches but too often one or the other element is missing. Some churches love each other, but have no unity of purpose and others are quite missional, but the people end up merely as cogs in the wheels of the machine and are easily replaced at need. The early church was family in a profound way—They used their property to care for each other, rather than using each other to care for their property. As we have discussed previously, ownership is in the giving not in the possessing.

2) A Great Description of the Spirit at work in the Church (v.33)

   And with great power

                        the apostles

                                were giving testimony

                                                      to the resurrection

                                                      of the Lord Jesus,

   and abundant grace

                              was upon them all. 

What does Tony the Tiger say about Frosted Flakes cereal? “They’re Great!” This account reminds me of that saying because it is filled with superlatives using the Greek word μεγας (megas) three times.

o   The Apostles ministered with great power (4:33) in proclaiming the gospel, healing the sick, and delivering the demonized. But this power was not because they were some kind of 1^st Century Super-heros, it was because…

o   Great grace was upon them (4:33). It was the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives—made possible by the death and resurrection of Christ, according to the mission of the Father—who was working in and through them. When we realize how much God has truly done for us, our hearts are moved in acts of gratitude. Theirs were.

o   Great fear came upon all who heard what God was doing in their midst (5:5). Many believed, other stood back for such supernatural activity made them nervous. Sometimes we are too casual and take the things of God for granted. The Jerusalem church learned not to do that.

o   But the religious leaders were greatly annoyed (4:2). When God is leading his people, those who deem themselves to be the ones who should be in control are bound to become annoyed.

In our studies in Acts, we have seen that there was a very real connection between the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit and the practical care they showed to each other! But where did this care come from? It arose in whole-hearted response to the preaching of the gospel itself…a message that when received brought “abundant grace.”

The remarkable point about this verse is the implication that it was the powerful preaching of the gospel that motivated the earliest Christians to such generosity, not specifically preaching about money or impassioned exhortations from leaders to share possessions! The gospel message about God’s grace in Christ inspired a culture of self-giving in love (2 Cor. 8-9).[1]

3) They were intentional about loving one another (34-35)

For there was not a needy person among them,

 for all who were owners

                                of land or houses 

                                      would sell them

and bring the proceeds of the sales

   and lay them at the apostles’ feet,

        and they would be distributed

                                       to each as any had need.

The early church was not modeled after our western consumer culture but was communion-oriented. Their sharing of goods was neither socialism, nor communism, but Trinitarian. It was based on a loving, family, relational perspective patterned after the love of God. God is giving and loving within the Trinitarian God-head—the Father giving to the Son by the Spirit, the Son giving to the Father by the Spirit, etc.  

When there was a need in their midst, people as moved by gratitude in the Spirit would use their possessions to help each other. As persecution made it increasingly difficult to work and provide for one’s family they banded together. While we don’t currently face such persecution in America, will we show care for our brothers and sisters around the world who are in great need?

So are we willing to become more one in the Spirit? To be a spiritual family, following Jesus together, joining the Father in his great mission to redeem the world?

4) An Encouraging Example—Barnabas (v.36-37)

Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth,

          who was also called Barnabas by the apostles

                                    (which translated means Son of Encouragement), 

   and who owned a tract of land, sold it

                                                      and brought the money

                                                     and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Joseph, aka Barnabas, is a great example of the "one in heart and mind” principle—both for the early church and for us today. In his humble and sincere giving he was actually participating in the work of the Spirit. His nickname, meaning Son of Encouragement, was appropriate in that everything he did and said tended to bestow courage on others to keep trusting God in their circumstances. For those of us who have had times when we didn’t know how we would be able to pay a bill, meet a deadline, bear up under the weight of grief, or ever find a loving place of belonging, we know how encouraging it is to have a Barnabas who steps up (without our asking) to share just what we needed whether finances, food, or friendship. I am personally encouraged when I see how well you respond in warmly welcoming visitors and in caring for each other (e.g., meal trains, hospitality, acts of service, personal prayer, etc.). I hope you sense that as well.

5) A Dreadful Example—Ananias & Sapphira (5:1-11)

   But a man named Ananias, 

            with his wife Sapphira,

                    sold a piece of property, 

and kept back some of the price for himself,

           with his wife’s full knowledge,

    and bringing a portion of it,

          he laid it at the apostles’ feet. 

  But Peter said,

             “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart

                                          to lie to the Holy Spirit

and to keep back

                        some of the price of the land? 

      While it remained unsold,

          did it not remain your own?

And after it was sold,

        was it not under your control?

   Why is it that you have 

                     conceived this deed in your heart?

                       You have not lied to men but to God.” 

   And as he heard these words,

               Ananias fell down and breathed his last;

 and great fear came over all who heard of it. 

  The young men                got up

                     and covered him up,

             and after carrying him out,

                       they buried him.

Ananias was a 1^st Century example of what those in marketing call “puffing” (exaggerating your own quality or effort). However, just like when you write a resume those lies always come back to bite you. This conscious and concerted effort by Ananias and his wife Sapphira was the opposite of Barnabas. They were participating in the devil’s work of lying to the Spirit. The word translated “kept back” is used to describe a misappropriation of resources.

While this narrative is not really about giving, but about honesty, I don’t think I am out of line to make the comparison that when we come to Christ and declare our faith in the sacrament of baptism, we come to surrender all of our life…not just part of it while pretending to give it all. Certainly the Christian life is a journey, a process, but it is one directed towards Christ. We are not perfect yet, we all fail, but there is no room for us to plan to lie to God and his church.

John and Peter had been jailed and sternly warned to stop proclaiming Christ. Their Spirit-filled boldness, and that of the unified community of believers, was not deterred by this attack from the outside. So it seems that the devil brought a spiritual attack on the church at this time from the inside. This is where this narrative sounds much like the story of Eve being tempted by the serpent in Genesis 3 and Achan’s sin in Joshua 7.

This passage reminds me of the scene in the hilarious and convicting 2003 movie Flywheel, where a used car salesman named Jay Austin actually put an empty tithe envelope into the church offering pretending to be a giver when he wasn’t. Over 30 years in ministry, I have seen this happen with some regularity. I remember thinking that if you must pretend to give, at least don’t seal the envelope so it can be reused! After all, they cost somebody else’s money to print.

This word Luke used for “held back” was the same word used in the Greek translation of Joshua 7 for the devoted things that Achan hid in his tent. Perhaps, Luke’s word choice would have jogged the reader’s memory of that incident. Let’s take a look.

"Achan replied, "It is true!  I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel.  This is what I have done: When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them.  They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath." (Joshua 7:20-23)

Achan's words, "It is true!  I have sinned against the Lord," certainly formed a complete, formal confession, but it was without any indication of sorrow for his sin and the trouble and pain that he had caused (36 deaths, national humiliation, and discouragement, God's anger, etc.).  We should note that confession, given when there is no way to avoid it rather than from a sincere heart, is not the confession unto forgiveness.  There is a difference between repentance and simply getting caught!  His heart was hardened; his conscience appears to have been seared.  He shamelessly recited the inventory of the spoil he had taken (or by which his heart was taken):

1. A beautiful robe from Babylonia: His taking of the robe indicated a desire on his part to be somehow stylish; it was the fruit of prideful self-love.
2. Two hundred shekels of silver: about five pounds of silver (approximately $1700 today) that should have been given to the Lord's treasury.
3. A wedge of gold: 50 shekels weighed about 1 1/4 pounds (approximately $22,000 today).  It also should have been given to the Lord's treasury.  The taking of the gold and silver indicated that he felt that he was more deserving of it than God.  He esteemed "self" rather than God.  The choice is still the same today.

Not only did Achan tell what he took, but he also narrated the process he went through to sin.  He said, “When I saw...  I coveted (or desired)...  I took.”  It always works the same way.  As it is written,

"But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.  Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full‑grown, gives birth to death." (James 1:14-15)

Achan’s narration should point back even further to the temptation of Eve & Adam in Genesis 3:4-6. In the Garden, Eve’s response to the serpent’s lie followed the same process as Achan. How many deaths did they cause by their sin?

Back in Acts, Ananias’ sin was in lying to the Holy Spirit (v.3) /God (v.4).

The ‘original sin’ of the church is portrayed in terms of the misuse of money and possessions! Ananias and Sapphira disregarded the presence of God in the Christian community, the sacredness of that fellowship in God’s eyes, and the relational aspect of their sin. They failed to discern that a deliberate act of deceit against the church was a sin against the Lord of the church… His error was to pretend that he had given everything when he had only given a part, thus making himself to be more generous and self-sacrificing than he really was.[2]

It is interesting how Dr. Luke records the manner of Ananias’ death. He is one to notice such things. Luke writes simply that “Ananias fell down and breathed his last,” but when we take into consideration that breath and spirit are the same word in Greek, it seems to allude to the fact that his spirit left him. While the others were “filled with the Holy Spirit” Peter discerned that Satan had filled Ananias’ heart.

Although Luke does not expect that the greedy will always meet with instantaneous judgment, he has no doubt about ultimate accountability to God (Lk 12:1-21)… [It is] a warning against anything that hinders the expression of unity, love, and holiness in the fellowship created by the Spirit.[3]

We need to stop pretending with God...and with each other.

A Dreadful Example—the Sequel... Sapphira (5:7-11)

  Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours,               

           and his wife came in,

                          not knowing what had happened.

  And   Peter responded to her,

“Tell me whether you sold the land

           for such and such a price?”

And she said,

              “Yes, that was the price.”

  Then Peter said to her,

    “Why is it that you have agreed together

                  to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test?

 Behold, the feet of those

                                who have buried your husband

                            are at the door, and

                                they will carry you out as well.”

   And immediately she fell at his feet

                             and breathed her last,

                 and the young men came in

                                  and found her dead,

                 and they carried her out

                          and buried her beside her husband.

   And great fear came

                           over the whole church, and

                           over all who heard of these things.

This section could be titled, "Spiritual lie-detector: Take Two!" Three hours later, when Sapphira showed up, wondering what was taking her husband so long, Peter took the opportunity to check her story, letting her testify for herself, giving her an opportunity to come clean. However, she persisted in their plan of lying about their degree of commitment. They wanted to benefit more than they blessed others. We should note that Sapphira didn’t die for her husband’s sin, but for her own decision to participate in it.

Her death three hours after her husband, at the proclamation of Peter, brought great fear, as well as it should. I confess it makes me a little nervous wondering how often we may have lied to God. It truly is by his mercy that we have not suffered the same fate! Can I get an “Amen?”

God was doing a new thing, and greed and scheming hearts filled by Satan had no part in it.

“By the positive work of his Spirit in their midst (illustrated in Acts 2-4) and by this summary act of judgment, excluding from among them those who were not ‘one in heart and mind’ (4:32), God was unmistakably designating them as his own, the new Israel in the midst of the old.”[4]

6) Back to Business as Usual—Participating in the Mission of God

At the hands of the apostles

                                  many signs and wonders

                                  were taking place among the people;

                 and they were all with one accord

                                              in Solomon’s portico.

   But none of the rest dared to associate with them;

                                                           however, the people

                held them in high esteem. 

   And all the more believers in the Lord,

                                 multitudes of men and women,

                                 were constantly added to their number, 

                                                    to such an extent that

        they even carried the sick

                              out into the streets and

                         laid them on cots and pallets,

                                   so that when Peter came by 

                                        at least his shadow might fall

                                                     on any one of them. 

                                                                   Also the people

                  from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem

                       were coming together,

            bringing people who were

                                         sick or

                                         afflicted with unclean spirits,

            and they were all being healed.

Just as the blessing of God was upon Israel after the sin of Achan was removed, after Ananias and Sapphira’s lie was revealed and dealt with, the Holy Spirit’s presence continued in their midst, working powerfully! Here are a few observations:

• There were “signs and wonders” as part of the proclamation of the gospel message.
• The church was again described as “in one accord” (Relational Unity + Shared Purpose)
• The Gospel message continued to both attract and divide.
• More people believed in Jesus all the time, both men and women.
• People continued to be healed and delivered.
• The testimony and ministry of the church spread beyond Jerusalem into Judea hinting at things to come.

One note on v. 15, there is no comment in the text as to whether “Peter’s shadow” did any good. Certainly, it is not a prescriptive practice for us today.

However, a valid question for us to ask is if we, like the early church, will participate in the work of the Holy Spirit? John 16:7-15 makes it clear that the Holy Spirit tells us the truth. He speaks to us…

• About Jesus—He is the Messiah, the risen Savior, the Lord of all.
• About ourselves—we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23)
• About the heart of God—that it is patient and tender in love towards us, working on our behalf, wooing us, inviting us back into a relationship with him.
• The conviction of the Holy Spirit draws us back to Christ in confession and repentance.

In comparison, the Devil is the father of lies and when he lies he speaks his native language.

“He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44b)

So when the lies of the enemy lead us (like they led Ananias & Sapphira), we will:

• Doubt God’s heart
• Disobey God’s Word
• Think we can Deceive the Holy Spirit.
• Distance ourselves from God and his people
• Allow the devil's condemnation to drive us away from the Lord and each other.

Who are we listening to this week? The Holy Spirit, or the devil?

Have we sinned? If so, then let's be quick to confess it, turn away from it, and return to the Lord who loves us more deeply and more faithfully than we can imagine.

Have we confessed our sin, but still feel burdened under the weight of guilt? In such times it is my habit to verbally rebuke the spirit of condemnation in the name of Jesus Christ, and by faith stand on the promise of God in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Then I take time to praise God for his love and grace towards me. 

I find that such a practice makes short work of the enemy’s habit of reminding me of my failures.

---

[1] Peterson, The Acts of the Apostles, 205.

[2] Ibid. 209.

[3] Ibid. 208

[4] Ibid. 213.