Hey everyone, I try to use Ribblr mostly for craft-related things, but I’m rereading my Bible and I really need help. So I haven’t read the book of Acts in a while. Just got through Acts, and I don’t think I really took in the story of Ananias and Saphira the last time I read it. But now I have and what the heck. Why’d they die just for telling one lie, and why them and not any people who have done so much worse…? I’m so confused by it and none of the explanations I’ve found really make any sense. It’s gotten to the point that I’m questioning parts of my faith and I really need help. I’m not really able to talk abt it with anyone in person right now. If any of yall could tell me how you feel about that passage and explain it to me that would be amazing. Thanks (also I may have PMed some of you about this already)
Oh don’t lose faith! You are not the only one who has maannyyyy questions about it…
I struggle here and there but I will write notes about it to my parents or preacher and it helps to also listen to some Christian songs, there are so many people out there who have our strong belief and if you have questions let me know
God bless you 
Thank you :)
Talking to my pastor would probably be a good idea, I’m definitely into the apologetics side of everything, and there’s been multiple occasions where I’ve tried to work out what I believe by looking into different arguments and sources, and come out on the Christian side of things. Doing a lot of stuff like that is a part of how I actually became a Christian!
I hope that made sense lol
I LOVE apologetics. Personally, I think every Christian needs to have a solid grasp on why we believe what we believe, to reason it out and explain it logically, to build up our faith and the faith of others. I don’t believe just because it sounds nice or because I feel like it. I believe because it makes logical sense to do so. These days, with all the different opinions and arguments out there that try to convince us otherwise, apologetics is more important than ever. Definitely keep leaning into that!
As far as Ananias and Sapphira go, it is a difficult story. I’m not a theologian, so I’m probably not going to explain this as well as I wish. I’ll just have to pray the Holy Spirit guides my words. So… goes back to read the passage.
I don’t know what version you normally read, or if you delve into several when trying to understand a passage. I spend a lot of time in the Amplified, which is textually similar to the ESV, but with the addition of bracketed and italicized “amplifications” to explain word meaning and provide context. I’ve copied Acts 5:1-11 here so everyone interested in this discussion has it and can see where I’m coming from:
“Now a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s full knowledge [and complicity] he kept back some of the proceeds, bringing only a portion of it, and set it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and [secretly] keep back for yourself some of the proceeds [from the sale] of the land? As long as it remained [unsold], did it not remain your own [to do with as you pleased]? And after it was sold, was the money not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this act [of hypocrisy and deceit] in your heart? You have not [simply] lied to people, but to God.” And hearing these words, Ananias fell down suddenly and died; and great fear and awe gripped those who heard of it. And the young men [in the congregation] got up and wrapped up the body, and carried it out and buried it. Now after an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Tell me whether you sold your land for so much?” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” Then Peter said to her, “How could you two have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Look! The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” And at once she fell down at his feet and died; and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear and awe gripped the whole church, and all who heard about these things.”
Acts 5:1-11 AMP
If I’m understand you correctly, your questions and uncertainty seem directly related to whether Ananias and Sapphira were really that guilty or not. I think it’s important not to miss the result of what happened when they each died, because I think it sheds light on why it happened. The congregation was filled with “great fear and awe.” Ananias and his wife clearly lacked fear of God, or they wouldn’t have attempted to lie to Him and essentially steal from Him. The Holy Spirit showed He meant business when they were struck down. In doing so, He made sure the rest of His people also feared Him.
The Old Testament (and indeed the whole Bible) is full of references to the fear of God. It’s a big deal to Him, and needs to be a big deal to us. It’s not about being scared of God in a horror-movie way. It’s about realizing just how big and grand and powerful and majestic He is, and how none-of-those-things we are. He is holy; we are sinful except by the blood of Jesus. He is goodness itself, and we have fallen short of His glory.
Ananias and Sapphira don’t look as guilty to us because we tend to rank sin, like lying isn’t as bad as adultery, or stealing isn’t as bad as murder. The reality is that every single one of those things will keep us from God.
I can’t pretend to know our criminal couple’s spiritual status. Maybe they were complete posers, or maybe they did believe but lacked fear. Either way, they did things for show and held back what they had promised to God, and He called their bluff. It set an example for the rest of the believers. Yes, Jesus saves and He shows us the Father’s love. But He does not cancel out the fear we should have before our holy God. Jesus is loving but He is also just, and God will not be mocked.
I don’t think we’re likely to see anything like this happen in our day, but not because sins like theirs don’t still happen. Rather, this story already gave us the example, and gave us what we need to learn from it. God expects holy fear from His people, even today. It’s part of the way we show that we love Him.
(Sorry that was a bit long, but I hope it helped. 
Stay strong, friend.)
This was great! Thank you! 
I’m glad it helped!
The main reasons are that they doubted God and like aleveo said, because they didn’t fear Him. And that they didn’t offer everything for God.
In the early church, they all lived together like siblings in one place, which was why Ananais and Saphira were selling their land-to go and live with the church.
The problem was that they didn’t give all the money they got from selling the land to the church. It was their back up plan. They didn’t have faith in God that he would always provide so they made a back up plan in case things got too hard. And that’s where they made the mistake. if there was going to be a hard time in the future, which there obviously will be, they would’ve immediately run away, probably taking a few believers with them. They would’ve caused others to doubt and shake. So Peter cut the off the root of the problem. They wanted to keep at least one foot in the open door, just in case God didn’t provide for them. Which is stupid, considering that God will always provide.
Then they lied to Him. Although they physically lied to Peter, God sat behind him. They didn’t think that God would notice or care. They didn’t fear/respect Him.
They also didn’t treat their sin seriously. They thought of it as a’little sin’, but ‘little’ sins like anger can lead to murder.
Like Cain. Why wasn’t his offering acceptable to God? It was because he didn’t offer it for God, just to Him. He didn’t set it apart for Him, he just took some random crops and gave it to God. Later in the Bible, the priests gave the first fruits of the crops to God, to set it apart just for Him, but Cain didn’t do that. God accepted Abel’s offering because he gave some of the fat portions from some of the firstborn lambs. Abel made his offering special; he gave it to God and for God.
When the believers join the church, they are offering their life to God to do His work. But Ananais and Saphira didn’t. They kept some of their money to do what they wanted to do with it and not what God wanted to do with it. They held something back from Him. They didn’t offer their lives to Him, instead, they kept some of their money to have the ability to go back. If they were to continue in the church, they wouldn’t be fully committed to God. And Jesus once said (I can’t remember where) that we can’t be half for the kingdom of God and half for our kingdom and that it’s better to be in the world or something along those lines. When they died, it was like God rejected the offering of their life because they didn’t set it apart for Him. They wanted to have at least some part of their lives to be apart from God, but our lives are His.
The rest of the church felt fear and awe. they felt fear because they understood that the same thing that happened to Ananais and Saphira could happen to them as well. And they felt awe because it hasn’t. We should feel this same fear and awe as well. I haven’t given my life to Him yet; I always look back at the world. And then I go to the world and then later come back to God.
This was honestly supposed to take a different turn, but the Holy Spirit took the wheel and went hard with it.
I think the point is kinda that they lied so that they could look more holy, they wanted personal glory. They could have given the money and just told the truth that they didn’t give it all, but instead they decided to use an act of gratefulness and trust in God to show how great they were… God is completely holy, and the temple is His presence! His presence is so overwhelmingly holy and awestriking and sin can literally not be in it, and it needs to be taken seriously! Yet Ananias and Sapphira are shown going into God’s presence with the intent of “pulling one over” on God and the others inside. I know at a glance it seems harsh, but when you realize the awesome power of God and His absolute Holiness, His presence is serious and that’s why being made holy in His sight through Jesus is such an astronomical reality for Christians!
So I guess just remember, HE is all knowing, not us. We need to trust that seemingly “harsh desicions” God makes are good because He will never go against His character, and He is just. He is also merciful too, so just keep faith! He has the thouroughest knowledge of every situation and every person and He has no bias, His decisions are righteous!
Don’t lose faith God is the answer
PRAY ABOUT IT
Perfect answer
Yes it’s really helpful!! When you consider just how holy God is it makes a lot more sense