Lesson Nine: Ananias and Sapphira

Acts 5:1-16

Key Verse

"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 5:3

Lesson Questions

Read Acts 5:1-16 carefully before answering these questions.

1. Review: Acts chapter three.

2. What did Ananias and Sapphira Do? 5:1-2

3. Who spoke? To whom did he speak? What did he say? 5:3-4

4. Then what happened? 5:5-6

5. What happened next? 5:7-8

6. Then what did Peter say? 5:9

7. What resulted? 5:10-11

8. What were the apostles doing? Where were they? 5:12 (Note the parenthesis)

9. How did the people react? 5:13

10. What is said about believers? What kind of believers were they? 5:14

11. What were the people doing? 5:15. Who were healed? 5:16

Thought Questions

A. What sin did Ananias and Sapphira commit? What will happen to liars?

B. What options did Ananias and Sapphira have?

C. How did Satan fill the heart of Ananias?

D. When people agree to do a thing, does that make it right? What about consenting adults?

E. How can it be said that Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit (Ghost)?

F. What can we learn about the Holy Spirit in this lesson?

G. What disciplinary measures did God use on Ananias and Sapphira? Why?

H. What resulted from these disciplinary measures being taken?

Supplementary Materials

Barnabas vs. Ananias and Sapphira The placement of these accounts is deliberate. Luke presents a sharp contrast between genuine and counterfeit generosity: Barnabas (4:36-37) Ananias & Sapphira (5:1-11) Sold land Sold a possession Gave the entire amount Kept back part of the price Gave honestly Pretended to give all — lied Motivated by love Motivated by desire for reputation Named "Son of Encouragement" Struck dead as a warning

Understanding Their Sin It is important to understand exactly what Ananias and Sapphira did wrong. Their sin was not that they kept back part of the money. Peter made this clear: "Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power?" — Acts 5:4

Their sin was:

Lying — They claimed to give the full price while secretly keeping part
Hypocrisy — They wanted the reputation of complete sacrifice without the reality
Conspiracy — They "agreed together" (5:9) to deceive
Testing God — They "tempted the Spirit of the Lord" (5:9)
Lying to God — "Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God" (5:4)

They could have kept all the money. They could have given part openly. But they chose to lie about what they were giving — and that lie was directed at the Holy Spirit Himself.

Evidence for the Deity of the Holy Spirit This passage provides strong evidence that the Holy Spirit is God, not merely an impersonal force:

Verse	What It Teaches About the Holy Spirit
5:3	He can be lied to — requires personhood
5:3-4	Lying to the Holy Spirit = lying to God (Holy Spirit is God)
5:9	He can be tempted/tested — requires personhood
5:9	He is called "the Spirit of the Lord" — divine title

How Satan Filled Their Hearts Peter asked Ananias, "Why hath Satan filled thine heart?" (5:3). Satan does not force people to sin; rather, he tempts and we choose. The process:

Temptation presented: Satan presented the idea of keeping part while claiming to give all
Desire conceived: They wanted both the money and the reputation (cf. James 1:14-15)
Agreement made: Husband and wife conspired together (5:2, 9)
Sin committed: They followed through with the deception

Ananias allowed Satan's suggestion to take root in his heart. Sapphira had the opportunity to tell the truth when asked directly (5:8), but chose to confirm the lie. Both were responsible for their own choices.

God's Discipline in the Early Church The immediate death of Ananias and Sapphira raises questions. Why such severe punishment?

To establish purity: The young church needed to understand that God takes sin seriously
To deter hypocrisy: The church must not become a place where pretense is tolerated
To demonstrate God's presence: God was truly among them, and sin cannot stand in His presence
To produce fear: "Great fear came upon all the church" (5:11) — healthy reverence for God

Compare other examples of severe discipline at critical moments in God's dealings with His people:

Reference	Event	Context
Lev. 10:1-2	Nadab and Abihu struck dead	Beginning of Levitical priesthood
Joshua 7	Achan and family executed	Beginning of conquest of Canaan
2 Sam. 6:6-7	Uzzah struck dead	Ark being brought to Jerusalem
Acts 5:1-11	Ananias and Sapphira	Beginning of the church struck dead

The Results of God's Discipline The aftermath of this judgment is instructive:

Verse	Result
5:11	"Great fear came upon all the church" — reverence for God
5:12	"Many signs and wonders wrought" — continued miraculous work
5:12	"All with one accord in Solomon's porch" — continued unity
5:13	"The people magnified them" — respect from outsiders
5:14	"Believers were the more added to the Lord" — continued growth!
5:15-16	Multitudes brought to be healed — powerful witness

Remarkably, God's discipline did not hinder the church's growth — it promoted it! Purity and reverence for God attracted genuine seekers while discouraging pretenders.

Key Cross-References

Reference	Acts Verse	Connection
James 1:14-15	Acts 5:3	Temptation → desire → sin → death
John 8:44	Acts 5:3	Satan is the father of lies
Rev. 21:8	Acts 5:3-4	"All liars" will face the second death
Deut. 6:16	Acts 5:9	"Ye shall not tempt the LORD"
Acts 2:47	Acts 5:14	Believers added to the Lord / the church

Note: The word "church" (Greek: ekklesia) appears for the first time in Acts in verse 11. The church had been described before, but now it is named.