Acts 5

[Dylbyl]

Hey i was reading over Acts 5 the other day with my small group and an intense debate followed on whether or not it was just for God to kill Ananias and Saphhira. I was just wondering what your thoughts on the subject were and if you could give me any insight into this issue.

[wfaber]

The scripture doesn't say that God killed them. An alternate interpretation I once heard is that they could have been so overcome with grief at the realization that they had lied directly to God that they couldn't take the shock. I don't take a position on either interpretation, but it was obvious that the presence of God was much more a reality to them than it is to churches today.

[Anoetos]

God killed them.

Creation is His to do with as He sees fit.

If we take issue with His just punishment of the wicked here, then what do we do with His just judgment on the wicked on the last day?

[James Peter]

Stealing from God is punished by death in both the OT (joshua 6? 7?) and in the NT (Acts 5). They knew who God was and yet openly rebelled against him. Such apostasy is grave and is very possibly 'the sin that leads to death' in 1J 5 (But lets not be sidetracked). What matters is that they chose to forsake God and rather than being allowed to pollute and corrupt the people of God they were removed from this world...

[wfaber]

They didn't steal from God. They were actually giving. Their sin was in lying to the Holy Spirit, not stealing.

As far as God's judgment, I feel the need to take issue. The Bible is clear when it says "It is appointed to everyone once to die, and after that the judgment." (I can't find the reference for that right now.) We must be careful not to attribute misfortune to God's judgment.

[James Peter]

They didn't steal from God. They were actually giving. Their sin was in lying to the Holy Spirit, not stealing.

As far as God's judgment, I feel the need to take issue. The Bible is clear when it says "It is appointed to everyone once to die, and after that the judgment." (I can't find the reference for that right now.) We must be careful not to attribute misfortune to God's judgment.

No, they stole from God. They gave God the field and then retained part of it for themselves...

[wfaber]

No, they stole from God. They gave God the field and then retained part of it for themselves...
That's not the way I read it.
Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God."

[Zxcv Bnm]

Hey i was reading over Acts 5 the other day with my small group and an intense debate followed on whether or not it was just for God to kill Ananias and Saphhira. I was just wondering what your thoughts on the subject were and if you could give me any insight into this issue.I think we should also consider that the Bible teaches that God is Holy, Just, Merciful, and Perfect in all His ways. So, whatever God does, we can trust that it was right, even if we don't always understand why.

[Hitch]

Hey i was reading over Acts 5 the other day with my small group and an intense debate followed on whether or not it was just for God to kill Ananias and Saphhira. I was just wondering what your thoughts on the subject were and if you could give me any insight into this issue. I think you need a better group.