Ananias and Sapphira

A husband and wife pretended to give everything to God while keeping back part for themselves. Within three hours, both lay dead at the apostles' feet.

In the early Jerusalem church, believers sold property and laid the proceeds at the apostles' feet. Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold a possession but secretly kept back part of the price while presenting the rest as the whole. Peter asked Ananias why Satan had filled his heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, reminding him that the land and the money had been his own to keep; he had lied not to men but to God. Ananias fell down and died. About three hours later Sapphira came in, repeated the lie, and fell dead at Peter's feet. Great fear came upon all the church, a sober reminder of God's holiness among His people.

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Details

Category: Judgment
Testament: New Testament
Performed by: God

Key Chapters

Acts 5 Ananias and Sapphira 6 min read The sudden death of Ananias and Sapphira shows that the church belongs to a holy...

Key Passages

Lying to the Holy Ghost

Acts 5:1-11

The sudden death of Ananias and Sapphira shows that the church belongs to a holy God who cannot be deceived.

B¹ut a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,

² And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. ³ 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? ⁴ Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. ⁵ And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. ⁶ And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. ⁷ And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. ⁸ And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. ⁹ Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. ¹⁰ Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. ¹¹ And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.