What happened to Ananias and Sapphira?
I could have made this into a PDF but for the sake of many I have it as this. Before you get finally confused about the spirit and the Killer-God, read this, though it seems long.
Before you say the Holy Spirit killed Ananias and Sapphira, check if your teeth are still intact.
After lying so much you still are in one piece. That should ring a bell.
Acts 5:4 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.
Verse 5 says, that the poor guy died hearing the words of Peter. But a similar scenario happened with Jesus Christ. What words did He say? What happened thereafter with the “victim”?
John 8:4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
8:5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. (Read more.) You just saw how Jesus handled the situation even “under the law”. Vague by the perfectness of the Apostles, many would not want to agree with the fact that the Apostles as humans could be flawed. They conclude the Holy spirit killed them (Ananias and Sapphira) because it seems improper to say Peter did. But Peter’s flaws were “exceptional”. Due to His love for Christ He removed the servants ear. Great! But Jesus fixed it.
John 18:10 Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.
Luke 22: 51 And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him. (KJV) Many would say, “Peter was not yet born again then, Jesus had not died, that was why he did that.” Well, let’s see what happened even after He was born again.
Acts 10:10-16 Peter argued with what God has cleansed, he called it unholy. He thought he was smart in His thinking. But he had issues with his paradigm.
Though he was hungry for the Gospel, yet was sentimental about it – he was a Jew. That was a flaw. Yet, an Apostle. On another occasion, Paul had to withstand him to his face based was on a doctrinal hypocrisy.
Galatians 2:11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. 12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
Friend, Peter was not without flaws. Why did I point these things out? To expound the fact that Peter was could be blamed.
Yes, Peter knew that they lied by the Spirit. But didn’t Jesus pay for their transgressions already? Why would the Spirit, called Life, kill them based on lies He already knew about? Many from heresies say that the Spirit had kill them to make people fear Him more. But this is inconsistent with the attribute of the Spirit as portrayed in the Epistles, even by Jesus Christ. What nonsense!
Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. However, the kind of fear this brought up on the people made them to stay away from the Apostles.
Acts 5:11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
13 And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. [13 The others, in fear, kept back from joining them: but the people made much of them; (BBE)] Yes, they were respected for such a miracle! Would Jesus have wanted that? Was that what Jesus wanted when He said, “Come unto me… I will give you ret”?
Jesus said, John 14: 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: (KJV) (See also John 16:13) The Spirit in Jesus Christ was not a killer; He wouldn’t impute sin on the Believer.
He is the Character of God in Christ and the same in the Believer.
2 Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, NOT IMPUTING THEIR TRESPASSES UNTO THEM; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. NOT IMPUTING THEIR TRESPASSES UNTO THEM! NOT IMPUTING THEIR TRESPASSES UNTO THEM! What am I saying? The Holy Spirit could not have exercised any authority outside what Christ would have done, but Man (Peter) did.
How?
John 20: 21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
23 Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained.
Now read verse 23 again. “whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained.” What simply lead to the death of Ananias was that Peter exercised his authority by retaining His sin. THAT IS THE EXTENT TO WHICH CONDEMNATION CAN GO! “5 And Ananias HEARING THESE WORDS fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.”
The adulterous woman hearing Jesus’ words, “Neither do I condemn you” LIVED. (John 8:11) Even if you had not wanted it, you would have prayed it didn’t happen again. But see again that the man of God, not moved by the happening.
Acts 5:9 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. Hmmm…. Power!!! With THOSE WORDS from the Man of God, the wife died too. Does that ring a bell? Like Elijah?
1 Kings 17:1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, BUT ACCORDING TO MY WORD. BUT ACCORDING TO MY WORD!
2 Kings 1:10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, IF I BE A MAN OF GOD, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. IF I BE A MAN OF GOD! Haha… Power?!!! Hear Jesus!
Luke 9: 54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, YE KNOW NOT WHAT MANNER OF SPIRIT YE ARE OF 56 FOR THE SON OF MAN IS NOT COME TO DESTROY MEN'S LIVES, but to save them. And they went to another village. YE KNOW NOT WHAT MANNER OF SPIRIT YE ARE OF FOR THE SON OF MAN IS NOT COME TO DESTROY MEN'S LIVES.
The Spirit just said that! Ask yourself again. Was it this same Holy Spirit that Jesus talked about that killed Ananias and Sapphira? Certainly Not! They died of CONDEMNATION because their sin was IMPUTED unto them by Peter.
The extent to which condemnation can go. Shake it off. Forget the junks, nowhere in the Chapter 5 was it mentioned the THE HOLY SPIRIT SMOTE THEM. Despite our inadequacies this Spirit is not mad at the believer.
A believer cannot “grieve” the Holy Spirit. He is able to guide, lead and direct. The Spirit is not a killer; Condemnation is the killer. In Christ, the believer is not condemned.
Finally, the scenario happened only once in the early church as documented. We do not build doctrines or the attributes of the Spirit on what remained silent in the Epistles. It's no Gospel. Hope this helps someone.
Blessed.
Hagios Akins