Act 5:1-10 | Burkitt | STEP | The last verses of the foregoing chapter acquainted us with the practice of the primitive Christians at the first plantation of the gospel, in selling their possessions for charitable uses, and laying down the money at the apostles' feet, for the relief of their fellow brethren and members in Christ. Now this chapter informs us, that according to their example, one Anania, and Sapphira his wife, consecrated a possession unto God, and sold the same to that purpose; but fraudulently kept back part of the price; and thus, as St. Chryostom notes, was found stealing his own goods: He had the formality to sell his lands as others did; but had not the sincerity to part with his money as others had. Observe here, 1. The true nature of Ananias's sin, it as sacrilege; that is, a purloining or stealing of that which by vow and inward purpose of heart: covetousness and vain-glory, lying and hypocrisy, did all attend and accompany this sin; but the sin itself was sacrilege. Learn hence, 1. That what is consecrated to God, must not be alienated or applied to to other uses. 2. That such an alienation is sacrilege, and a sin against God, being a breach of vow or promise made unto him; a lying unto God, as the text calls it. 3. That it is a heinous sin, which God will severely punish. Observe, 2. How this secret sin, lying in the intention of the heart, was known to God, and by divine revelation made known to St. Peter. Learn thence, That not only our outward actions are taken notice of by God, but even the purposes and intents of our hearts are all manifest and open to him, and thoroughly understood by them. Observe, 3. How St. Peter justly aggravates their sin from the divinity of the person, (the Holy Ghost,) against whom it was committed, Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie unto the Holy Ghost? Thou hast not lied unto man, but unto God. But why is Ananias said to lie unto the Holy Ghost, rather than to God the Father or Jesus Christ the Son? Answer, Either, 1. Because it is the power work of the Spirit search the heart, and to know the thoughts and purposes thereof: Or, 2. Because the wealth brought in to the apostles and laid at their feet, was an effect of the Holy Spirit inclining the hearts of believers so to do. Learn hence, The divinity of the Holy Ghost, that he is truly and really God: he whom the scripture calls the great and true God, is God; but the scripture calls the Holy Ghost the great and true God; therefore the Holy Ghost is God. Either the Holy Ghost is man, and God's messenger, or God himself; but the antithesis or opposite shews, that he is not man; for says the apostles, Thou hast not lied unto man: And if the Holy Ghost had been only God's messenger, it had been as great a sin to lie to Peter, (he being God's extraordinary messenger,) as to lie to the Holy Ghost; therefore the apostle, in the fourth verse, doth explain what he meant, by lying to the Holy Ghost, in the third verse; namely, lying unto God: Thou hast not lied unto man, a creature like thyself, but unto God, even to the Holy Ghost who is God.

‏ Acts 5:1-10

The last verses of the foregoing chapter acquainted us with the practice of the primitive Christians at the first plantation of the gospel, in selling their possessions for charitable uses, and laying down the money at the apostles' feet, for the relief of their fellow brethren and members in Christ.

Now this chapter informs us, that according to their example, one Anania, and Sapphira his wife, consecrated a possession unto God, and sold the same to that purpose; but fraudulently kept back part of the price; and thus, as St. Chryostom notes, was found stealing his own goods: He had the formality to sell his lands as others did; but had not the sincerity to part with his money as others had.

Observe here, 1. The true nature of Ananias's sin, it as sacrilege; that is, a purloining or stealing of that which by vow and inward purpose of heart: covetousness and vain-glory, lying and hypocrisy, did all attend and accompany this sin; but the sin itself was sacrilege.

Learn hence, 1. That what is consecrated to God, must not be alienated or applied to to other uses.

2. That such an alienation is sacrilege, and a sin against God, being a breach of vow or promise made unto him; a lying unto God, as the text calls it.

3. That it is a heinous sin, which God will severely punish.

Observe, 2. How this secret sin, lying in the intention of the heart, was known to God, and by divine revelation made known to St. Peter.

Learn thence, That not only our outward actions are taken notice of by God, but even the purposes and intents of our hearts are all manifest and open to him, and thoroughly understood by them.

Observe, 3. How St. Peter justly aggravates their sin from the divinity of the person, (the Holy Ghost,) against whom it was committed, Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie unto the Holy Ghost? Thou hast not lied unto man, but unto God.

But why is Ananias said to lie unto the Holy Ghost, rather than to God the Father or Jesus Christ the Son?

Answer, Either, 1. Because it is the power work of the Spirit search the heart, and to know the thoughts and purposes thereof:

Or, 2. Because the wealth brought in to the apostles and laid at their feet, was an effect of the Holy Spirit inclining the hearts of believers so to do.

Learn hence, The divinity of the Holy Ghost, that he is truly and really God: he whom the scripture calls the great and true God, is God; but the scripture calls the Holy Ghost the great and true God; therefore the Holy Ghost is God. Either the Holy Ghost is man, and God's messenger, or God himself; but the antithesis or opposite shews, that he is not man; for says the apostles, Thou hast not lied unto man:

And if the Holy Ghost had been only God's messenger, it had been as great a sin to lie to Peter, (he being God's extraordinary messenger,) as to lie to the Holy Ghost; therefore the apostle, in the fourth verse, doth explain what he meant, by lying to the Holy Ghost, in the third verse; namely, lying unto God: Thou hast not lied unto man, a creature like thyself, but unto God, even to the Holy Ghost who is God.

Observe here, 1. The justice of the punishment inflicted upon Ananias for his sin; he is struck dead upon the spot for his sacrilege, covetousness, hypocrisy and lying: Doubtless it was a very heinous sin which God so severely punished, and it was the first sin of this kind under the New Testament. This was the first consecration of goods that ever was made unto Christ our Lord, after he was exalted at the right hand of God in heaven; and this was the first sacrilege: The first sin of this kind, and therefore the first persons that were found guilty of it met with this severity, in terrorem, to make all others afraid of it. The first transgressors in any kind have been made public examples. Thus the angels befoe the Jewish church; Nadab and Abihu at the beginning of the Jewish church; and here Ananias and Sapphira, at the beginning of the Christian church.

Observe, 2. How Sapphira, the wife's, subjection to her husband, doth not excuse her from partaking in his sin, nor exempt her from the severity of the punishment.

God's authority in commanding or forbidding, must be first observed and obeyed, otherwise we put the creature in God's place, debase him and set up and idol, which the jealousy and holiness of God will never endure.

Observe, 3. How the same sin meets with the same punishment. Husband and wife had here agreed both what to do and what to say, and they that sinned together suffered together.

God is no respector of persons, male and female, Jew or Gentile, prince or subject, husband or wife; the soul that sinneth, it shall die; Then fell she down straightaway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost, Acts 5:10.

Observe, 4. That this miraculous way of punishing offenders with immediate death by the apostles, was not common: This is the only instance in the New Testament of so severe a punishment inflicted by the mouth of the apostles for any sin whatsoever; and it seems accommodated and suited to that particular time, in which magistrates were so far from defending the church, that they furthered the persecution, and endeavoured the extirpation of it.

Observe lastly, The effect which this tremendous miracle had upon the whole church; it awfully affected them with fear and trembling; Great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

God's extraordinary providences, either judgments or mercies, towards ourselves or towards others, ought to affect us with holy fear, and that fear which works righteousness, When his judgments are abroad in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness; Isa 26:9 that is, they ought to do so, and, if ever they will do it, they will do it then: Judgments work fear, and fear works righteousness.