The Lamb Protects His Bride - Ananias & Sapphira

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The early chapters of Acts paint a picture of the Church as a family:

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. (Acts 4:32)

With whom are you “of one heart and soul”?
To whom do you voluntarily say, “What’s mine is yours”?
With whom do you “have everything in common”?

It’s those with whom you share a home. Your family.

But then we see a threat to that unity and family in the actions of Ananias and Sapphira:

But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. (Acts 5:1-2)

The story concludes with God smiting both Ananias and Sapphira, so we might ask, “ Why is so small a crime worthy of so severe a punishment?”

This passage begins by highlighting the tremendous unity (4:32-37) of the church, which is threatened by deceit. This is critical, because you can’t do so much the church is designed to do without trust.

Deceit is a threat to the existence of the church:

  • How easy is it to confess your sins before those you don't trust are here for your good, but are here for their good? They might just see in your confession "leverage." "Ammunition."

  • How easy is it to entrust your burdens you don't trust?

  • How easy is it to request prayer from someone whose word isn't honest? Will they be honest before the Lord?

  • How easy is it to submit to one another and to the elders' teaching if... they're untrustworthy?

A congregation that cannot trust each other cannot fulfill so much of what the Lord has commanded us to. Deceit threatens the very life of the church!

And what is the church to God? Individually, God calls Christians sons and daughters. And as the Church, in a way we do not fully understand, we are the Bride. From Hosea, to Ephesians, to Revelation… the Lord calls us, the Church the Bride of Christ.

And what does a good husband do when his wife’s life is threatened? He protects her. And that’s just what we see in the case of Ananias and Sapphira: The Lord protecting his Bride.