But 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) While 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.
We have here a most interesting record of two abominable hypocrites, whose crimes and punishment are circumstantially related, for the instruction and comfort of the Church in all ages. It is blessed to observe how God the Holy Ghost watches over his Church, in causing such histories to be handed down to the people. Without such records, we might have been led to suppose, that in those happy days no characters of a contrary principle to the Apostles standard were to be found. But now we learn that the best of Churches, and the best of times, have their spots. In the ark, there was an Ham. Among the Apostles, a Judas, Under the first days of the Holy Ghost's ministry, the Lord permitted Ananias and Sapphira to mingle for a space with the faithful. But so far are these things from proving injurious to the Church, that they ultimately minister to her glory.
Reader, let us first contemplate the dreadful state of the human heart. Here were two persons most fully convinced, as far as head-knowledge could carry conviction, of the truths of God, professing a belief they never felt, and to preserve an opinion among the faithful, consenting, apparently, to give up the whole of their worldly goods for the benefit of the Church of Christ; and yet all the while had not the least real love to Jesus, or his people. And are such instances singular? Alas! the reverse. Perhaps there is not now upon earth a single congregation of professing Christians, of any number, but what hath some of the same description. And doth not the Lord overrule such events to his glory, and his people's welfare? Yes! for it tends to make the Lord's people jealous of themselves, when they discover such goats got into the sheepfold. It tends to humble the soul, under a sense of common corruption. And it operates most blessedly to the Lord's glory, when a child of God is thereby led to discover, that all the difference between one and another is all of grace.
Let us next learn from this picture of human depravity, to admire the tender love of the Lord to the Church, in qualifying Peter to the detection of it. By the power which the Holy Ghost gave him of discerning spirits, the iniquity was found out, and the Church cleansed from the impurity. And thus the Lord watches over his people for good in all ages.
I beg the Reader particularly to remark with me, that Peter charged this man with lying to the Holy Ghost. But why is it so specially said that the lie was to the Holy Ghost? I apprehend on this account. Because conversion-work is the personal operation of God the Holy Ghost? So that the whole, and every part of this man's conduct, was directly leveled against the Holy Ghost. He never had been converted. He never had felt the love of God, and of Christ, in his heart And therefore the deception was principally against God the Spirit. I pray the Reader, under this head, not to overlook how Peter speaks of the Godhead of the Holy Ghost. In verse three, (Acts 5:3) he chargeth Ananias with lying to the Holy Ghost. And in another, (Acts 5:4) he saith that lie was not unto men, but unto God. A plain proof, in Peter's view, that the Holy Ghost is God.
One observation more meets us on this wonderful transaction, I mean the judgment of God, in instant death, both on the man and his wife. It must have been very awful; but it should seem that the Lord deemed it to be necessary. The honor of God the Spirit. The honor of the Church of Christ now more eminently forming. The dreadful alarm it must have given hypocrites, to keep them from the Church. The fears it must have awakened in cautioning the foes of Christ to be very careful how they molested the Apostles. And the terror in all the future ages of the Church it might afford, to preserve the faithful from numberless instances of deception. These were certainly among the causes for which the speedy judgment of the Lord fell upon Ananias and Sapphira; and for which they stand forth, and will stand forth to the end of the world, monuments of the Lord's anger. Reader! let you and I, in the contemplation, learn to bless God for his unspeakable gift!