Acts 5:7
The Agreed Resolve The Sermon Continued Acts 5:1-11 Ananias & Sapphira “Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” (Acts 5:4) 11| I Didn’t Know| Acts 5:7 “Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what happened” (Acts 5:7). The Wikipedia definition of “diptych” is “any object with two flat plates, which are a pair, often attached at a hinge. For example, the standard notebook and school exercise book of the ancient world was a diptych consisting of a pair of such plates that contained a recessed space filled with wax.” In ancient days, builders used diptych art for altarpieces, a painting on two hinged wooden panels that could be closed. Luke describes this kind of dual picture painting when he tells the story of Ananias and Sapphira. He presents a parallelism, which enhances the narrative. The steps in Ananias’ life were the same for Sapphira. As we walk through the story, we wonder if the end for each will be the same. The idea of the passage is underscored by doubling. What is the idea of the passage? Christianity, by its essence, demands completeness. As Luke describes the members of the early Church, we see them as wholly abandoned to Jesus. Even when their loyalty to Jesus brings them persecution, they become even more determined. A relationship with Jesus cannot be part-time or casual. This relationship is so essential that Luke demonstrated it with a positive and a negative illustration. The positive example is Barnabas (Acts 4:36-37). Luke’s negative illustration is about Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11), which is eleven verses long. Within the negative example, Luke gives a diptych, making two stories one. Ananias brought a portion of his land’s selling price and gave it to the apostles. He proposed that it was the entire amount, but it was not. Sapphira agreed with this action (Acts 5:2). When Sapphira came to Peter three hours later, he asked her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much” (Acts 5:8)? She gave a positive response, which was in agreement with what Ananias had said. What Ananias did at the beginning of the story, Sapphira repeated. The next step in the story is Peter confronting Ananias’ with his sin. Satan filled Ananias’ heart, and he lied to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3). Later, Peter confronted Sapphira with her agreement with Ananias to test the Spirit of the Lord (Acts 5:9). The result for Ananias was not repentance, but death (Acts 5:5). Sapphira also did not repent, but fell down and breathed her last (Acts 5:10). The awareness of God’s power swept through the early Church, and fear came upon all who heard Ananias’ story (Acts 5:5). The sweeping fear repeated itself as the story continued with Sapphira (Acts 5:11). This story is a diptych of truth painted in the lives of two people. If there is any doubt that Christianity demands total abandonment to Jesus, these two pictures settle it. Any thought of partial giving in our lives does not meet the criteria for the Christian experience. God is not egotistical, who cannot tolerate disloyalty, so His demands are not the basis of this story. The Scriptures present the Trinity God as compassionate, forgiving, and long-suffering. He desires what is best for us, not what is best for Him! However, the nature of merging with Him, forming a new creature, demands completeness. Any thought of using God for self-advantage violates the core of my helplessness and is an expression of independence instead of dependence. Any self-centeredness expressed in physical activity nullifies intimacy with Jesus. You and I must be all in! But what if I do not know? Sapphira did not know. “Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what happened” (Acts 5:7). At this point in the story, Sapphira did not know that her husband was dead. She was not confronted with her sin and had not experienced the full awareness of guilt before God. Her understanding of theology may have been limited. She followed the leadership of her husband and may not have known she was sinning. However, the message of the passage is not about complete knowledge! The message is about the complete abandonment of the heart. Rules and laws may be in effect, but I may not understand or know all of them. My heart shrinks from the thought of hurting Jesus by anything I might do. My heart is His. Undoubtedly, there are actions in my life that are not as He desires, but I do not know what they are. My heart hungers and thirsts for righteousness; therefore, Jesus will teach me because my heart is complete. I do not have full knowledge; therefore, my decisions and judgments are not always right. But my heart longs for His destiny in my life. Jesus will produce growth in my life. I may not understand the circumstances in which I dwell, but I trust Him with all my heart. I cry for His will and not mine! The question “why” may approach my mind, but my heart is content in His provision. I focus my whole heart on Jesus! The story of Ananias and Sapphira is a focus on the intent and motive of the human being. When Peter confronted Ananias, he confronted his heart (Acts 5:3). Peter explained that the problem was not the land because it belonged to Ananias and Sapphira. The issue was not the amount of money from the sale. In each case, they were free to do as they wanted with the land and the money. The problem was in their heart motive, for they allowed Satan to fill their hearts with his desires. They had not surrendered to Jesus, which divided their hearts. This partial surrender allowed rebellion, sin, and Satan to fill their hearts, which always leads to death. Jesus is Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all! The call of Christianity from beginning to end is a total abandonment of the heart. No one needs to be embarrassed to propose such a call. It is not radical or too demanding. Our surrender to Jesus must match the worthiness of His Person. How can the value of redemption accept a cheap, half-hearted commitment? We are face to face with Jesus’ total abandonment of Himself to us. How can God require anything less from us? The call of Christianity is not to the overall acceptance of theology. It is undoubtedly not an abandonment to a set of rules or activities or embracing an organizational structure. The call is not even to a particular career, such as a missionary or pastor. The request is to merge with the Person of Jesus. He must be Lord of my life. In Him, I find all the dreams of God for my life fulfilled. The actions of Ananias and Sapphira were a direct reflection of their lack of commitment to Jesus. Therefore, the principal concept of our verse is simple. It is not what you do not know that matters; it is what you do know! It is not about all knowledge but complete heart commitment. Will you love Jesus with your whole heart? Despite all the things occurring around you of which you are not aware, will you love Him with your whole heart? The unknown will always be present; it cannot ultimately hurt you if you belong to Jesus. Does Jesus not have a plan and destiny for you? There is no unknown in His realm. God gives a renewed call to gather together all that you do know and abandon yourself to Jesus! There is so much more to view in our verse. Coming Luke said, “Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what happened” (Acts 5:7). The Greek word “eiserchomai” is translated “came in.” “Eiserchomai” presents the idea of “to enter” or “to come into.” This main verb is in the indicative mood, meaning it is a simple statement of fact. Luke uses “eiserchomai” to say Sapphira entered into what she did not know. All of our lives have this picture. Every step we take places us in the realm of the unknown. If the unknown frightens us, we will live in constant fear, for we always dwell in and are surrounded by the unknown in our past, present, and future. The unknown will remain with us in eternity because we will never be omniscient. We were born in the unknown, and we will depart this world to face another unknown. The reality of uncertainty is frightening. How can I find security and confidence as I face such a mystery? Security is only in the One who knows. There is no unknown in the dwelling place of our God! God has no unknown in His existence, and He knows all there is to know about my life! “O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways” (Psalm 139:1-3). “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet informed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them” (Psalm 139:16). Perhaps the Trinity God does know every detail of all things, and for Him, there is no unknown, but how does that benefit me and bring security to my living? God is in love with you, and He molded you with His creative fingers. God has dreams, and He created you to fulfill those dreams. You are not merely a number in the census of the world. God chose you before the foundation of the world and destined you for His work before you were capable of doing it. Although I may face the unknown, there is no unknown for God. My security and confidence are in Him. However, this requires your unconditional trust and surrender to Jesus. How can I trust Him for eternal salvation and not also trust Him for my financial security? I cannot depend on Jesus for the safety of heaven and not rely on Him for my earthly home. I have to abandon myself in every area of life to His controlling influence because He knows me. Suppose I control the known areas of my life that determine and direct the unknown areas. Jesus cannot be Lord over the unknown unless He is Lord over the known. Trusting Jesus with our unknown is the concept of our passage. It is not what I do not know that matters; it is what I do know! Sapphira came into the unknown. She did not know her husband was dead, and that the young men had carried him out. Now the same thing happened to her. Her death did not occur because she did not know. It happened because of what she did know! She knew that she and her husband agreed to test the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:9). Since Sapphira did not come under the influence of the Holy Spirit in what she knew, there was no security in what she did not know. What we know is a call to total abandonment to Jesus! Comprehension What do you know? There are several Greek words translated “know.” Our favorite is “ginosko,” a relational term, the most intimate of all relationships. “Epiginosko” is an expanded and strengthened version of “ginosko.” “Gnostos” is the Greek word used to depict information or data. Then, there is the Greek word in our passage, “oida,” which is the idea to perceive, one’s perception or understanding. When you attempt to explain something to another person, and they say, “I see it,” the Greek word “oida” applies. Sapphira entered into a realm where she did not perceive or have any understanding of what was happening. She did not know her husband had physically died, the manner of his death, the confrontation of Peter, and the younger men’s task of removing his body. But those facts only demonstrate an avalanche of spiritual realities. Her perception of the embezzlement was light and superficial. She and Ananias had merely hidden something from the apostles and the early Church. The sale price of their land was their business. She did not see the immense spiritual war between good and evil fighting on the stage of her life. She could not conceive the eternal consequences of what she did not know. Paul said that God veils the Gospel to those who are perishing. He explained the source of this covering of their perception. Their “minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Although we know, there is always the unknown, and we regularly face the mystery, the reality of blindness and veiling speaks of what we could see but do not. Should Sapphira not have known? The strength of her Jewish background, the wonder of Christian experience, and the training of the apostles would all cry out. Sapphira should have known the spiritual reality of her sin. Did not the Holy Spirit faithfully speak to her and Ananias as they took steps to embezzle the funds? If Sapphira had followed what she knew, she would not have entered into what she did not know. Again, we have to face the concept of our passage. It is not what we do not know that matters; it is what we do know! If Sapphira had embraced what she did know, what she did not know would have been fine. What she knew about Jesus and her merger with Him could have saved her from all she did not know. Childbirth Luke described all that Sapphira did know as “what had happened,” the translation of the Greek word “ginomai.” “Ginomai” portrays the idea of “coming into being” or “something being birthed.” I have spoken to a variety of people who found themselves in undesirable situations. They looked at me with confusion and asked, “How did I get here?” They awakened to find themselves in life’s circumstances and wondered what happened. They did not plan or expect the event, but they had birthed it! Quiz a group of first graders about what they want to be when they grow up. None of them will report that their life’s dream is to be an alcoholic, a child molester, or a murderer. Counsel a young couple who plan to marry, and they will not tell you they are getting married to fight and eventually divorce. How does that happen (ginomai)? None of the unwanted circumstances result from fate, happenchance, or luck. We birth them from what we know. The state of security regarding the birthing of the unknown is in abandoning ourselves to what we do know. Ananias and Sapphira were Jews who knew the transforming power of Christ. They sat under the apostles teaching, experienced signs and wonders, and participated in the ministry of the early Church. How did they arrive at embezzlement? “Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?” Amid all they had experienced, they did not embrace Jesus in total abandonment. Therefore, what they knew was half-heartedness, compromise, and self-effort! What they knew birthed the embezzlement! What if they had entirely surrendered to Jesus? What if their abandonment to Jesus had been total? We can only imagine what God could have birthed in them. We do not know what is going to be, but the birthing always comes out of what is. It is not what you do not know that matters; it is what you do know. We must know Jesus completely. “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). God’s call to us is to walk in all the light of His presence. What we know will quickly give birth to what we do not know. Ask Ananias and Sapphira!