Barnabas, Ananias, and Sapphira - Acts 4:23-5:11

The way in which Acts is written is interesting and I can definitely see how the speech pattern used here has influenced many of the other Christian writers and speakers throughout the centuries. Phrases are used like “thy holy child Jesus” several times, which is interesting because Jesus wasn’t a child when the disciples knew him. But the concept of “baby Jesus” or “holy child” are still widely known and used throughout the Christian world. These phrases are used in a prayer that Jesus’ disciples offer when Peter and John are released from prison and return home. These disciples pray “that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thing hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.” I would probably have prayed for the hearts of my enemies to be softened towards me, that’s my go-to for most things now. But they didn’t pray for the easy way, they prayed for the strength to endure, which I think that could be a lesson to us on how we pray. Let’s not pray for ease, let’s pray for strength.

I think that we talked a few days ago about the believers of Christ coming to live together in like a communal tent city type place, because I think that there was mention of them having “all things in common” which is again mentioned here in verse 32. The breakdown that we are given in the book of Acts says that “neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many of were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.” This makes is sound like everyone sold everything that they had and gave the money to the apostles who then distributed it among the people. Interestingly, the IM says, “Members of the Church in Jerusalem attempted to live the law of consecration. ‘They had all things common’ probably does not mean that they pooled all of their resources and then divided up equal portions among believers. Rather they used their excess resources to care for the poor and needy among them. Similar attempts to live the law of consecration occurred among the people of Enoch and in the Book of Mormon.”
Let’s reconcile what we just read with the account of Barnabas who “having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid to at the apostles’ feet.” Did he sell his house and his livelihood to sit in a tent with everyone else? That wouldn’t make sense because God does not give his people charge to be idol, or to sit around, they (we) are supposed to work to support ourselves. I think that the answer comes from a clue found in chapter 5 verse one which tells of a “man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession.” They didn’t say that this couple sold all of their possessions, but that they sold “a” possession, implying that this was part of their excess.
But here’s the difference between Barnabas, who sold his land and gave the money to the apostles, and Ananias and Sapphira (A&S from now on), who sold a possession “and kept back part of the price… and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.” Barnabas gave all the money that he got for the land, but the A&S kept part of the money for themselves. But it was their land and their money from the sale, why does it matter that they kept some of their own money for themselves? It doesn’t matter that they kept the money for themselves, but what does matter is that they lied about it. Peter is informed by the Holy Ghost that A&S had done this thing, and he ever asks Ananias, “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.” He’s saying, “dude if you wanted to keep the money, then you should have kept the money, but you tried to keep the money and make yourself appear righteous at the same time.”
Interestingly, Ananias’ reaction to Peter calling him out was not expected because upon “hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost.” So Ananias died, assuming he was struck down by the Lord, and was carried out and buried by the “young men.” Oddly enough, when his wife Sapphira came to Peter and lied to him about the price of the land, Peter said, “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.” And sure enough, “she fell 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.”
I think I mentioned that I watched the first several episodes of a series on Netflix called “A.D.” or something like that, about the aftermath of Christ’s crucifixion. This was the episode that I stopped on because it was getting ridiculous. I don’t know if I maybe misinterpreted or something but this show suggests that God commanded A&S to be killed and then maybe Peter himself did it, or he at least got someone else to do it, basically like it was a public execution. That seemed like a stretch to me because, even though I had never heard this story before, it would be completely wrong for the apostles to start executing people for not giving up all their money, at least that’s what it would look like from the outside. There would probably have been a grinding halt to conversion if the message became “come live with us and give us all your money or face execution.” But instead, with God being the executioner it demonstrates his power to his people, and reminds them that he knows all that they wouldn’t be cheating the apostles, but that they would be cheating Him personally.
Barnabas sold the land that he covenanted to sell and gave the money to the apostles, just like he promised he would, but A&S didn’t do that, and we have to ask the question at that point, why make the promise if you don’t want to keep it. The IM comments, “Ananias and Sapphira made a solemn covenant with God to have ‘all things common.’ They were to donate their possessions to the Church to be distributed according to the needs of the members. By lying to Peter, their priesthood leader, they also lied to God about the price they had received for a piece of land so they could avoid giving the full profit to the Church. Breaking this covenant by stealing and lying was a serious offense with calamitous consequences for them. This is a powerful illustration of the need to keep our covenants and be honest before our God.”
When it comes to sacred church funds, the Lord takes matters very seriously. I don’t remember how the conversation came up, but I was talking to one of the members of my bishopric in some ward that I was in and, I think I handed him my tithing envelope and said, “don’t spend it all in one place,” being funny, because, you know… why not? And he said something to the effect of “there is no faster way to be excommunicated than to steal tithing.” Even though A&S don’t appear to be the church treasurers, nor did they do anything with anyone else’s money, they promised God that they would do it, and ultimately, it wasn’t Peter or anyone else who killed them, it was God. Interestingly, if we consider what the Spirit told Nephi when Laban was passed out drunk at his feet, that it is better that one man (or couple in this case) perish than a whole nation dwindle in unbelief. We have to remember that the Lord will only take life if there is no way for them to improve, and usually it is about the time that they kill the prophets. We don’t know what type of people A&S were besides this event, but clearly the Lord knew that they would have been nothing but trouble for his people and their newly formed church. Needless to say, “great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.”
It kind of sets a scary precedent though, because I have been guilty of much worse than not giving the right amount of money to the church, so will I be killed? The IM quotes President Gordon B. Hinckley as teaching, “In our time those found in dishonesty do not die as did Ananias and Sapphira, but something within them dies. Conscience chokes, character withers, self-respect vanishes, integrity dies,… We cannot be less than honest, we cannot be less than true, we cannot be less than virtuous if we are to keep sacred the trust given us.”