The Holy Spirit Purifies
There was great unity among the believers and they shared with each other their possessions. One day, a certain believer named Ananias did so as well. However, the Holy Spirit knew what was in the heart of this man and his wife, and revealed it to Peter, as we can read in Acts 5:1-11
Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge, he kept back part of the money for himself, but he brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?" Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.” When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body and carried him out and buried him. About three hours later, his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.” Peter said to her, “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door and they will carry you out also.” At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
These two believers did not have to sell their property. Moreover, they did not have to give everything they had sold the property for. The land, as well as the money they had received for the land, was theirs, and they could do with it as they wished. But they lied, trying to look better in the eyes of the other believers than they were. As Peter said, they lied not just to the other believers but they lied to the Holy Spirit of God. God is a holy God and He considers lying an evil act for which these two people had to pay a high price; their very lives. Of course, what happened to them became known to many others. And yet, many more people became believers, despite the fact that the Holy Spirit had high standards for those who wished to become believers. These standards remain today, for God is still a holy God, which means that even today we need to live by God’s standards, and not by the standards of the world around us.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Question 1a. According to Acts 5:1-11, who sold a piece of property?
Answer: According to Acts 5:1-11, a believer named Ananias sold a piece of property.
Question 1b. According to Acts 5:1-11, what was the name of Ananias’ wife?
Answer: According to Acts 5:1-11, the name of Ananias’ wife was Saphira.
Question 1c. According to Acts 5:1-11, did Ananias give the full amount to the Apostles?
Answer: According to Acts 5:1-11, Ananias kept back part of the money for himself and gave
the rest to the Apostles.
Question 1d. According to Acts 5:1-11, Who spoke to Peter about the money they
had received from Ananias?
Answer: According to Acts 5:1-11, the Holy Spirit spoke to Peter about the money they had
received from Ananias.
Question 1e. According to Acts 5:1-11, was Peter pleased with the money they had received
from Ananias?
Answer: According to Acts 5:1-11, Peter was not pleased with the money they had received
from Ananias because Ananias had not told them he had kept part of the money for
himself.
Question 1f. According to Acts 5:1-11, Who had Ananias lied to?
Answer: According to Acts 5:1-11, Ananias had lied to the Holy Spirit.
Question 1g. According to Acts 5:1-11, what happened to Ananias after Peter confronted him?
Answer: According to Acts 5:1-11, Ananias fell down and died after Peter confronted him.
Question 1h. According to Acts 5:1-11, did Ananias’ wife Saphira know what had happened
to her husband?
Answer: According to Acts 5:1-11, Ananias’ wife Saphira did not know what had happened to
her husband.
Question 1i. According to Acts 5:1-11, did Saphira tell the truth?
Answer: According to Acts 5:1-11, Saphira did not tell the truth but told the same lie her
husband Ananias had told Peter.
Question 1j. According to Acts 5:1-11, was Peter pleased with Saphira’s answer?
Answer: According to Acts 5:1-11, Peter was not pleased with Saphira’s answer for he
told Saphira that she was testing the Spirit of the Lord by lying to Him, just as her
husband Ananias had done.
Question 1k. According to Acts 5:1-11, what happened to Saphira after Peter confronted her?
Answer: According to Acts 5:1-11, Saphira fell down and died after Peter confronted her.
Question 2. Did these two believers have to sell their property?
Answer: No, these two believers did not have to sell their property.
Question 3. Did these two believers have to give everything they had sold the property for? Answer: No, these two believers did not have to give everything they had sold the property for since the land as well as the money they had received for the property was theirs and they could do with it as they wished.
Question 4. What was the sin of these two believers?
Answer: The sin of these two believers was that they lied.
Question 5. Why did these two believers lie?
Answer: These two believers lied because they tried to look better in the eyes of other
believers than they were.
Question 6. Who did these two believers lie to?
Answer: These two believers lied to the Holy Spirit of God.
Question 7. Have God’s standards changed today?
Answer: No, for God is still a holy God, which means that even today we need to live by God’s standards and not by the standards of the world around us.