Acts 5:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

NIV: 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.

NASB: And immediately she collapsed at his feet and died; and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

CSB: Instantly she dropped dead at his feet. When the young men came in, they found her dead, carried her out, and buried her beside her husband.

NLT: Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband.

Sapphira didn't have to die. Although she conspired with her husband to secretly keep back some of the money they promised (Acts 5:1–2), she didn't have to maintain that lie. In another time, a foolish man named Nabal cheated David from his rightful pay, meaning he also insulted the future king. David responded by taking four hundred of his men to destroy Nabal.

Fortunately, Nabal had a wise wife, Abigail. Abigail met David before he reached her husband with a portion of what they owed and sincere apologies. David honored her for keeping him from murdering her worthless husband. God struck down Nabal, and Abigail became David's wife (1 Samuel 25).

Instead of following Abigail's example, Sapphira joined her husband in embezzling from God and continuing the lie. Had she known her husband had died three hours prior, she might have confessed. But confession is not the same as repentance. Confession requires only admitting you've sinned; repentance means sincerely grieving that sin and allowing the Holy Spirit to change your heart. Repentance means loving God enough to hate your own sin.

Sapphira does neither. It's not clear what benefit she expects to get out of swindling the church. God does not suffer someone who claims to follow Jesus but acts otherwise to infect the infant church. His punishment is swift and brutal. Soon, persecution will begin in earnest and the church members will flee Jerusalem (Acts 8:1–3). Those who are still caught up in impressing others rather than following Jesus will find their faith cannot survive.

Acts 5:1–11 contains the unfortunate story of Ananias and Sapphira. While the story of Peter and John's arrest by the Sadducees shows the beginning of problems outside the church (Acts 4), the account of Ananias and Sapphira reveals issues inside the church. As people listen to the witness of the apostles and come to a saving faith in Jesus, they donate what they have so that everyone in the church has what they need (Acts 4:32–37). Ananias and Sapphira want to join the wave of altruism, but not completely. God loves generosity, but not shallow performances which attempts to make a fool of Him and His people.

The apostles continue to make hard decisions in the name of Jesus, both inside and outside the church. When Ananias and Sapphira lie to God, the Holy Spirit inspires Peter to pronounce God's judgment on them, protecting the church from the love of the world. Despite the Sanhedrin's watchful eye—and direct orders (Acts 4:17–18)—the apostles continue to preach and heal openly. The guards arrest the apostles, but the Sanhedrin settles for beating them instead of capital punishment. The apostles consider it an honor to suffer on behalf of their Savior.

In Acts 5, persecution from unbelievers begins to accelerate. The Sanhedrin has become aware the apostles teach that Jesus rose from the dead (Acts 4). Now, they start to push back in earnest, arresting and beating the apostles. Soon, a mob will kill Stephen, a deacon (Acts 7:54–60), and the Sanhedrin will empower Saul to run down and arrest any Jesus-follower he can find (Acts 8:1–3). The apostles will stay in Jerusalem. Other Jesus-followers will carry His offer of forgiveness and reconciliation with God into the Roman Empire and beyond. The apostles' faithfulness and submission to the Holy Spirit is why we have the gospel message today.

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.