Ananias (Ananias, husband of Sapphira, who sold a property and withheld part of the proceeds)
The man who lied to the Holy Spirit
La Iglesia primitivaMember of the early churchProperty owner1st century AD
Ananias was a believer in the early church in Jerusalem, where Christians shared their possessions with one another out of free will. He and his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property, but secretly kept back part of the proceeds while pretending to give everything. When Ananias laid the money at the apostles' feet, Peter exposed the deception through insight from the Holy Spirit. Peter clarified that the property and the money had always been under Ananias's control – the sin lay in lying to God, not in keeping something for himself. Immediately after the confrontation, Ananias fell down dead, and three hours later Sapphira met the same fate when she upheld the same lie. The event left deep awe throughout the entire community of faith and stands as a startling testimony to God's holiness and to the profound connection between truth and fellowship in the people of the new covenant.
Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold a property they owned but secretly agreed to keep back part of the sale price. Ananias brought the rest of the money and laid it at the apostles' feet as if it were the full amount.
The apostle Peter, guided by the Holy Spirit, saw through the deception and confronted Ananias directly. He pointed out that the property and the money had always been under Ananias' own control, but that by lying he had lied not to people but to God himself.
4While it remained unsold, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was the money not at your disposal? Why have you contrived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God."
When Ananias heard Peter's words, he fell down and died. Some young men came, wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him. Great fear seized all who heard what had happened.
About three hours later Sapphira came in, unaware of what had happened to her husband. When Peter asked her about the sale price, she repeated the lie. Peter then said that the feet of those who had buried her husband were already at the door. She fell down immediately and died, and the young men carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
9Then Peter said to her, "How could you agree together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Look, the feet of those who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out."
10At once she fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came in, they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
The incident with Ananias and Sapphira brought deep reverence to the entire church and to all who heard about it. It highlighted the holiness of the new community of faith and the seriousness of living honestly before God.