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The Great Lie - Ananias and Sapphira

On Wednesday we reported on the proposed resolution from Louie Crew that Dioceses should not be allowed a vote at GC2009 if they had not paid their fair share of the costs of that Convention.

As Jackie noted in that post, Crew had added some of the text of Acts 5 in order to back up his motion, namely these:

³ But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? ⁴ While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.“ ⁵ When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. ⁶ The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.

As Jackie noted at the time,

This passage has much to teach us but to imply it is even remotely connected to what is being proposed in this alleged resolution is ridiculous.

But what

the point of this tale and what does it have to teach the Episcopal Church at this time?

Acts 5 comes immediately after this at the end of chapter 4:

Acts 4:32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. ³³ And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. ³⁴ There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold ³⁵ and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. ³⁶ Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, ³⁷ sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

The force of the apostles’ message is such that it not only brings new spiritual life, but that those new lives are marked by generosity.

Enter Ananias and Sapphira:

Acts 5:1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, ² and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

The word used for this “keeping back” is used in only one place previously in Scripture (and then subsequently in 1Tim. 2:10 where is it translated “pilfering” or “stealing”). That first usage is in the Greek of the LXX at Joshua 7:

Joshua 7:1 But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah,
took some of them
. So the LORD’s anger burned against Israel.

The context, of course, is the beginning of the conquest of the Promised Land under Joshua, under God. In the previous chapter God prepares the people for the taking of Jericho, including this warning:

¹⁸ But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it.

The point is clear - as they enter the Promised Land they are to make a clear distinction between the wealth and prosperity that God gives as opposed to the wealth and prosperity that comes from following other false gods. Those trinkets, however, have a seductive charm to them and so they must be wholeheartedly purged from the life of the redeemed people of God. Later that same chapter we come across Achan who fails to heed this warning. His demise is recorded for us.

And, so to Ananais and Sapphira. Their crime, it seems, is more than simply withholding money. It is their hearts that they are holding back for they stand in such stark contrast to the wholehearted believers of the end of chapter 4. They talk the talk but they do not walk the walk. Their lives are lies, exposed in how they handle their money but extending far, far beyond that.

So I’m grateful to Louie Crew for raising the text with us. It is, of course, nothing to do with withholding money from General Convention but, rather, everything to do with withholding our hearts from God.

It is about wanting to be seen to be part of God’s people, but not having any compulsion to give sacrificially for those people. It is about lying - saying one thing while doing another.

After the debacle of GC2006 and Schori’s untruths at and following Dar Es Salaam - it is a lesson that TEC, along with all of us, should listen to urgently.

Posted by on 08/17 at 02:47 PM

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