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Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
4:32-5:16 The Community Shares Together. The second extensive "summary" in Acts deals with the practice of fellow believers sharing goods (see 2:43-44). Luke describes their practice and holds forth Barnabas as a model (4:32-37), followed by the account of the abuse of the practice by Ananias and Sapphira (5:1-11). A final summary highlights the growth of the community and its experience with the Spirit's power (5:12-16).
4:34 The believers' sharing exemplified the OT ideal of there not being a needy person among them--that is, there should be no poor in the community of faith (cf. Deut. 15:4-11). To realize this ideal the Christians would sell some of their goods and bring the proceeds to the apostles for distribution to the needy. Neither their sharing nor their bringing offerings should be seen as any sort of communal ownership such as was practiced by the Essenes and by later Christian monks, for the practice was strictly voluntary (see Acts 5:4 and note on 2:44). Such sacrifice and giving is seen as exemplary.
4:36 Barnabas would not have been cited as an example of sharing if the practice had not been voluntary. Barnabas is introduced in the Acts narrative at this point; he is a major character in later chapters, particularly as Paul's companion on his first mission. That mission began on Cyprus (13:4b-6), the home of Barnabas. The nickname son of encouragement fits his personality well. He introduced the newly converted Paul to the apostolic circle when everyone else was suspicious of him (9:27). He brought Paul to Antioch to participate in the outreach to the Gentiles (11:25-26). And he stood up for the young John Mark when Paul did not want to take him with them (15:36-39).
5:1-11 The positive picture of the community's sharing is marred by the account of a couple who abused the practice by holding back a portion of a gift while claiming to be giving it totally to the church. The context is important to note: the incident is bracketed by references to the Spirit's power (4:31, 33; 5:12-16). The Spirit was closely linked to the unity of the fellowship manifested in their sharing. Ananias and Sapphira abused the fellowship through their deception and thereby threatened its unity.
5:2 The couple kept back . . . some of the proceeds. "Kept back" (Gk. nosphizō) means "to put aside for oneself, to keep back" in a secret and dishonest way. It is an uncommon word, which was used also in the Septuagint in the story of Achan (Josh. 7:1), who received a sentence of death for holding back some of the spoils from Ai that were dedicated to God.
5:3 Satan was the instigator behind the couple's deed, "filling" their hearts just as the Spirit had "filled" the community for witness (4:31). Twice Ananias was charged with keeping part of the income from the land (5:2, 3), indicating that he must have claimed that he was dedicating the whole to the Lord's work. His sin was the lie, claiming to be doing more than he did.
5:4 Peter made clear the voluntary nature of the church's charity: Ananias did not have to give anything. Note that whereas Peter accused Ananias of lying to the Holy Spirit in v. 3, here he says that he has lied . . . to God, showing that the Holy Spirit is a person and that he is himself divine. Lying is characteristic of Satan (see John 8:44) and exactly opposite the character of God, who cannot lie (cf. Num. 23:19; Prov. 30:5; Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18).
5:5 great fear (Gk. phobos). Fear in response to a manifestation of God's presence involves both reverent awe and a healthy fear of God's displeasure and discipline.
5:8 When Peter asked Sapphira whether she sold the land for so much, she repeated the lie, stating the partial amount the couple had given.
5:9 Peter accused Sapphira of testing the Spirit (cf. Ex. 17:2; Deut. 6:16; Matt. 4:7; Luke 4:12), an expression that echoes OT passages about testing the Lord. This is another indication of the Spirit's deity (cf. note on Acts 5:4).
5:10 Peter informed Sapphira of her impending death before it happened; the note of divine judgment is unmistakable. The text does not give enough information to know if Ananias and Sapphira were "false" believers or if they truly belonged to the Lord despite their egregious sin. One could view the event as God's removal from the young Christian community of the distrust and disunity provoked by the couple's dishonesty. It was a time when the Spirit was especially present in the community, blessing it with unity of fellowship (4:32) and the power of miracles (5:12-16). That same power brought judgment to those who by their actions denied this unity and power. Satan (v. 3) was no match for the Holy Spirit.
5:12-16 This summary centers on the Holy Spirit's activity in the apostles' healing ministry.
5:12 The Christians had prayed for God to grant them the power to perform signs and wonders (cf. 4:30). This was mightily fulfilled through the apostles, especially in the temple area of Solomon's Portico, where the Christians often witnessed (3:11). A "portico" (Gk. stoa) is a covered walkway (cf. 3:11; John 5:2; 10:23).
5:13 None of the rest dared join them. Some take the antecedent of "them" to be "the whole church" in v. 13 and understand "they" in v. 12 as referring to all the believers. Others understand "them" to be "the apostles" in v. 13 and understand "they" in v. 12 to refer to the apostles as well. The Greek grammar allows for either interpretation. The first interpretation would show that unbelievers were afraid to attach themselves to the church unless they were truly converted. The second interpretation would show the unique authority and miraculous power of the apostles.
