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Thomas Constable · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Constable adds that "Their names proved as ironic as their behavior was hypocritical!" Warren
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Constable - Rather than allowing the Holy Spirit to fill him (cf. Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31), Ananias had allowed Satan to control his heart. Ananias' sin was lying. He sought to deceive the Christians by trying to gain a reputation for greater generosity than he deserved. By deceiving the church, Ananias was also trying to deceive the Holy Spirit who indwelt the church. In attempting to deceive the Holy Spirit, he was trying to deceive God. But Peter said - Another striking contrast. Ananias' offering which should have been a sweet aroma to God, is discerned by Spirit filled Peter to be an abomination to God. Peter saw through the lie and the attempt to deceive and thus he issues this strong rebuke. Can you imagine Ananias' shock at hearing Peter's words? Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit - As discussed above, Satan clearly exerted control over this couple. Satan is the "father of lies" (Jn 8:44), and he shot "fiery missiles" of thoughts like "keep some of the money for yourselves" into the heart and mind of A&S. Sadly when these fiery missiles of temptation came flying in, A&S failed to take up the shield of faith to repel the tempting thoughts (cf Eph 6:16+). And so while Satan tempted them to sin, A&S carried out the sin against the Spirit. They were fully responsible. Beloved, don't ever use the old cliche "The devil made me do it!" He may tempt you but there is no Scripture that places the blame of a believer's sin on Satan! And remember what Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, "Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle which fits them all." We see similar "handiwork" of Satan in the Gospels in the son of perdition, Judas Iscariot... John 13:2; 27 During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him...(13:27) After the morsel, Satan then entered into him (OF COURSE HERE JUDAS HAD NO RESIDENT HOLY SPIRIT SO IN EFFECT WAS DEMON POSSESSED WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT HAPPENED HERE IN ACTS). Therefore Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” Luke 22:3+ And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. Satan (4567)(satanas transliterated from Hebrew Satan - see 07854 and Aramaic sātānâ) literally means Adversary, the evil antagonist who offers opposition, hostility, resentment, etc. An enemy who that contends with, opposes, resists. An adversary is one who hates or opposes another person and tries to harm them or stop them from doing something because of hatred and malice. Satan is the inveterate, implacable, relentless, ruthless, remorseless, merciless,heartless, pitiless, cruel,hard, harsh, hardened, incorrigible, dedicated enemy of God and His Church, the Body of Christ. John Stott points out that Satan's activity was behind all the opposition in Acts 3-6 (Message of Acts). Horton on why has Satan filled your heart - The question "Why?" draws attention to the fact that their action was voluntary; there was no excuse for what they did. Before they sold it, it remained theirs, and they were under no compulsion to sell it. After they sold it, it was still "at [their] disposal" (in their power or authority). There was nothing compelling them to give it all (cf. 2 Cor. 9:7, "God loves a cheerful giver"—one who is glad to give, delights to give). What Ananias had conceived in his heart was a lie, "not... to men but to God." (BORROW Acts Commentary) NET Note - This is a good example of the Greek verb fill (pleroo) meaning "to exercise control over someone's thought and action" (cf. Eph 5:18+). Filled (4137) (pleroo) literally describes something as filled to the brim, but figuratively as in this passage, describes that which controls the one who is filled. In other words, what fills a person, controls that individual. In this case an evil spirit (Satan) filled and controlled Ananias (and Sapphira). This same verb is used in Acts 13:52 to describe the disciples as "continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." In Ephesians 5:18+ Paul commands believers to be continually filled with (controlled by) the Holy Spirit. The related verb (pimplemi) was used by Luke in the previous chapter to describe the filling of all the believers, this filling by the Spirit, a filling which resulted in boldness to speak the Word of God (Acts 4:31+). In Acts 4:8+ Peter was filled (pimplemi) with the Holy Spirit and empowered to boldly speak out to the antagonistic Sanhedrin. Constable - Lying to the Holy Spirit is a sin that Christians commit frequently today. When Christians act hypocritically by pretending a devotion that is not theirs, or a surrender of life they have not really made, they lie to the Holy Spirit. If God acted today as He did in the early Jerusalem church, undertakers would have much more work than they do. (Bolding added) To lie (5574)(pseudomai from pseudo = to cheat, defraud, falsify) means to communicate what is false, with the evident purpose of misleading. The Greek term and the English equivalent ‘to lie’ involve more than simply telling what is not true, for this could occur without an intent to deceive or mislead. It means means to tell a falsehood, attempt to deceive by lying, to speak falsely or deceitfully. Pseúdomai therefore indicates that Ananias not only communicated a falsehood but did so with the intent to deceive the apostles and the believers. To the Holy Spirit - Note that clearly the Holy Spirit is a Person, because you can't lie to an "it." The irony of this is that the Spirit was the Spirit of Truth Who Jesus had given to guide the disciples in truth... “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come." (Jn 16:13) And to keep back (see nosphizo above) some of the price of the land? - Ananias pretended to give all of the proceeds from the sale and the Holy Spirit revealed that fact to Peter. This statement by Peter indicates that he knew (presumably the Spirit revealed this information) what the total price of the land was and that Ananias had only brought a portion. Horton - They could have submitted to God and resisted Satan (James 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:8-9). But they let pride, self, and the love of money possess them. The love of money is "a root of all kinds of evil" (1 Tim. 6:10; cf. Heb. 13:5). That is, once the love of money takes possession of a person, there is no evil that he cannot or will not do. With the love of money in control, a person will do things he never would do otherwise, including murder and every other sin. It is clear also that if a person is filled with the love of money he cannot love God (Matt. 6:24). (BORROW Acts Commentary) Paul warns the church at Ephesus of this same satanic strategy later in Acts... “Be on guard (present imperative = continually guard - the only way to obey is to be continually filled with the Spirit) for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 “Therefore be on the alert (present imperative = continually be alert - the only way to obey is to be continually filled with the Spirit), remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. (Acts 20:28-31+).
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Constable points out that "We should not interpret the fact that God rarely deals with sinners this way as evidence that He cannot or should not. He does not out of mercy. He dealt with Ananias and Sapphira, Achan, Nadab and Abihu, and others severely when He began to deal with various groups of believers. He did so for those who would follow in the train of those judged to illustrate how important it is for God's people to be holy (cf. 1 Cor. 10:6). Furthermore God always deals more severely with those who have greater privilege and responsibility (cf. 1 Pet. 4:17)." Ray
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Constable - He did not warn her ahead of time by mentioning her husband's death because he wanted her to tell him the truth. She added a spoken lie to hypocrisy. Sold (paid) (591) see apodidomi And she said, "Yes, that was the price." - Pretense persists! Peter knew how much they had received for the land because he knew that Ananias had only brought a portion. Think about this for a moment. What had A&S agreed to do with the proceeds? They had agreed to keep back some for themselves. Peter's awareness of what they sold the land for should have been a "wake up" call to Sapphira. Now it is possible he used the value of the proceeds Ananias had laid at his feet. If so, that would not have alerted her that the "jig was up." But if she had come to her senses and was no longer held captive by the devil to do his will (2 Ti 2:26), she could have said "No, the real price was such and such." Either way, she had an opportunity to confess and repent of her sin, but choose not to do so. After all the eyes of the entire congregation were on her and it would have been most embarrassing to admit they had tried to rob God! Acts 5:9 Then Peter said to her, "Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well." KJV Acts 5:9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Why is it that Ge 3:9-13; Luke 16:2; Ro 3:19 you have agreed together Acts 23:20-22; Dt 13:6-8; Pr 11:21; 16:5; Ps 50:18; Micah 7:3 to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test Acts 5:3,4; Ex 17:2,7; Nu 14:22; Ps 78:18-20,40,41,56; 95:8-11; Mt 4:7; 1 Cor 10:9 the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door Acts 5:6; 2 Kings 6:32; Ro 10:15 Acts 5 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Then Peter said to her, "Why is it that you have agreed together (cf the "Why" question in Acts 5:3) - The verb sumphoneo gives us our English "symphony." The couple had practiced harmonizing their hypocrisy! But ironically their "spiritual symphony" was characterized by dissonance not consonance.
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Constable remarks that "Putting God to the test means seeing how far one can go in disobeying God-in this case lying to Him-before He will judge (cf. Deut. 6:16; Matt. 4:7). This is very risky business." Do we ever put God to the test? Absolutely! Every time we sin willfully, we take our lives in our hands, because we are testing God! Thank God that He is filled with mercy and forgiveness and longsuffering. But next time we make provision to commit that sin which so easily entangles us, perhaps we might pause a moment and ponder what Acts 5, asking the Spirit to steel our hearts and our resolve to not sin against God's grace. Horton on put the Spirit of the Lord to the test - They were deliberately trying to Acts 5:13see how far they could go in disobedience without provoking God's wrath. (BORROW Acts Commentary) Here are some examples of putting the Lord to the test (using same verb peirazo or derivative ekpeirazo). Exodus 17:2 Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water that we may drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test (Heb = nacah/nasah; Lxx = peirazo) the LORD?” Numbers 14:22 “Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test (Lxx = peirazo) these ten times and have not listened to My voice Dt 6:16 “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test (Heb = nacah/nasah; Lxx - ekpeirazo) as you tested Him at Massah (derived from nasah = to test). Psalm 78:18; And in their heart they put God to the test (Heb = nacah/nasah; Lxx - ekpeirazo) By asking food according to their desire. Psalm 78:41 Again and again they tempted (Heb = nacah/nasah; Lxx = peirazo) God, And pained the Holy One of Israel. Psalm 78:56 Yet they tempted (Heb = nacah/nasah; Lxx = peirazo) and rebelled against the Most High God And did not keep His testimonies, Luke 4:12 And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST (ekpeirazo).’” Test (3985)(peirazo from the noun peira = test from peíro = perforate, pierce through to test durability of things) is a morally neutral word simply meaning “to test”. Whether the test is for a good (as it proved to be in Heb 11:17) or evil (Mt 4:1 "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil") depends on the intent of the one giving the test and also on the response of the one tested. To test God means to blatantly defy God, even to the point of daring Him to act. A&S found out it is not a good thing to test God Who acted with swiftness and severity! Related Resource: What does it mean to test God? Behold (2400)(idou) is the second person singular aorist middle imperative of eidon which means to see, perceive, look at. In the NT idou is used as a demonstrative particle that draws attention to what follows. Idou in the middle voice means "you yourself look, see, perceive!" The aorist imperative is a command emphasizing "Do it now! Don't delay!"
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Constable on ekklesia - This was a common word that writers often used to describe assemblies of people that congregated for political and various other types of meetings. The word "church," like the word "baptism," can refer to more than one thing. Sometimes it refers to the body of Christ as it has existed throughout history, the universal church. Sometimes it refers to Christians living in various places during one particular period of time (e.g., the early church). Sometimes it refers to a group of Christians who live in one area at a particular time, a local church. Here it seems to refer to the local church in Jerusalem.
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Constable - Even today some people in the Orient superstitiously believe that a person's shadow carries his power. Eastern parents have pulled their children away from the shadow of a wicked person and thrust them into the shadow of an honored individual. The action of these first century Near Easterners shows their respect for Peter who had the power to heal. These signs and wonders authenticated the apostles as Jesus and God's representatives (cf. 19:11-12; Matt. 10:8). John Stott - Their action may have been somewhat superstitious, but I see no reason to condemn it as tantamount to belief in magic, any more than was the woman’s faith that a touch of the hem of Jesus’ garment would be enough to heal her. No, the people had been deeply impressed by the words and works of Peter, had recognized him as a man of God and an apostle of Christ, and believed that through close proximity to him they could be healed. (Ibid) John
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Constable quips "This whole scene calls to mind scenes from old Keystone Cops movies." The idea of perplexity includes uncertainty and doubt. They were completely baffled! It is sad that something so clearly supernatural caused them to be perplexed but not persuaded. Miracles may amaze but they do not pierce a hard heart. In this case what the miracle did do was give the apostles an opportunity to speak forth the living and active Word of God (Heb 4:12,13+, cf Ro 1:16+), which does pierce hard hearts (cf "cut to the quick" in Acts 5:33+).