Friday, May 3, 2013

Ananias & Sapphira

"Who or what then can separate us from the love of Christ? There is no such thing! Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, NOR ANY OTHER CREATED THING (that means you), will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)

If you believe that you can be separated from his love you will misinterpret scripture, applying things to Christians that are impossible. God is love, if you can't be separated from his love you can't be separated from Him.

Scripture gives no indication that God killed Ananias. It says, "As he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last." It also does not say what Peter said to Ananias's wife Sapphira was a good thing. Jesus rebuked His disciples for wanting to "call down fire from heaven" to kill people, telling them "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of." Peter seems to do something similar here to Sapphira causing her to die. John wrote that "perfect love drives out fear" yet what Peter did caused great fear for everyone. Paul said that because of what Jesus did on the cross God "no longer charges the world with sin" (1 Corinthians 5:19). What Peter did was ungodly. Acts is a narrative & it doesn't say "this was a good thing they did" or "that was a bad thing they did" but the rest of scripture makes it clear.

Are people really so hungry for fear, unforgiveness, & divine consequence for sin that we would rather justify Peter's actions in Acts 5 than we would see God as love, love that drives out fear? Absolutely.

Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if this were a false story that was added to scripture.

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