Today’s passage: Acts 4:32-5:11
Helpful thoughts:
- Everything in this world is the Lord’s. We are His stewards.
- There is no commandment for these believers to sell their possessions. They did it willingly and in unity.
- Barnabas serves as an example to set the stage for Ananias and Sapphira.
- Ananias and Sapphira did not sin by keeping part of the money. They sinned in lying about how much they had received in order to impress people.
Questions to consider:
- In what ways does it make sense for us as a church to have all things in common and to share with one another? In this time, culture, economic environment, how could/should we replicate the spirit of the church in Jerusalem?
- Who did Ananias and Sapphira sin against? What did they do that was wrong? What would have been their motivation?
- God may not allow Christian’s who sin in this way to die like these did in Acts 5…but does that mean God doesn’t take sin as seriously as He used to? In what way should this passage (Along with passages like 1 Corinthians 11:30-32 and 1 John 5:16) still work to cause us to have a holy fear and reverence of the holiness of God? Did Jesus die that we might continue in sin (Romans 6:1)?