Sapphira is a figure in the Bible's New Testament, appearing in the Acts of the Apostles. She is involved in a sobering story about honesty, integrity, and the consequences of lying to the community and to God. Sapphira and her husband, Ananias, are members of the early Christian community in Jerusalem.
In the story of Acts 5, it is told that Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, sold a piece of land and donated some of the money to the Church. However, they conspired to deceive the Apostle Peter and others by lying that they had donated the entire amount. As a result of their dishonest actions, they were struck dead.
Charity in the Early Church
Exciting doesn’t begin to describe what the first Christians experienced, starting with the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The disciples and some 500 others saw Jesus alive after His brutal crucifixion, serving as a testimony of His power over death. The words of John 3:16 were fulfilled. Then the disciples watched as He Ascended to heaven to rejoin His Father.
Then, making good on “the gift my Father promised” (Acts 1:4), on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit arrived “like the blowing of a violent wind…from heaven” (Acts 2:2), enabling the apostles to speak in other languages. Suddenly, Peter had the boldness of one who saw the veil removed between heaven and earth, fell more in love with His Messiah, and wanted everyone to know Him and His offer of salvation. He began to preach about Jesus, and people listened, believed, and followed. In one day, 3,000 accepted this message and were baptized.
Hearing what was happening (including new miracle healings), the Sanhedrin had Peter and John the Apostle arrested and imprisoned. The apostles were scolded by the Sanhedrin and ordered not to speak about Jesus. Impossible; as soon as they were released, they couldn’t stop talking about Him until the days they died.
The new and growing group of believers began to leave their previous lives and join together in a fellowship community. It was loving and serving one another that Jesus taught. Everyone brought all they had to share with everyone else, and they celebrated the Lord’s Supper together.
“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had” (Acts 4:32).
Luke, the writer of the Book of Acts, includes the story of one particular man because of his generosity:
“Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement) sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ fee.” (Acts 4:36-37).
A very generous gift with no strings attached. Luke follows up this story with one that sounds just the opposite.
Bible Story of Sapphira and Ananias
In the early Christian community, a norm was established where believers sold their possessions to support one another. Ananias and Sapphira, a married couple, also participated in this practice by selling a property. However, they conspired to withhold part of the proceeds while presenting the rest to the apostles as the full amount. "He brought part of the money to the apostles, but he kept back some of it with his wife's full knowledge" (Acts 5:2).
When Ananias presented the money, Peter immediately questioned his actions, revealing the deceit: "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the price of the land? 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" (Acts 5:3-4). Upon hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died, a stark and immediate judgment from God.
Approximately three hours later, Sapphira entered, unaware of her husband’s fate. Peter asked her to confirm the amount for which they sold the land. Sapphira reiterated the lie, stating, "Yes, for so much" (Acts 5:8). Peter then confronted her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out" (Acts 5:9). Like her husband, Sapphira fell dead at Peter’s feet.
This narrative from Acts 5:1-11 serves as a powerful lesson on the dire consequences of deceit within the community, especially regarding commitments made in the presence of God and the apostolic leaders. It emphasizes the early Christian values of honesty and communal sharing, marking a profound and somber moment in the early church's life.
Why Did Ananias and Sapphira Die for Their Lies?
First, grieving and cheating the Holy Spirit should not be taken lightly. Hadn’t He already proven that He had power over life and death? Who were these people to go along with this fellowship but not follow its ideas fully?
Because they were the latest movement, and it was exciting to join them? The Holy Spirit must have known that leaving these people alive would spread a seed of sin throughout the group of people that He was trying to grow. Finally, it was a message to the other believers. The last verse about this story says, “Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events” (Acts 5:10). It was a very healthy, holy fear that taught the church that God sees everything and cares about changing deceptive hearts.
Lessons We Can Learn from Sapphira
I believe there are four important lessons we can learn from Sapphira:
1. Each of us is responsible for our actions. “Fear of man will prove to be a snare” (Proverbs 29:25) teaches us that we must be more concerned for God’s glory than our own or anyone else’s. In following Ananias in this sin, Sapphira showed that her heart wasn’t fully God’s.
2. Loving your neighbor as yourself puts their needs before yours. That was the theme of everyone giving what they had and gathering it together for the work of the gospel. Evidently, Sapphira’s heart told her that “some” was “enough.”
3. We need to check in with God daily to confess sins that we may have thought were small or insignificant and ask the Holy Spirit to show us the truth in those matters.
4. If you find yourself less concerned about your actions and time spent with God, consider that you may have missed out on the message of Jesus’ sacrifice for you. When faced with the cross, it’s harder to be willfully sinful–especially when someone must point out that you are listening to Satan instead of the Holy Spirit.
God sees all, knows all, and is sovereign over all. That can be the greatest news to a believer but the absolute worst news to someone “lukewarm” or cold in their faith.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/andriano_cz
Mary Oelerich-Meyer is a Chicago-area freelance writer and copy editor who prayed for years for a way to write about and for the Lord. She spent 20 years writing for area healthcare organizations, interviewing doctors and clinical professionals and writing more than 1,500 articles in addition to marketing collateral materials. Important work, but not what she felt called to do. She is grateful for any opportunity to share the Lord in her writing and editing, believing that life is too short to write about anything else. Previously she served as Marketing Communications Director for a large healthcare system. She holds a B.A. in International Business and Marketing from Cornell College (the original Cornell!) When not researching or writing, she loves to spend time with her writer daughter, granddaughter, rescue doggie and husband (not always in that order).
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