ADULT STS LESSON 181 HYPOCRISY OF ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA

MEMORY VERSE: “But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?” (Acts 5:3).
TEXT: Acts 5:1-11

The early Church has had an inspiring history since its birth at Pentecost. Through the instrumentality of the Holy Spirit, there had been remarkable miracles and mass conversion of sinners with seamless integration into the body of Christ. Besides, the young Church exhibited remarkable unity of purpose and fellowship. Selfishness was swallowed up by overriding community spirit. With this sweet fellowship among believers in the early Church, their leaders were able to focus on the most important aspect of the ministry: passionate commitment to the preaching of the gospel of Christ. In response to their faithfulness, “God [was] also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders and with divers miracles, and the gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will” (Hebrews 2:4). However, a couple, Ananias and Sapphira attempted to bring a snag into the new revival, which was strongly resisted by the Spirit of God. Thus, the hypocrisy and deception they attempted was immediately exposed and judged. It is however, surprising that a couple could allow themselves to be deceived by the devil to lie in such an assembly as the early Church. Nothing is hidden from the God we serve. Couples should watch over each other, rather than be partners in evil.

THE ROOT OF THE SIN OF ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA

(Acts 5:1,2; Hebrews 2:4; 3:12; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Romans 14:12; John 12:42,43; Romans 2:28,29)

“But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet” (Acts 5:1,2). At the root of the sin of Ananias and Sapphira is the combination of lack of faith in God and an inordinate crave for human praise. Love for human praise often leads to the temptation to lie and pretend. This is the attitude that defines hypocrisy. The couple might have been moved by the selfless generosity of Barnabas and other land owners who sold them and donated the proceeds to alleviate the sufferings of the less-privileged ones in the church (Acts 4:34-36). This, of course, was a noble act but the seeming good deed of the couple had ulterior motives, which could only be discerned by the Spirit of God.

While the love of praise pushed them to give, the absence of true faith and grace pulled them away from sincerity and honesty. They contrived a means of enjoying this human praise while actually counterfeiting their action. Such crave for acceptance and praise lead people to deny the Lord and falsify their faith. This was the bane of the Jewish rulers at the time of Christ (John 12:42,43). This calls for self-examination to see if our motives for seemingly good deeds are driven by ulterior motives.

A reputation founded on the sands of hypocrisy and eye-service usually collapses under the wind of the Holy Spirit’s scrutiny. Outward acts and behaviours, which portray us before our fellow humans as eminent church members must be subordinated to genuine acts of faith even if unnoticed. This sad account teaches us that the corporate reputation of the church should not preclude the need for individual self-examination. We are enjoined to, examine ourselves “whether ye be in the faith…” (2 Corinthians 13:5) and ensure that nothing is done through strife and vainglory. Notwithstanding the high spiritual standard of a church, Individual members will be judged according to their works. Each of us shall “give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12).

This same truth has implications for leaders in the church. They should never assume that “…all the congregation are holy, every one of them and the LORD is among them” (Numbers 16:3). Church leadership must continue to emphasise the necessity of consecration and holiness constantly. And like the Apostle Peter, they should “put [their congregations] in remembrance of these things…” regularly (2 Peter 1:12).

People like Ananias and Sapphira may still be in the church today. In fact, some may have found their ways to some level of leadership in the church. It will take spiritual discernment to discover such people. These are they who merely pretend to be Christians, but are not, as a result of the absence of the Spirit of Christ in their lives. They are either without genuine salvation experience because they have not experienced the new birth, or have lost the beautiful experience.

(See How to Return to God After Falling into Sin and What True Repentance Looks Like for deeper study on restoring genuine faith.)

Their “Christianity” consists only in outward shows designed to impress others rather than God. They are not interested in secret acts of piety and consecration that draw the applause of heaven. They must sound their trumpet about how good, competent and hardworking they are in the vineyard of the Lord, or they will not get involved. The Scripture, however says, “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God” (Romans 2:28,29). Similarly, church leaders must not be blind people who can be deceived by pretenders.

REVELATION OF CONCEALED SIN OF ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA

(Acts 5:3,4,7,8; Psalm 139:27; Numbers 32:23; 1 Kings 14:1-18; 2 Kings 5:15-27)

“But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land?” When he brought only a part of the money, Ananias thought that he would be commended as were others. He was sure that the plot to conceal the truth about the transaction was foolproof. However, he did not reckon with the spiritual gift of the word of knowledge operating in the apostles. God is omniscient, knowing all things (Psalm 139:27). It may be easy to deceive the world by make-believe, half-truths or outright lies. People can be deceived into mistaking our selfishness for self-sacrifice or thinking that we are devout when we are actually devoid of grace; they may think we are spiritual when we are carnal. The crucial question however is, how does God see you? Every sin is committed under the full glare of God’s all-seeing eye. This was why Moses warned the tribes of Reuben and Gad to “be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). It is possible for sinners to cover up their tracks of sins but they cannot hide from God. Covering up sin is tantamount to self-deception and may lead to eternal damnation. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). Apart from the case of Ananias and Sapphira, there have been other instances of people assaying to deceive servants of God but were exposed, rebuked and judged. In one instance, Abijah, the son of Jeroboam was sick and Jeroboam asked his wife to disguise to enquire from Ahijah whether the child would live or die. “And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam; and get thee to Shiloh: behold, there is Ahijah the prophet, which told me that I should be king over this people” (1 Kings 14:2). But the plot was revealed to Ahijah.

“And it was so, when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet as she came in at the door, that he said, Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam; why feignest thou thyself to be another? For I am sent to thee with heavy tidings” (1 Kings 14:6). In another instance, Gehazi the servant of Elisha went secretly after Naaman, the Syrian, to collect gifts his master had refused. Consequently, Elisha said, “The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow” (2 Kings 5:27). Clearly, those who, by whatever form of disguise, think they can hide from God will be confounded on the day of discovery. So it is with sinners who disguise as saints in the church and are taken to be so by others. The question we must consider is what does Gehazi profit even if he gains two talents of silver and two changes of garments deceitfully but loses his health, honour, peace and privileges as a servant of the great prophet, bringing a curse upon his generation? All who live deceitfully and in hypocrisy pierce themselves with both temporal and everlasting sorrows.

(See related: The Power of Confession and God’s Forgiveness — true repentance brings freedom from guilt and deception.)

REMOVAL OF ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA

(Acts 5:5,6,9,10; 1 Peter 4:17,18; Mark 7:21-23; Psalm 119:11; Romans 6:23; Hebrews 12:29)

“And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband” (Acts 5:5,10). The entire conspiracy proved to be a great tragedy. With deception in their hearts, Ananias and Sapphira were severely condemned rather than commended. Both of them were struck dead within the space of three hours. The Holy Ghost did not only discover their fraud but also punished them severely for their sin. Those who, like Ananias and Sapphira, hide in the crowd to work against the interest of Christ and the church will certainly be fished out one day by the all-seeing God. Those who attempt to hinder the move of the Spirit in the church or constitute themselves into obstacles to the free flow of love, fellowship and holiness will not go unpunished. Those who engage in hypocrisy and deception and bring reproach to the body of Christ will be judged. In the same vein, the hirelings and tares who, because they have stayed long in the congregation, have found their ways into the hierarchy of leadership should not jubilate because God’s rod of judgment will soon catch up with them. That God has not judged them does not mean He will not; in due time, He will. People should not take God’s patience for granted. He will judge sinners in and outside the church (1 Peter 4:17,18). When Satan first filled the couple’s heart with a false notion of profiting by deception, they did not know that judgment would come suddenly.

We must always bear in mind that our loving God is also a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29) and guard jealously against any thought that leads away from godliness. Accordingly, we ought to carefully watch over our thoughts, which find expression in word or deed, since these thoughts determine our lives. Defiling thoughts are veritable harbingers of defiling acts. The surest way of preserving our hearts from satanic lies and deceptions is to fill it with the principles of the word of God. “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11). We must lay up God’s word in our hearts as a highly valued treasure ready to be applied when needed. It is not enough to have the word of God on stickers on our doors and cars or just in our heads; it must be in our hearts, the fountain of our thoughts, words and deeds. This will enable us to counter every satanic suggestion to sin. Had Ananias and Sapphira done this, they could have countered the thought to lie against the Holy Spirit and avoided the sudden judgment that came on them. The man and his wife were removed from the church by premature death; and if they once had their names in the book of life, they were also removed.

(Also read: How to Serve God After Failure and How to Walk Daily in God’s Will for guidance on maintaining holiness and humility before God.)

LESSONS FROM THE JUDGMENT ON ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA

(Acts 5:5,11; 1 Timothy 5:20)

Seeing that this deception was the first act of sin recorded in the early Church and the judgment that followed, we deduce that the couple was justly judged to purge sin from the congregation. They would have set a bad precedent for others to follow had the sin gone unpunished. Their experience was a deterrent to Others who would attempt to do the same. If the evil was allowed to go unpunished, the couple could have been emboldened to go further into other heinous sins. Besides, they could encourage or embolden others in the assembly to commit similar or even more heinous acts. Second, the judgment on Ananias and Sapphira brought a renewed fear of God among the believers; thus, making them realise how God seriously detests sin, especially in the church and wherever it is committed. “Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear” (1 Timothy 5:20). It must be noted that if one sin goes unchecked, many more are sure to follow.

Third, this act and other acts of sin are judged harshly because hypocrisy, dishonesty, covetousness and greed are not only destructive but they prevent the Holy Spirit from working effectively in the congregation of God’s people. Four, both concealed sins and open scandals are punishable by divine judgment. Five, in a church where the power of God is in active manifestation through miracles of healing, provision and divine intervention, God also allows miracles of judgment to sanitise and purify His church.

Six, God understands the motives of people. Some people who appear outwardly pious, upright, active and willing may as well inwardly have ulterior motives that they want to satisfy. Only the Spirit of God can reveal the motives of people. It must be added however, that not all who are up and doing in the work of God have ulterior motives. As people whose ultimate goal is heaven, we must subject our motives daily to the scrutiny of the Holy Spirit so that our outward piety does not become a ploy to deceive the church.

(For further reflection, see What True Repentance Looks Like and The Power of Confession and God’s Forgiveness.)

Questions for Review:

1. What was the root cause of Ananias and Sapphira’s sin?

The root cause of Ananias and Sapphira’s sin was a combination of unbelief and the love of human praise. They lacked genuine faith in God’s ability to provide for them and were driven by a desire to be admired like Barnabas and other generous believers. Their craving for human recognition led them to lie to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1–2). Pride and hypocrisy replaced sincerity and truth, revealing that their hearts were not fully consecrated to God.

(Compare John 12:42–43 — “for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”)

2. Explain what church members and leaders can learn from the incident that led to the death of Ananias and Sapphira.

Church members and leaders must learn that God cannot be deceived and that hypocrisy has grave consequences. The case of Ananias and Sapphira shows that pretending to be holy while secretly living in sin provokes divine judgment. Leaders should regularly remind their congregations about the necessity of holiness and sincerity before God (2 Peter 1:12).
It also teaches that sin in the church must be confronted, not covered, to maintain purity and power in God’s work. Leaders must exercise discernment and uphold truth without fear or compromise.

(See related study: How to Walk Daily in God’s Will)

3. Is it possible to have people like Ananias and Sapphira in the present-day church?

Yes. Many today still exhibit the same spirit of deception and outward religiosity without inward transformation. Some hold positions of leadership or service, yet their hearts are far from God. They seek recognition, status, or material gain rather than God’s glory. Such individuals may appear spiritual outwardly but lack the new birth and genuine salvation.
(See What True Repentance Looks Like and How to Return to God After Falling into Sin)

4. Why is hypocrisy and dishonesty utterly self-defeating and ultimately useless?

Hypocrisy and dishonesty are self-defeating because God knows every hidden motive and action. No sin can be concealed from His all-seeing eyes (Psalm 139:1–4; Numbers 32:23). A false reputation built on deceit collapses under divine scrutiny.
Ultimately, hypocrisy brings shame, judgment, and spiritual death — just as it did for Ananias and Sapphira. Pretending to be righteous only delays repentance and destroys one’s credibility before both God and man.

(See The Power of Confession and God’s Forgiveness for the right response to sin.)

5. Mention instances in the Scripture when attempts to deceive Spirit-filled men were foiled by the Holy Spirit and what we can learn from them.

• Jeroboam’s wife and Prophet Ahijah – Jeroboam’s wife disguised herself to deceive the prophet, but Ahijah, though blind, exposed her deceit through revelation (1 Kings 14:1–6).

• Gehazi and Elisha – Gehazi lied to Elisha to obtain gifts from Naaman, but Elisha, by revelation, rebuked him and declared his punishment (2 Kings 5:20–27).
  These examples show that God reveals secret sins to His servants and that deception always brings loss, shame, and divine judgment. The Holy Spirit cannot be deceived.

6. How can we preserve our hearts from being filled with satanic deceptions and lies?

We can preserve our hearts by:

• Filling our minds with the Word of God — “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11).

• Maintaining a close walk with God in prayer and holiness.

• Guarding our thoughts and motives through self-examination (2 Corinthians 13:5).

• Rejecting pride and covetousness, which open doors to deception.
  The heart that treasures God’s Word and walks in truth will resist the devil’s lies.

(See How to Serve God After Failure for how to rebuild sincere devotion.)

7. What is the danger of covering sin and sinners in the church?

Covering sin leads to spiritual decay, loss of God’s presence, and eventual judgment. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).
Allowing unrepentant sin to thrive within the church weakens its witness and quenches the Holy Spirit’s power. God judges sin in His house first (1 Peter 4:17).
Just as the early Church was purified through the judgment of Ananias and Sapphira, today’s church must confront sin openly to maintain holiness and fear of God among believers.