Acts 5: The Trinity

Port Moody

I recently listened to Pastor Jon Courson's sermon on this same section of Scripture and thought I would consult his commentary series.

In regard to Acts 5: 1-11, this story from the New Testament describes how a married couple, Ananias and Sapphira, were according to Pastor Courson, apparently wanting to fit in the Christian community and seem spiritual. The couple therefore sold their property, portraying the idea that all the proceeds would go to the communal Christian Church, as others were doing in the Christian Church at that time. But the couple actually kept a chunk of the money from the sale for themselves. (654).

First Ananias was caught in this lie by the Apostle Peter and dropped dead as a result. Then about three hours later his wife, Sapphira, as well dropped dead after being confronted by the Apostle with the same lie.

Pastor Courson's teaching, both with the online sermon and in his commentary series was that 'Hypocrisy kills'. (654). The Pastor reasons the couple had the sin of hypocrisy. (654). They claimed to have given all to the Lord (the proceeds from the sale of property), but were dishonest. The couple were wearing a mask (655) and were not as spiritually generous in reality as they wanted to appear in public within the Christian Church.

Courson makes a reasonable case.

My focus from this section of Scripture is (New American Standard Bible):

3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not [b]under your control? Why is it that you have [c]conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”

This was a text the late Walter Martin used as a Trinitarian section of the New Testament that may be overlooked in that context by many readers. Clearly in a plain literal context, the couple lied to the Holy Spirit which is equated to lying to God.

COURSON, JON (2005) Application Commentary, Thomas Nelson, Nashville.

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