This couple wanted to appear like the others who had sold much of their possessions & brought the full sale price of their lands & houses to the apostles, so that the money could be distributed to the poor amongst them.
The sin of Ananias & Sapphira was not the amount that they gave to the apostles, but that they lied about how much they sold their possession for, by holding back a part of the sale price & keeping it for themselves. If they declared that they needed a part of the sale proceeds, that would have been fine, but they lied & misled the Church, wanting to appear as generous as the others. And we note, the speedy judgement meted out to them. I often wonder what would be the state of the Church today, if God were to judge us in such a manner - I would think that we would be very few in number.
The sin of Ananias & Sapphira was not the amount that they gave to the apostles, but that they lied about how much they sold their possession for, by holding back a part of the sale price & keeping it for themselves. If they declared that they needed a part of the sale proceeds, that would have been fine, but they lied & misled the Church, wanting to appear as generous as the others. And we note, the speedy judgement meted out to them. I often wonder what would be the state of the Church today, if God were to judge us in such a manner - I would think that we would be very few in number.
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