Page 36 - Acts Student Textbook

This also shows the danger of doing religious acts for an outward show to make an impression on
people. This was a major problem of the Jewish leaders (Matt. 6:1-18; 23:1-12). Acts of worship and
service to God actually become evil when done for wrong reasons. And such wrong motives also
often lead to other forms of outward sin, such as lying in this case.

This event also shows that some people want the blessings and glory of serving God without
accepting the sacrifice involved. Acts 5:3,4 also demonstrates that the Holy Spirit possesses Deity. V3
says Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit, but v4 says he lied to God. Therefore, the Holy Spirit must be God
– i.e., He possesses Deity as do the Father and the Son.

What happened after the death of Ananias and Sapphira? (5:11)

After the death of Ananias and Sapphira, Luke records "great fear. . .over all who heard of these
things" Luke uses the common word phobos several times in this same general sense (cf. Luke 1:69;
3:37; Acts 19:17). For believers it is a sense of reverence, respect, and awe, but for unbelievers it is a
sense of foreboding, fear, and terror (cf. Luke 12:4-5; Heb. 10:31). This possibly was the purpose of
this temporal judgment. This would be analogous to the OT deaths of Nadab and Abihu of Leviticus
10 and Uzzah of 2 Samuel 6. Based on 1 Cor. 11:30; James 5:20; and 1 John 5:16-17, it is possible to
assume that some sins by believers result in an early death. It is hard to keep the balance between
the holiness of God (transcendence) and Fatherhood of God (immanence). We also have to
understand that the punishment of Ananias and Sapphira was so swift and severe because the
church was just starting and God had to establish standards that will guide the church for all its ages.

5:12:14 Luke gives a summary growth report showing how the church is greatly expanding in all
circumstances.

Does this passage teach that we will all be healed from our physical sicknesses always? (5:15-16)

At this point it is very important that we pause a little and discuss the thorny issue of healing.
Luke in chapter 5:16 records that "they were all being healed" This is an IMPERFECT PASSIVE
INDICATIVE, which asserts each one was healed (the agent is unexpressed, but definitely the Holy
Spirit) one at a time, over and over and over, until none were left!

This is a summary type statement. Are we to take it literally (i.e., every single one)? Jesus required
faith or used the healing to (1) train the disciples or (2) cause the crowds to listen.

It is very clear that miracles here were for the purpose of validating the gospel message, not
necessarily teaching faith healing lessons. Miracles are only truly helpful if they bring us to God. All
humans live in a fallen world. Bad things happen. God often chooses not to intervene. Here I can give
an example of my daughter who died of pneumonia. While she was in the hospital, we prayed day
and night. Asked many other people, both local and throughout the world to join us in prayers (that
is our Facebook friends around the world who confirmed that they were praying). Honestly speaking,
we had faith which did not need others to add their prayers in order to make God listen that we
needed our daughter healed. Yet my daughter went on to die. But this says nothing about God’s love,
concern, and power. And certainly God’s healing is not so much dependent on our bigger faith for it.
Be careful of demanding that God act miraculously every time in this current evil age. He is sovereign
and we do not know the full implications of any given situation.

Here Dr. Bob Utley adds his commentary notes from 2 Tim. 4:20 about Paul and physical healing:
"There are so many questions we would like to ask the NT writers. One subject all believers think
about is physical healing. In Acts (cf. 19:12; 28:7-9) Paul is able to heal, but here and in 2 Cor. 12:7-10

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