Acts 5:7-12
 
Acts 5:7 (KJB)
And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
 
This may have been a planned time or she went somewhere to do something with the rest of the money so there would be no visible suspicion, but whatever kept her, it was now three hours later and she came in. It is amazing that no one told her what had happened to Ananias. I guess that information was withheld from her because this was her time of testing.
 
Acts 5:8 (KJB)
And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
 
Peter now asked her the question as to whether the land they sold yielded the total amount that her husband had previously brought to the Apostles. Obviously, there was much collusion between them on this issue. It may have been a desire by Ananias for some position and maybe Sapphira thought that if the lie was successful, she would look like a person of notoriety among the other women. So not knowing what had happened to her husband, she decided to continue the deception and claim that the money the husband had given was the total amount. She had figured that everything was going according to their plans.
 
Acts 5:9 (KJB)
Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
 
Tempt - Try, put to the test, or entice to sin
 
Peter was just as tough on Sapphira as he was on Ananias. What they did was very serious. They thought they could lie and get away with it but they did not realize that they were also tempting the Holy Spirit who is eternal God. He was the one who revealed to Peter the collusion between these two and that judgment was to be doled out to them. Peter gave her a chance to come clean and tell the truth but she perpetuated the scheme. She did not know that the Holy Spirit had all knowledge, including knowledge of the inner thoughts and schemes. After Peter asked her why she is tempting the Spirit of God, he points to the young men who had already removed and buried her husband. Peter did not make the judgment on her of his own making, he was commanded of the Spirit of God to bring the judgment on her. Peter did not stop her heart, it was the Spirit of God who did this thus bringing on the judgment for her sin of lying to God. This should be a warning to all those who want to make sport of the church that you will never win.
 
Acts 5:10 (KJB)
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.
 
The judgment on her was so swift that she had died even before the young men could come into the room and remove her. Her burial was beside her husband and was just as swift. There was no funeral nor was there any mourning for her. The church was in its infancy and God was showing that He was protecting the church from those who would want to intentionally destroy it and from those who want to make themselves of some position by evil schemes. It was just like when Moses bought Israel to Mt. Sinai, they too were frightened because of what they saw. The nation of Israel was in its infancy as a freed nation and God wanted them to know that they would be protected but also that they would be judged for their sins against Him. It was the same situation for the new church.
 
Acts 5:11 (KJB)
And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
 
Great fear had come upon the whole church but they had to know that there was also a serious side to the church and not only a euphoric side. The church was going to be used by God to send forth the Gospel to the world until the last day plus it was also a place of teaching the Scriptures. If there were no disciplines in the church, then it would turn out to be just a social club with no power to represent God. As long as the church remained faithful, it would be a useful tool for world evangelism. If not, then their candlestick would be removed and another congregation would start. The word spread outside the church too and this was good because this way if anybody else would try the same tactics, they would think twice about knowing that it was not a place to try and pull a scam.
 
Acts 5:12 (KJB)
And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.
 
The fact of the judgment of Ananias and Sapphira did not stop the church, in fact, the Apostles had continued on in doing signs and wonders among the people. No one should ever think that the church cannot continue without them. If a person is excommunicated from a church for a sin, even if they are in leadership, the church will continue without them. God will raise up another to take their place. Purity must be maintained in the church or else the church will suffer continuing judgment by God and an invasion by Satan’s people who will be right there to try and neutralize it. It seems that the church met daily in the area of the Temple known as Solomon’s porch. It was the same place where Peter and John had addressed the crowd right after the healing of the lame man.

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