Big Ideas

1. The purity of the Church.

Christians love to romanticize the early Church. However, somehow this scene is often conveniently overlooked. The issue with Ananias and Sapphira is not how much or how little they gave. That was entirely up to them. Rather the issue was lying to God (Acts 5:4). Deceit and dishonesty destroy the integrity and the witness of the Church. A pure Church is a powerful Church.

1. The numerical growth of the Church.

Many Christians don’t like to talk about numerical growth in the Church. Some even see it as unspiritual. But the fact is that Luke makes a point of tracking the numerical growth of the Church through Acts. In this text, he tells us that many people were converted and put their faith in Christ. The interesting connection in this text is that numerical growth followed the judgment of Ananias and Sapphira. Growth in holiness and purity often leads to growth in converts.

1. The unique power of the Apostles.

As we noted earlier in this study, the Apostles were given a unique power and authority to build and strengthen the Church. Their miraculous signs authenticated their Gospel message. This followed the example of Jesus who used miracles to demonstrate and confirm his power and authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:10-12).

Study Questions

1. Why is personal holiness and purity important for the witness of the Church?

2. Why do you think Ananias and Sapphira lied about how much they sold their land for?

3. Why were “signs and wonders” important for the early Church? Do you think they serve the same role in the Church today? Why or why not?