And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.
ACTS 4:32-37
All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.
For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles.
And so begins the story of Ananias and Sapphira. The author tells us her "name was as beautiful as a jewel, but her heart was as hard as a stone. They were landowners who chose to sell their property . . . "a man named Ananias, together with his wife, Sapphira also sold a piece of property." (Acts 5:1) . . . and turn over their proceeds - to be just like the others - to be like Barnabas.
The sin occurred when Ananias handed the proceeds to Peter and kept back some of the sale for themselves while pretending to be like the others who turned everything over to further the Kingdom of God. This was done "with his wife's full knowledge . . . " (Acts 5:2). Liz tells us "Greed was not their only sin . . . They lacked sufficient faith that God would provide for their needs and so hoarded some "just in case." They lacked trust . . . they lacked the willingness to live with less and place their hope in a spiritually rich future rather than a financially rich present . . . "
There are many lessons to be learned from this Scripture . . . here are a few . . .
- Pride and generosity don't mix . . . "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7)
- Learn to give when nobody's looking . . . "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret." (Matthew 6:3-4)
- Honesty isn't the best policy; it's the only policy . . . "Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies." (Psalm 34:13)