Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. Acts 4:32

Acts 4:32–5:11 – The Story of the Church: Living Into This Drama in the 21st Century
Fifth Sunday of Easter – May 2, 2021 (am)

In his commentary on the opening of our passage today, John Calvin wrote (192; in Stott 107): We must have hearts that are harder than iron if we are not moved by the reading of this narrative.

But as beautiful and compelling as the opening section is, the closing section is just as stunningly ugly and hard to explain!Luke begins acknowledging that great grace was upon them all(4:33). And he finishes saying twice that great fear came upon all (5:5, 11). This wasn’t necessarily a bad fear. It was fear of the Lord. But the scenario in which it arose was surely frightening. And it happened at a joyful time that just turned around suddenly.

I will always remember my first Thanksgiving in ministry. It was 1987. I was twenty-six years old. I had always loved Thanksgiving and that year there was much to be thankful for. It’s always the anniversary of Jean’s & my engagement. But that year we were expecting our first child. And I was six months into the beginning of my vocational ministry.

But at about 9:30 that morning, the phone rang. Sudden reversal. It was one of our Elders. I was the only pastoral staff member in town whose phone number he had handy. He had just come home from the store to find his wife lifeless in the bedroom. She died of a massive heart attack in the few minutes he’d been away. I spent the rest of the morning with him aloneuntil his family arrived. It was painful, and bewildering, but the Lord was with us that day. That’s the kind of sudden shift we feel in this passage.

It comes in three parts: (1) the description of the uniquely selfless love for one another that characterized this new covenant community (4:32-35), followed by (2) a positive example of this love in the life of one particular man (4:36-37), then finishing with (3) a dual example from one household where this love was notably absent (5:1-11). But in all of it there is the presence of God uniting, enabling, and protecting His people through the ministry of His Spirit. Let’s walk through it in these three steps.

The Uniquely Selfless Love of the New Church – 4:32-35

Not long before the events we’re reading about here, Jesushad said to his disciples: Joh.13:35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.32 Now, in today’s passage we see what that looks like: the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, they loved and treasured the same things; the first commandment was being realized among them (Marshall 2007 554), and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. This new church community loved one another so much that they voluntarily offered up whatever they had to assist anyone who was in need.

While the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of Jesus Christ with great power (33), the owners of lands [and] houses sold them and brought the proceed and laid it at the apostles’ feet to address those [needs] as they arose (35). This reminds me of Deu.14-15 where Moses told Israel that if they honor the law as it addresses giving (cf. Deu.14:22-29), there will be no poor among you (Deu.15:4). But then a few verses later Moses said: there will never cease to be poor in the land (Deu.15:11). The clear implication is that this practice of giving and caring for the poor will never cease. But as you recognize that the relationship of unique love which characterizes the community of God’s people is both developed and displayed by a heart of generous giving, trusting the Lordtogether to be their provider, there will be no poor among you(Deu.15:11). The [needs] of all will be addressed to the praise of God’s glory! That’s what was happening in this young Jerusalem church.

One Positive Example of this Selfless Love – 4:36-37

And as a result, we meet for the first time a man who will become a prominent figure in this community, even as it moves beyond the confines of Jerusalem: Barnabas, a Levite from Cyprus whose name was Joseph, but the apostles called him Barnabas because he was such an [encourager] in this body (36). 

Now, this kind of statement usually means that the name chosen for the person either is or resembles the word that is cited. And bar does mean son of. But no one has been able to draw a clear connection between nabas and the wordencouragement (παράκλησις) (Polhill 1992 154).

Still, this nickname fits. Barnabas was one of those who 37 sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet. He put it at their disposal to use as any appropriate need arose.

This was truly a remarkable practice. Each one was saying that your need is as important to me as mine. And any need that might’ve caused you to [sell] property to meet it—a big need!—I’ll [sell] my property to help you meet that need, if you have noother means of meeting it. Who does that? Parents for children? Maybe siblings for each other? Close relatives? 

This is the love people in the church have for one another. This is the love that’s uniquely enabled by the Holy Spirit! It’s a supernatural work that we receive when we trust Christ as Savior. It’s part of that transformation. And we’re seeing it exhibited here among us these days….

Two Negative Examples Lacking this Love – 5:1-11

It’s really attractive! Many people would love to appear to have it even when they don’t! And two of those people lived in Jerusalem at this time. This is where the story suddenly turns ugly. But there is something to respect and appreciate here, even to be thankful for: 5:1 … a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

We discover from this conversation we just read a few minutes ago that the problem here wasn’t that this couple kept some of the proceeds for themselves. They were free to do that, or not to sell at all (4). The problem was that they laid [their money] at the apostle’s feet (2) as though it were the whole amount when it wasn’t. They [lied] to the Holy Spirit (3). 

They [tested] the Spirit of the Lord (9) hoping to get away with their deception (Stott 110)—to appear to be loving and generous, compassionate, without it costing so much. 

Such action makes it clear who is your highest priority, and it’s not the people you’re claiming to love.

Plus, what does it say about your concept of God if you think He wouldn’t be aware of such deception?

A number of commentators recognize how this sin is similar to that of Achan when Israel was just beginning to take possession of the land and be established and the old covenant people of God (Stott 109). He took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the Lord burned against… Israel (Jos.7:1). In both [stories] an act of deceit interrupts the victorious progress of the people of God (Bruce in Stott 109). But there is something else, something half hidden (Stott 109) here. When Luke says that Ananias kept back for himself some of the proceeds (2), the verb he used is the same one that used in the LXX (Jos.7:1) to describe Achan’s sin. And in its only other NT usage, it’s translated pilfering (stealing) (Tit.2:10).

So, the way Ananias and Sapphira went about their lying also made them guilty of stealing! And the Spirit of God held them accountable. He required their lives, like Adam and Evespiritually when they ate the fruit in the newly planted garden(Gen.3) or Nadab and Abihu physically when they offered unauthorized fire in the newly erected tabernacle (Lev.10).11 And it was then that great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.

And we can surely understand why! This is stunning! Even if it was that healthy reverent fear of the Lord that these people experienced—surely it was to some, but surely it wasn’t to others! It would’ve been like what happened after Jesusdescribed His body as true food and His blood as true drink(Joh.6:35-59). John recorded that many of his disciples turned back at this point and no longer walked with him (Joh.6:66). Something similar likely happened here.

So, how can we say that there’s something to respect and appreciate here, even to be thankful for? Hard as this scene was, it is a reminder of something we can never forget. Namely, we’re accountable for our sin. And God’s judgment is the payout for that. We can be shocked at what happened to Ananias and Sapphira. Some commentators even suggest an apparent injustice in that they had no opportunity to repent. But they did. Both were asked questions. Both could have confessed the truth. But they didn’t. They [lied]. And they [stole]. And then they paid the just penalty for their sin before a holy God. I believe the great fear that came upon all who heard of it was immediatelythe fear of judgment, rightly!

There was great joy and generosity happening in the early church, so much so that it might have seemed to them that heaven itself had arrived! The Spirit had been given. Joyful obedience was being expressed, and generosity of a stunning sort. 

But then came the startling reversal, the stunning reminder that there are still sinners in this world, and that each one in the community was still numbered among them. This message they were given to carry really did need to go out to Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth (1:8). The solution to sin needed to be proclaimed. And the consequences of sin had just been illustrated before their very eyes—quite possibly the first reduction in the size of this body!

Conclusion

So, what does this mean for us today? Three things come to mind.

(1) The very same God has the very same disposition toward sin in our day as in theirs. And even if He withholds immediate dispensation of His justice, it’ll be no less severe when He does so than it was for Ananias and Sapphira.

(2) The joy of Holy Spirit unified community is just as sweet in our day as it was in theirs. And the joy of that community strengthens us not only  us to walk with Jesus but to say no to sin. It’s not just that we can give up our money to meet one another’s need, we’d rather give up our sin than fall out of fellowship with our family in Christ.

(3) The awareness of this story helps us take better care of our struggling brothers and sister. It reminds us that sin can sneak into our new covenant community anywhere. And theconsequences of sin are real. We fear God and long for one another’s repentance lest they fall under His judgment.Heb.3:12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Bonhoeffer wrote (82): We admonish one another to go the way Christ bids us to go. We warn one another against the disobedience that is our undoing. We are gentle and we are firm with one another, for we know both God’s kindness and God’s firmness. Why should we be afraid of one another since both of us have only God to fear? We pursue one another when we stray!

So, this is our takeaway today. The community they enjoyed is ours to enjoy as well. The sin that entered their community can very well enter ours also. So, we take good care of one another, not as spiritual watchdogs but as pilgrims on the way together helping one another arrive at our desired destinationwhere we will finally be free of all appetitive for deceit and deception forever!

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Resources

Beale, G. K. and D. A. Carson, eds. 2007. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Acts, by I. Howard Marshall, 513-606. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic

Beveridge, Henry, ed. Commentary upon the Acts of the apostles, vol. 1, by John Calvin. Translated by Christopher Featherstone.

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. 2015. Life together. Translated by Donald Bloesch. Minneapolis: Fortress.

Bruce, F. F., ed. 1988. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. The book of Acts, revised, by F. F. Bruce. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Carson, D. A., ed. 1991. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. The gospel according to John, by D. A. Carson. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Carson, D. A., R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, and G. J. Wenham, eds. 1994. New Bible Commentary 21st Century Edition. Acts, by Conrad Gempf, 1066-1114. Leicester, Eng.: InterVarsity.

Dockery, David S, ed. 1992. New American Commentary. Vol. 26, Acts, by John B. Polhill. Nashville: Broadman & Holman.

Grudem, Wayne, ed. 2008. ESV Study Bible. Study notes on Acts, 2073-2156, by John B. Polhill. Wheaton: Crossway.

Longman III, Tremper and David E. Garland, eds. 2007. Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 10, Acts, by Richard N. Longenecker, 665-1102. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Morris, Leon, ed. 1980. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Vol. 5 Acts, by I. Howard Marshall. Downers Grove: InterVarsity.

 

Next Week: All the Words of This Life, Acts 5:12–42