Ep 388 – Acts 5:3-11

Today’s passage, Acts 5:3-11, contains one of the most disturbing and potentially confusing stories in the New Testament. In the midst of all the wonderful things taking place within the context of the newly formed church, there appears a sudden and unexpected tale of two disciples whose lives end tragically in death. But, surprisingly, these two didn’t die for their faith. They died because they lied to the Spirit of God. Or was it because they sold some land and then claimed to be giving all the proceeds to the church, all the while holding back some of it for themselves? The text accuses them of both. But what’s really going on here? And why did these two have to die for their sin? Obviously, they can’t be the only ones who ever lied to the Spirit of God. And they can’t be the only two who ever tried to deceive others in the church in an attempt to make themselves look good. So, why does Luke include this story and why did the Holy Spirit inspire him to do so? What we have in this story is the description of the Spirit of God interfacing with the sin nature of man. The new believers who made up the church were saved, but they still had their own sinful natures to deal with. The church wasn’t made up of perfect people who did everything right and lived in complete obedience to the Holy Spirit’s direction. But God was going to make it perfectly clear from the get-go that He considered behavior just as important as belief in the lives of His people.