Can someone explain Acts 5 to me?

[Nelka]

1 There was also a man called Ananias. He and his wife, Sapphira, agreed to sell a property;

2 but with his wife’s connivance he kept back part of the price and brought the rest and presented it to the apostles.

3 Peter said, 'Ananias, how can Satan have so possessed you that you should lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land?

4 While you still owned the land, wasn’t it yours to keep, and after you had sold it wasn’t the money yours to do with as you liked? What put this scheme into your mind? You have been lying not to men, but to God.’

5 When he heard this Ananias fell down dead. And a great fear came upon everyone present.

6 The younger men got up, wrapped up the body, carried it out and buried it.

7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had taken place.

8 Peter challenged her, ‘Tell me, was this the price you sold the land for?’ ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘that was the price.’

9 Peter then said, ‘Why did you and your husband agree to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Listen! At the door are the footsteps of those who have buried your husband; they will carry you out, too.’

10 Instantly she dropped dead at his feet. When the young men came in they found she was dead, and they carried her out and buried her by the side of her husband.

11 And a great fear came upon the whole church and on all who heard it.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Two people lied to God, they were punished with death.

 

[po18guy]

My take on it is a sin being held bound, i.e. the power of binding and loosing. They did not confess to their sin, but persevered in it unto death. It was and is in the class of the unforgivable sin against the Holy Spirit.

 

[Annie]

There was no requirement for them to give all their money to the Church. Why would they lie? Think about that…

 

[thistle]

1 There was also a man called Ananias. He and his wife, Sapphira, agreed to sell a property;

2 but with his wife’s connivance he kept back part of the price and brought the rest and presented it to the apostles.

3 Peter said, 'Ananias, how can Satan have so possessed you that you should lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land?

4 While you still owned the land, wasn’t it yours to keep, and after you had sold it wasn’t the money yours to do with as you liked? What put this scheme into your mind? You have been lying not to men, but to God.’

5 When he heard this Ananias fell down dead. And a great fear came upon everyone present.

6 The younger men got up, wrapped up the body, carried it out and buried it.

7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had taken place.

8 Peter challenged her, ‘Tell me, was this the price you sold the land for?’ ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘that was the price.’

9 Peter then said, ‘Why did you and your husband agree to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Listen! At the door are the footsteps of those who have buried your husband; they will carry you out, too.’

10 Instantly she dropped dead at his feet. When the young men came in they found she was dead, and they carried her out and buried her by the side of her husband.

11 And a great fear came upon the whole church and on all who heard it.

Read the commentary on the left hand side.

https://web.archive.org/web/20171204061511/http://haydock1859.tripod.com/id120.html

 

[IWantGod]

1 There was also a man called Ananias. He and his wife, Sapphira, agreed to sell a property;

2 but with his wife’s connivance he kept back part of the price and brought the rest and presented it to the apostles.

3 Peter said, 'Ananias, how can Satan have so possessed you that you should lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land?

4 While you still owned the land, wasn’t it yours to keep, and after you had sold it wasn’t the money yours to do with as you liked? What put this scheme into your mind? You have been lying not to men, but to God.’

5 When he heard this Ananias fell down dead. And a great fear came upon everyone present.

6 The younger men got up, wrapped up the body, carried it out and buried it.

7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had taken place.

8 Peter challenged her, ‘Tell me, was this the price you sold the land for?’ ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘that was the price.’

9 Peter then said, ‘Why did you and your husband agree to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Listen! At the door are the footsteps of those who have buried your husband; they will carry you out, too.’

10 Instantly she dropped dead at his feet. When the young men came in they found she was dead, and they carried her out and buried her by the side of her husband.

11 And a great fear came upon the whole church and on all who heard it.

To lie to the holy spirit is the greatest sin. It’s a mortal sin and death is it’s necessary consequence. But we are talking here about spiritual death, and this i think is what you are meant to take away from the story. Selfishness leads to death. Keeping for yourself what is owed to God is intrinsically immoral.

Whether or not there was two people that actually died physically is really besides the point.

They were filled with a great fear because maybe they feared that their attitude towards God wasn’t as honest as they thought, and thus the same thing could happen to them.

 

[Vico]

1 There was also a man called Ananias. He and his wife, Sapphira, agreed to sell a property;
…

The Isrealites, in a covenant relationship with God, are to be good. God may punish them for their sins.

Ananias could be motivated by praise for generosity, and also getting money for himself and his wife.