The account of Ananias and Sapphira at Acts 5 categorically proves the Bible is not inerrant

by yadda yadda 2 58 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Band on the Run

  This story plagued me as a child. I started to notice that the brothers were not reading the WT correctly. We lived in a poor neighborhood. It was not their fault. They were giving their all. The Witnesses repeated this story often so we would comply. I was told that the WTBTS was the Holy Spirit. In my child's mind, I sinned by noticing they made a mistake. I feared I would die.

  I've read the account several times b/c it is so chilling. It is so against everything Jesus taught. Peter is no angel here.

  Does anyone know why this story was included? Acts is full of healing and carrying the good news forward to the world. If you exclude Revelation which is a different genre, this is one of the most startling and crazy storeis in the NT.

  Some stewardship drive!

  I looked up the exact meaning of the English word "awe." which describes the reaction of the Christians not killed. It is a mixture of dread and wonder. They dreaded the Holy Spirit. When I've sat through yearly stewardship drives, these verses are never referenced. People would flee for their lives. No one would be at church.

  It is so appalling and then the author of Luke moves on to another story as though this account were not absolutely stunning. The Holy Spirit murders Christians for holding back some money. There is no other complaint about their conduct. Chilling and terrifying.
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  jam

  JC meeting: Brother committed adultery and he confessed.

  One elder stated, brother your sin is not as great as David

  but you will be DF, (have a great life).
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  tec

  Point being is that nowhere is it stated that they died via a direct act from God, Jesus, the HS or even Peter for that matter.

  Agreed.

  So instead of casting judgment upon them -without reason or evidence- it might be better to simply look to Christ (or ask in spirit for understanding) to see if He ever did anything of that nature; and he did not. So while we might not know the answer; we also have no evidence to cast judgment upon Christ, God, or even Peter.

  Peace,

  tammy
• 

  PSacramento

  It should also be noted that, whetver may have caused their death, it had nothing to do about money but about that lying they were doing, blatant lying as it was.
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  heathen

  I think the resurected jesus judged them as fakes , you can read his judgements against congregations in revelation , they aparently did the uforgiveable speaking against the spirit
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  Band on the Run

  Why is speaking against the Holy Spirit the only unforgiveable sin. God create us with the ability to question. It may be what makes us human. To pretend that God, Christ, the Holy Spirit or Peter is not implicated here is an unbelieveable story. What is the point of the story? If they just died of normal causes, why were other Christians awed, a mixture of wonder and dread. The dread element is present. Are we to believe that of all the Christians converting that this couple was the only one to hold back some? The story makes no sense nor does it belong in Acts if the Holy Spirit were not the actor.

  Relishing a death of a couple is sick. We can only assume that they had different stewarship drives back then. Rather than a car wash or bake sale, the Holy Spirit or its agent, zaps you to death.

  B/c of the linkage between the JWs and the Holy Spirit, this story has been in my mind for decades. No child should fear sinning against the Holy Spirit, esp. when there is no consensus as to what it is. The creeds came much later. Roman Catholics are not Babylon the Great or whores of any kind -- well, not more so than other humans. A law school classmate remarked about her Roman Catholic faith. She stated that we never hear the scriptures where Christians are living as communists. We laughed so hard. It is central to Sojourner faith and the social gospel. I've never heard it in the Lectionary, the assigned readings for services and recommended readings.

  The good news of the gospel is about the breakin in of God's kingdom. A kingdom of love and justice. There is no love or justice in this account. Generations of generations of Christians have found no easy pass for the Holy Spirit. Many times i feel the scriptures are merely boastful, propaganda for a cause. Scenes such as this one jolt me. This story provokes such an emotional response even if you do not know Peter or the Holy Spirit. The abrupt ending is troublesome. Why would anyone invite this stuff? Also, it is so dramatic an event why do not other Christian writers refer to their deaths.
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  PSacramento

  Christ warns us that to blasphemy against the HS is THE worse of sins, but what does that mean?

  Does that man to question God or Christ? No.

  Does it mean we can't argue with them? No.

  WHat it does mean is that a person that HAS received the HS is under a much stricter code than one that hasn't ( to those that much is giuven, much is asked).

  Their blasphemy was to lie, knowinginly, against the HS and their pledge to to a certain thing ( in this case to sell surplus property and to give the earnings to the poor/congregation), no one asked them to or forced them to, they choose to do it BUT then they lied.

  Again, there is no evidence that the HS killed them, only that upon being confronted with their lies, they died.
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  RayPublisher

  @Yadda Yadda 2 - Where is the YouTube video on this? I did a search there and found a zillion ones that weren't it...
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  heathen

  according to what jesus had said about the LF they were required to sell everything they own and give gifts of mercy to the poor , snce they couldn't follow through on it they were cursed instead of blessed . The story does make sense and shows that after entering the covenent you are under very close watch and are required to live in a way that GOD outlines .IMO
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  Amelia Ashton

  Peter just had the young men who buried her husband with him when he called on her to verify the truth and had no idea she was goig to die? Yeah!

  The whole story is made up to make people give money generously to the church/leaders/gb etc and not hold any back for little luxuries for themselves for fear they will suffer the same fate.!