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

james_woods

I made my adopted Cat an atheist, Beks...

(** just for the point of argument **)

tec

Hogwash. No one can make anyone an atheist.

Context.

'Make' is in quotes for a reason, and was in response to being told that some believers might 'make' her an atheist.

Peace,

tammy

Berengaria

Well it isn't you or I or anyone else that made me an atheist. I did not choose to be. I couldn't make myself an atheist. Knowledge and experience did.

This reminds mr of poor Miriam and Aaron who were struck with leprosy for "murmuring" about Moses. The scribes and the pharasies murdered against the greater Moses, Jesus and nothing happened to them.

Give them a break! How come just them, there were so many people who did worse things than murmuring for goodness sake.

Ridiculous!

Band on the Run

Whathappened,

Aaron and Miriiam are excellent examples. Obedience seems to be the major theme of the Bible. Love is mentioned in passing. Grace is sometimes discussed. The authors are obsessed with obedience. Obedience is not a good character trait. Why would anyone rejoice over the death of a committed Christian couple or feel Aaron or Miriam deserved leprosy. Whole cities are wiped out. The earth itself is flooded.

Perhaps there were economic or social circumstances where obedience was necessary. It is necessary in the military or paramilitary orgs. Nazis, Fascists, and Bolshevists were obedient. Too often Christians believe obedience replaces moral action.

EdenOne

PSacramento, I agree with you, essentially.

Nowhere in Acts do we read that A & S were struck by God. It could have been an extraordinary, yet quite possible coincidence. I've read many stories of a woman dying upon the news that her husband has died, and vice-versa. Perhaps Ananias had a heart attack when he was confronted by Peter. Unbeknownst to Sapphira, she comes to the place where Peter was and the brothers that were assisting him (the same that took away Ananias' body) and Peter told her that they would ESCORT her out (no necessarily take her corpose away). But, upon the news of the death of her husband, she died too. Could it be that they were of already some elderly age? We don't know, but we can speculate. The congregation understood this as a work of God, and I'm sure the apostles, Peter included, understood it as such, and it served the purpose of setting an "example" for the congregation. But again, the Bible never states that they were both killed by God.

Eden

Ucantnome

When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians in about 55 I think. He warned them that their forefathers had been baptised into Moses

"Nevertheless God was not pleased with most of them and they were struck down in the wilderness. Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. .. We must not put Christ to the test as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents." 1Corinthians 10:5,6,9.NRSV.

When I read this I think Ananias and Sapphira were probably aware of the old testament accounts.

MrFreeze

I'm sorry about assuming you were an ex-JW tec but I see a lot of the same mental gymnastics that JWs employ.

The implication of the account is that God struck them down. It doesn't directly say it but I'm not sure how you can come to any other conclusion. Two people just dropping dead when they are found out for telling a lie. Either Peter killed them or God killed them but I highly doubt they would both drop dead from a heart attack at the same exact time.

This is what is implied by the Bible. And after all, isn't the Bible infallible?

PSacramento

PSacramento,

It is unlike you but you are adding stuff that is not in the scripture. First, who was notice what the Holy Spirit was? This is truly early Christianity. What is sinning against the Holy Spirit. I see no definiton of sin. I repeat that it is more than odd that there was no coincidence. This story bolsters one theme that I don't believe existed yet. Obey or else.

I added noting to the scripture at all, I even posted the entire passages.

I just pointed out that NOWHERE is it diredtlystated that God, Christ, the HS or Peter killed them.

I was taught that God protects me b/c I am baptized. Jesus said his load was light. He was the way to freedom.

If they just died, why is the word "awed" used. Nowhere does the scripture say what you say it does. It looks like yet another example of making a theory first and interpreting scripture to fit your viewpoint. You usually are much better than in this case.

Actually NOWHERE does the scripture say they were killed by God, Christ, The HS or Peter.

Please correct the rest of us who find something completely opposite in the scripture. Isn't it handy dandy when scripture means what you've already decided it should be. Who the heck even cares about this couple? Acts was written purposefully. The inclusion of the story is not accidental and neither is the moral. Obey. Obey lest Peter or the Holy Spirit smite you. Don't hold back less than a penny. Christian freedom at its finest.

I fear that you believers will make me an atheist b/c I read the text and I swear I do not see what you insist is there.

Note that all I did was point out that the verse do NOT directly state that Ananais and His wife were killed by God or Chrits or Peter or the HS and that is ALL I sated.

I impleted that perhaps they were struck down by their own guilt and I made clear that was simply an interpretation of the verses.

Believe what you will but the fact is that nowhere in those veres does it sated that they were killed by anyone.

I am not insisting on you seeing ANYTHING at all, I am just pointing out that your interpretation ( which seems to have been put there by WY indoctrination) is not the ONLY one ansd that it MAY not be correct based on the fact that, in those verses nowhere is it stated that they were killed by God, Christ, the HS or peter.

That in the bible, when someone DOES do some sort of "divine punishment' it is made clear should also mean something ( LIke the case of ELisha or Paul striking the magician blind).

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