Ananias Ἀνανίας
Husband of Sapphira, lied about offering proceeds
Who is Ananias in the Bible?
Ananias was a member of the early Jerusalem church who, along with his wife Sapphira, sold property and pledged the proceeds to the apostles in Acts 5:1-5. However, they secretly agreed to keep back part of the money while claiming to give the full amount, deceiving the apostles about their offering. When Peter confronted Ananias about this lie, he fell down dead instantly, and Sapphira met the same fate hours later when she repeated the deception. Their sudden deaths served as a dramatic judgment from God and a powerful warning to the early church about the seriousness of dishonesty and hypocrisy within the Christian community.
Biography
Ananias, along with his wife Sapphira, was a member of the early Christian church in Jerusalem. They sold a piece of property and brought a portion of the proceeds to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. However, they had conspired to keep back part of the money for themselves. When confronted by the Apostle Peter about their deception, Ananias fell down and died instantly. Later, when Sapphira came in, unaware of her husband's fate, she also lied about the transaction and met the same judgment. Their story serves as a stark warning against lying and hypocrisy within the church community.
Family
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentActs 3 verses
- Acts 5:1
"Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property."
Study Acts → - Acts 5:3
"Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land?"
Study Acts → - Acts 5:5
"On hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died. And great fear came over all who heard what had happened."
Study Acts →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Greek | Ἀνανίας |