Acts 5:1-11
ACTS STUDY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What caught your attention from our study of Acts 5:1-11 on Sunday? How did this story challenge you? What questions arose?
How do the actions of Ananias and Sapphira differ from Barnabas? What was the sin of Ananias and Sapphira? Why was it so serious and dealt with so severely?
How does verse 4 help to clarify that the sin was not simply the amount they gave? What do we learn from texts like Psalm 51:16-19 and Matthew 23:25-28 and what God ultimately desires from us?
What does Acts 5:1-11 teach us about hypocrisy? What are some similar ways we are tempted to pretend and deceive others? Why is pretending so easy an such a temptation and humility and confession so hard? How can we fight and avoid the sin of Ananias and Sapphira personally and together? How does daily meditating on the gospel help us?
How are you encouraged by the fact that the Bible doesn’t hide the flaws or failures of God’s people or the early church? What does this teach us about the gospel and confession (cf. 2 Cor 4:7, James 5:16)? What does the story of Ananias and Sapphira teach us about living a life of repentance?
What dangers exist if we allow sin to continue in our lives, are accountable to no one, never confess our sins, and pretend all is well in our lives or in the church? As we reflect on the story of Ananias and Sapphira and the previous questions, how does it affect the way we share our own faith stories?
Though Christ’s bride is imperfect, what does he desire according to Ephesians 5:25-27? What role can we each play in guarding the gospel and Christ’s bride (cf. 2 Cor 13:5, Rom 12:9-18, Eph 4:1-3, Phil 2:2-5, Col 3:12-14, Gal 5:25-26)?
What attitudes, actions, or affections might you need to change from studying this text and our discussion?
