Jan. 25, 2026

Last week we covered the last part of chapter 4 where Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin and ended with Barnabas’ gift to the church. This week we see Ananias and Sapphira lie about their gift and suffer the consequences.

Acts Lesson 8 Study Questions

1.    But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession: After they saw the great ___________ of Barnabas and how well he was respected (Acts 4:36-37), Ananias and Sapphira decided they wanted to receive the same ________.

2.    The ancient Greek word for kept back is “nosphizomai”, which means “to misappropriate.” The same word was used of _______ theft in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (Joshua 7:21). The only other time “nosphizomai” is used in the New Testament, it means to ___ (Titus 2:10).

3.    Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart: When Peter said this, Ananias must have been ________. Certainly he expected praise for his spectacular gift, but was ________ instead. Peter saw that Satan was at work, even through a man numbered among believers like Ananias.

4.    Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? Satan had filled the heart of Ananias, yet Peter could ask why he had conceived this thing in your heart. Satan can _________ the life of a believer, even a spirit-filled believer, but he can’t do your ________ for you. Ananias had to conceive it in his heart.

5.    What Ananias did also must be seen in the context of its time. This was a ________ juncture for the early church and such impurity, sin, scandal and satanic infiltration could have __________ the entire church at its root. 

6.    How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Sapphira was a knowing and _______ participant in the sin, as well as the blatant cover-up. God’s _________ of her was just as righteous as His judgment of Ananias.

7.    Ananias and Sapphira both died, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that they did not go to ______. It is impossible to say for certain, for only God knows. But we can see that it is possible for a Christian to sin unto death (1 John 5:16-17), and we have New Testament examples of saved Christians being judged by being “brought home” in death (1 Corinthians 11:27-32). “True Christians do not _____ their salvation by sinning. The punishment of Ananias and Sapphira, though extreme, was for this life only.” (Boice)

8.    Many signs and wonders were done: In Acts 4:30, we read that these early Christians ________ that God would continue to do signs and wonders through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus. This shows that this prayer was _________, and these remarkable signs and wonders continued.

9.    Through the hands of the apostles: Seemingly, God chose to do these miraculous works through the hands of the _______ and not mainly through others. Yet God wisely chooses which hands will bring a miracle. He had a purpose in doing it through the hands of the ________.

10.    They were all healed: However God chose to bring the healing, there is no doubt that a remarkable work of _________ was present. We shouldn’t miss the connection between the purity preserved in the first part of the chapter (with the death of Ananias and the fear of God among the Christians) and the power displayed here. God blessed a pure church with __________ power.