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Ever wonder why Ananias and Sapphira, who falsely claimed to sell a piece of land and give all the proceeds to the work of God (Acts 5:1), were struck dead by God, right there in the church? 

Iain M. Duguid makes the case that they "wanted to be just like Barnabas, who has sold a field and brought all the proceeds to the apostles for their ministry to the poor (Acts 4:36–37)." 

They wanted the glory that they thought Barnabas had. Well, if that is what they wanted, they got it. Their gift to the church and their names are are, in every way, painfully memorable. 

"They want to use God as a means to achieve their real goal, which is pleasing the idol of respect and public honor. It seems to them to be only a very small sin, a tiny lie, yet underlying it is a breach of the first commandment. "

And to those who think that God was harsh in meting out on-the-spot punishent for a "1C" offense, think again. What is our view of sin? Is it not as serious an offense as God rightly sees it? The wages of all 1C offenses is death! (Rom 6:23)

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