Murder in the Church. Ananias and Sapphira and Communism. Acts 5:1-11

Christians idealize many passages in the Bible. For good and for bad. The deaths of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 is a classic example. It is so out of character for Peter and the principles of grace. It doesn't fit unless you also look at the communal living and transparency implied in Acts 2:44-45 and Acts 4:32-47. These portray a version of communism in the early church. Given the communal goodwill and apocalyptic immediacy of the early church, it is easy to see why they believed that they could sustain a culture without private property. In a previous episode "Was Jesus a Communist or Capitalist? Season 1, Episode 41, I show that the Bible contains conflicting information about shared resources. There is the practicality of Leviticus and the idealism of the early church in Acts. There are several strange clues in Acts 5 that the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira were likely about enforcing the rules, certainly by punishment or even murder. The early church was struggling with who they were. I this intriguing episode, I describe my discovery process and why I think this looks like a coverup rather than God's judgment.