June 4, 2010 – Acts 5-5:32

Did the couple die because they did not give all they had or because they lied about it.  My first thought would be that it was because they lied about it, but we are told that everyone was selling all they had for the community.  It makes you wonder what that early church looked like.  Were there lay people or was everyone considered a minister of some type.  If this couple were some type of leaders and called to give up everything and didn’t, I think we can see it one way.  If they were just normal lay followers and were punished for lying about their gift, that is another way to look at it.  But if they were normal lay people and were also called to give up all they had, it makes you wonder what people did in the early church.  If even the lay people were called to give everything and spend all day in prayer or evangelize, how can that lead to a productive society.  They more I think about it, I think the only way it makes sense is if they were punished for lying about their gift.