Did Saint Peter kill Ananias and Sapphira?

[Constantine the Sinner]

Scripture is somewhat ambiguous, and taken at face value, it looks like both just dropped dead. But Holy Tradition, being more than just Scripture, seems to indicate that Saint Peter executed judgement (to me at least, correct me if I err).

Rejoice, thou who didst sternly punish the sacrilege of Ananias with death;
Rejoice, thou who didst likewise commit Sapphira, who was guilty of that sin, to the same punishment!
-Ikov VII from the Akathist to Saints Peter and Paul

And Peter too wrought a twofold slaughter, nevertheless what he did was of the Spirit.
-Saint John Chrysostom, Homilies on Matthew (note this is explicitly in the context of whether killing is ever appropriate).

Peter all but pleads for himself, when at the point to inflict the punishment, and at the same time gives a lesson to the rest. For because the act would seem exceeding stern, therefore it is that he does so much in the case.
-Saint John Chrysostom, Homilies on Acts

 

[FireDragon76]

I just think they dropped dead.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Hmmmmmm.

I'd like to know. But I tend to think (and this is just me) ... that Peter asked the questions as an emmissary of sorts of the Holy Spirit, and it was because of his questions and their answers that judgment was executed. But I do believe it was BY the Holy Spirit that that was done. I just can't see Peter acting in such a final way, and so "out of character" without even any apparent discussion between the Apostles or anything else. It just doesn't fit or make sense, but it CAN make sense to me that he was an instrumental part of the process, and so the wording of the hymns might make sense.

But ... that's all pure opinion, and I would like correction also if anything I've said directly contradicts what is written or known. I would be deeply surprised in that case though.

 

[Constantine the Sinner]

Hmmmmmm.

I'd like to know. But I tend to think (and this is just me) ... that Peter asked the questions as an emmissary of sorts of the Holy Spirit, and it was because of his questions and their answers that judgment was executed. But I do believe it was BY the Holy Spirit that that was done. I just can't see Peter acting in such a final way, and so "out of character" without even any apparent discussion between the Apostles or anything else. It just doesn't fit or make sense, but it CAN make sense to me that he was an instrumental part of the process, and so the wording of the hymns might make sense.

But ... that's all pure opinion, and I would like correction also if anything I've said directly contradicts what is written or known. I would be deeply surprised in that case though.

Saint John Chrysostom parallels it with the killings of Phinehas (Numbers 25:7-8). So it's pretty clear Peter was instrumental. However, it does not appear that Peter took out a sword or something like that and slew them, since the Bible never uses euphemism regarding that sort of thing, it's always, in every case, overt (for instance, Acts 12:23). Peter striking either Ananias or Sapphira would not be omitted if we are to use the entire rest of the Bible as an indicator. As such, I see this as a miracle that Saint Peter performed (but as in the case of all miracles, they are ultimately performed by God, holy men and women are only the medium). Also, unless I am misreading Saint John Chrysostom, it appears that the terror regarding the deaths was due as much to their miraculous nature as to the deaths themselves. Saint John Chrysostom also seems to address curiosity about why those who do not commit similar sins face such a sudden death (indicating it is miraculous), to which Saint John Chrysostom says they actually face a much, much worse punishment down the road, but it is postponed to allow them a chance to repent (recalling that Saint Peter offered both Ananias and Sapphira the chance to repent in asking them to tell the truth).

 

[~Anastasia~]

Saint John Chrysostom parallels it with the killings of Phinehas (Numbers 25:7-8). So it's pretty clear Peter was instrumental. However, it does not appear that Peter took out a sword or something like that and slew them, since the Bible never uses euphemism regarding that sort of thing, it's always, in every case, overt (for instance, Acts 12:23). Peter striking either Ananias or Sapphira would not be omitted if we are to use the entire rest of the Bible as an indicator. As such, I see this as a miracle that Saint Peter performed (but as in the case of all miracles, they are ultimately performed by God, holy men and women are only the medium). Also, unless I am misreading Saint John Chrysostom, it appears that the terror regarding the deaths was due as much to their miraculous nature as to the deaths themselves. Saint John Chrysostom also seems to address curiosity about why those who do not commit similar sins face such a sudden death (indicating it is miraculous), to which Saint John Chrysostom says they actually face a much, much worse punishment down the road, but it is postponed to allow them a chance to repent (recalling that Saint Peter offered both Ananias and Sapphira the chance to repent in asking them to tell the truth).

Then depending upon how you imagine it to have happened, I'm not sure if we would disagree.

No, I don't see St. Peter drawing a sword and cutting them to bits. But yes, I think he had a part in what happened. But I see it as action of the Holy Spirit. I don't have an image of the scene in my mind though.

And you are right - as always, we ought to look at the SIGNIFICANCE to ourselves.

I only remember I was once taught that this happened because God was establishing the church, and to sin against Him/the Church at that time was somehow more serious than it was later (in this time). That was taught to me in a few various Evangelical denominations. I'm not buying that one.

I'm glad you asked the question, and gave me a chance to re-examine this matter.

 

[Constantine the Sinner]

Then depending upon how you imagine it to have happened, I'm not sure if we would disagree.

No, I don't see St. Peter drawing a sword and cutting them to bits. But yes, I think he had a part in what happened. But I see it as action of the Holy Spirit. I don't have an image of the scene in my mind though.

Imagery-wise, I'd just go by what Scripture says. They fell down (something that connotes facing judgement in Scripture) and died. They might have fallen down in fear, or just fallen down as part of the death. But in describing death, Scripture never skirts the issue or how it happens (although "falling asleep" is used for those whose souls head to heaven).

Saint Peter drawing a sword is, to my mind, completely out of the question, since Scripture never, ever avoids mentioning that, and also because Christ told Saint Peter not to use his sword when Saint Peter tried to defend Christ himself. Saint Peter would obviously take such words to heart, that God is not interested in working through Saint Peter's sword. Saint John Chrysostom does describe such deaths as being "cut down", but in the sense of the sickle of Zechariah 5 (this is a "roll" or "scroll" in most translations of the Bible, following the Masoretic text, but the Septuagint says "sickle"), which is an instrument of God, not something you hold in your hand. Here is Zachariah 5 following the Septuagint (translation courtesy of orthodoxengland.org.uk):

Then I turned and lifted up mine eyes, and looked; and behold, a flying sickle. And he said unto me, ‘What seest thou?’ And I said, ‘I see a flying sickle of the length of twenty cubits, and of the breadth of ten cubits’. Then said he unto me, ‘This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth; for every thief shall be punished unto death from this side, and every one that sweareth falsely shall be punished from that side. And I will bring it forth,’ saith the LORD Almighty, ‘and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by My name. And it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it, and the timber thereof, and the stones thereof.’ And the angel that talked with me went forth and said unto me, ‘Lift up thine eyes and see this that goeth forth’. And I said, ‘What is it?’ And he said, ‘This is the measure that goeth forth’. He said also, ‘This is their iniquity in all the earth’. And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead; and behold, one woman sat in the midst of the measure. And he said, ‘This is wickedness’. And he cast her into the midst of the measure, and he cast the weight of lead into her mouth. Then lifted I up mine eyes and looked; and behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings, and they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the measure between the earth and the heaven. Then said I unto the angel that talked with me, ‘Whither do these bear away the measure?’ And he said unto me, ‘To build it an house in the land of Babylon, and to prepare a place for it; and they shall set it there upon her own prepared place’

 

[~Anastasia~]

My apologies. I did not say that well. I was being deliberately extreme with the comment about St. Peter with the sword.

And neither of us really need imagine anything in particular - I did not mean to actually suggest otherwise. We have what info we have.

Your question about St. Peter's involvement was a good one to consider, and bringing it around to how we are given a chance to repent was valuable.

 

[ArmyMatt]

well, St Peter told them what would happen for what they did. only God has control over life and death, but I would definitely say his pronouncement on them was because he was so close to God.