The story of Ananias and Sapphira is shocking and horrible. This little story from the earliest church seems so extreme. God and the church leaders seem so cold and harsh. I read this story this morning after reading through chapter 4 of John Stott’s The Cross of Christ over the past couple of days. Summing up his chapter sums up Acts 5:1-11. “All inadequate doctrines of the atonement are due to inadequate doctrines of God and humanity. If we bring God down to our level and raise ourselves to his, then of course we see no need for a radical salvation, let alone for a radical atonement to secure it” (Stott, pg111). We don’t appreciate the “seriousness of sin” (Stott, pg90) nor do we really appreciate the “majesty of God” (Stott, pg90).
