Loading…
VRSZ
This sets the art on your cards and whose commentary you read on each verse. You can change it later in settings.
Translation
Loading…
What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
"And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost." This miracle is greater than that of the lame man, in respect of the death inflicted, and the knowing what was in the thought of the heart, even what was done in secret. Therefore let it be no stumbling-block to any, if at present also there are sacrilegious persons. If there were such persons then, much more now, when evils are many. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
Many of the impious, pointing to what happened with Ananias and Sapphira, condemn the chief of the apostles to death. But the accusation concerns not Peter, but rather the Holy Spirit, who pronounced upon them a just sentence: for Peter only exposed their lie, while the One who has power over life and death — the Holy Spirit — deprived them both of life, as equally having sinned. …
Oecumenius
Therefore they were subjected to a penalty for having committed sacrilege. By what? by death; for that extinguished it, as if it dried it up, that is, it deprived it of the vital moisture. Wherefore also the living thing is said by the ancients to be moist in its essence.
Western Saints
Bede
Hearing these words, Ananias fell down and expired. The severe sentence was given to the transgressor not for the sake of profit, but foresaw in spirit the future weeds that would adulterate the Church's simplicity with corrupt morals (from these, the most detestable race of the Sarabaites is said to have sprung, who, not abandoning their possessions, falsely pretend to keep apostolic strictness), he did not allow the culprits to be cured by repentance, but took care to completely uproot the harmful seed to instill fear in future …
Translation