There is a little story “hidden” in the Bible that is often overlooked. It is the story in the book of Acts about Ananias and Sapphira. This story is so important because it shows us how the early church viewed women (even married women) and their role of personal responsibility.
Too often the concept of “submission” has been used to coerce women into silence and a rejection of personal responsibility in their sphere of influence and authority. This Bible passage, however, reveals that women are completely and personally responsible for decisions and information about which they have full knowledge. This story de-bunks the notion that a woman is not responsible for actions taken (by her husband) but with her full knowledge. If a woman is aware of an action, it becomes her responsibility, even if it is her husbands “doing.” A woman is not absolved of responsibility simply because she is following the “orders” or “wishes” of her husband. She is personally responsible to speak and represent the truth and to do right according to her knowledge regardless of the actions of her husband.
This is revolutionary! Too many women have been sadly deceived and coerced into silence or have silently allowed wrong behavior to continue because they believe that they honored God by their “submission” to their husband. But “submission” does not mean silence in the face of wrongdoing! The case of Ananias and Sapphira shows us that the early church did not expect a woman to just silently represent her husband and his wishes. The early apostles held a woman equally responsible for decisions made within her marriage with her full knowledge.
This news may be alarming to some women, who thought they were “safe” from “judgment” if they just followed their husbands instructions. But God calls a woman to be a man’s partner and mate, not simply his “Yes” woman, employee or servant. A “mate”—means an equal ally, one suited and matched for him. When you match/mate things (socks for example) you match those of equal kinds. The early church actually expected women to be co-responsible for co-decisions in marriage. It was not a responsibility that could be “sloughed off” on a husband. This may be liberating to some women. If women are responsible for decisions made with their knowledge, then they have some influence over those decisions. With responsibility comes influence and choice. Women have a voice recognized by God and scripture. They not only can voice their opinion, they should.
In Acts, Chapter Five, Ananias makes a financial decision (he sells property) together with his wife. With her full knowledge, her keeps back part of the proceeds, but offers the balance to the apostles under the pretense that it is the full amount of the sale. Peter rebukes him, saying (basically) “Why did you lie? The property was yours to do whatever you wanted with it. But the lie was before God, not men.” Ananias immediately dies.
Wow.
Sapphira, his wife, enters. The apostles do not tell her that her husband has died. For all she knows he is alive and well. Yet, they ask her if she and her husband gave the full price of the land that she and her husband sold. (Notice they recognized the land belonged to both and that both sold it and gave money to the apostles.) They gave her a chance to tell the truth, yet she also lies and says that “Yes, the amount given was the full price.” Peter asks her “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord?”
Peter recognizes that Sapphira had a choice to agree to her husbands plan or to say, “No” and speak the truth. When she chose to agree with her husband, rather than tell the truth, she also immediately dies.
But she could have said “N0” —– She should have said, “No. No I will not tell a lie to the apostles. I will not sell the land and pretend to give the full amount.” Or she could have said “No. What we gave was not the full amount.” Simple as that. Sapphira could have refused to collaborate in a lie or she could have refused to tell the lie—in agreement with her husband.
The Bible and the early apostles held her completely responsible for her own actions. Sapphira was completely responsible to agree with her husband and DIE—or to speak and act the truth (regardless of her husbands speech or actions) and live. Wow. It is not enough for a woman to say “I serve God by obeying my husband” if what her husband does/says is wrong. If anyone stands in agreement with wrongdoing……then they are wrong. Male or female, Jew or Greek, slave or free (Galations 3:28) Each one is responsible for his own actions. That is both awe-inspiring and liberating. Not only should women not live in fear and anguish over assenting (even silently) to wrong behavior, they have a responsibility to speak the truth and to do right before God, regardless of their husbands choice. That is what is portrayed in the Bible. There is no excuse for lying in agreement with husbands. And there is every expectation of and support for a woman to speak and act in what is right regardless of her husbands choices. That is the little known story of Ananias and Sapphira.
It's Time 