Dr Ali Robinson

Exploring the Deaths of Ananias and Sapphira: A Study in Group-Embedded Identity and Broken Communal Trust

This paper explores the perplexing narrative of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1–11. Contrary to some traditional interpretations that view Ananias and Sapphira primarily as individuals experiencing divine retribution (Acts 5:5, 10), this study adopts a group-embedded perspective to interpret the couple's fatal end. Drawing on the socio-cultural theories of Bruce Malina and Jerome Neyrey, this paper positions Ananias and Sapphira as “group-embedded persons” whose stories should be considered within the framework of ancient “trust networks.” From this viewpoint, the couple’s deaths may be better explained, not as divine punishment, but due to a severed communal bond. The socio-cultural background of Acts and a narrative analysis of the opening chapters demonstrate how Luke employs the story of Ananias and Sapphira to caution against inauthentic membership within the early Jesus community. At this critical moment in history, Acts 5 underscores the importance of a genuine commitment to God, God’s people, and God’s mission.

Ali Robinson holds a PhD from Macquarie University. She currently teaches at United Theological College in the Charles Sturt School of Theology. Ali is the author of Jude on the Attack: A Comparative Analysis of the Epistle of Jude, Jewish Judgment Oracles and Greco-Roman Invective (T&T Clark, 2018). In her current research she is looking at Luke-Acts with attention to the early followers of Jesus. Her most recent publication was, “Trust Networks and Village Life in Roman Galilee: A Case Study of the Gospel Narratives and Acts” in The Village in Antiquity and the Rise of Early Christianity, edited by Alan Cadwallader, Jim Harrison, Angela Standhartinger, and Larry Welborn, 173–198. (T&T Clark, 2024).