What was the sin of Ananias and Sapphira?

• A. They lied to the church authorities.
• B. They sold property and kept all of the proceeds.
• C. They lied to the Holy Spirit.
• D. They concealed the profits from the sale.

Answer: (D)

The key idea here is honesty in giving to God and the seriousness of deceit. Ananias and Sapphira sold property and told the church they gave all the money they received, but they secretly kept back part of it. Their sin was presenting a false total—concealing the profits—so they could look more generous than they truly were. Peter’s rebuke, that they hadn’t lied to men but to God, shows that deception toward God is a serious offense. This is why the act described points to concealing the profits as the core wrongdoing in the story.