Acts 5: 1-11describes a negative event that occurred in the early days of the church. At that time, people in the church of Jerusalem shared their possessions with each other and had everything in common, but the couple Ananias and Sapphira were punished by God and died because they didn’t want to give up their property. They were punished not because they donated too little, or because they did not donate all the property they had earned, but because they desired fame and credit. They lied and deceived everyone to the extent that they deceived the Holy Spirit.
Nowadays people in some churches also use deception to angle for fame and compliments like Ananias and Sapphira. The most common thing they like to do is to exaggerate the facts. They may accomplish very little in their ministry, but they just like to exaggerate. This phenomenon in the church is often connected to the vanity of the church leader. Many church leaders use lies to replace facts in order to make a name for themselves or to bring fame to their own church.
When they call those who are willing to repent and believe in Jesus to come to the altar following an evangelistic sermon, they actually ask many Christians to also come forward so it appears there are many people repenting. Some churches either exaggerate their ministry or fabricate activities and program at the end of the year when they report on church ministry to brothers and sisters, or when they fellowship with or communicate with other churches.
The first sin recorded in the Bible is inseparable from telling lies. Satan deceived Eve through the serpent and caused her to reach out and pick from the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The ninth commandment is that you must not falsely testify against people. This false testimony means lying. The Lord Jesus severely reprimanded those who lie and said that their father is Satan. The Bible repeatedly teaches us to be truthful.
As a church leader, we need to be more vigilant, knowing that everything we do is done for the Lord. We work to bring honor and glory to the Lord but not receive a reward from others. No matter how much or how little we serve, or no matter how effective it is, the Lord will make his own judgment, as long as we follow the instructions of the Lord and do our best for the Lord.
When we know that our service is for the Lord, then judgment, reward and punishment are also in the Lord. We can avoid trying to make a name for ourselves and be concerned with our reputation because this is vain, and we want to avoid falling into the situation of lying and offending God. In the same way, as a Christian, you also need to be alert to your actions and words in our daily life. If we do not admire those who are vain, or those who compare themselves with each other, then we will not fall into the temptation of telling lies.
(Note: The author is a full-time co-worker of a grassroots church in Fujian.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
使徒行传灵修系列：教会中的沽名钓誉
使徒行传5:1-11节，这段经文讲述了教会初期所出现的一个消极事件。当时耶路撒冷教会过着凡物公用的生活，但是亚拿尼亚和撒非喇夫妇却因为这个奉献财物的事，导致被神刑罚，仆倒而亡。并不是因为他们捐的少，也不是因为他们没有全部捐出所得的财产，而是因为他们沽名钓誉，同心撒谎欺骗众人，以致于欺哄了圣灵。
现今有些教会同样喜欢沽名钓誉，因此他们也如同亚拿尼亚夫妇那样用谎言来欺骗众人。最常见的就是喜欢夸大事实，明明没有做那么多的事工却偏偏喜欢夸大。教会出现这种沽名钓誉的现象，往往都与教会领袖的虚荣心作祟离不开关系。很多教会领袖为了来抬高自己的名，或者抬高自己所在教会的名，就用谎言来代替事实。
因此，有些教会布道的时候，在呼召那些愿意悔改信耶稣的人到台前来时，居然故意叫许多基督徒也站到台前，来凑人数。有些教会则是在年终向弟兄姊妹汇报教会事工时，或者与别的教会互相团契交流时，要么夸大服事，要么虚构服事。
圣经中所记载的第一桩罪就与谎言离不开关系，即撒旦借着蛇欺骗夏娃，导致夏娃伸手去摘分别善恶果吃。十诫中的第九诫不可作假见证陷害人，这假见证就是指撒谎。主耶稣更是严厉的斥责撒谎之人，称他们的父是撒旦，所以圣经一再教导我们要弃绝谎言，与邻人说诚实话。
因此作为教会领袖需要更加警醒，要知道我们所做的一切都是为主而做，是求主的纪念，而不是要得人的赏赐。我们的服事无论做多做少，无论果效如何，只要是遵行主的教导，尽心为主而做，主自有判断。
当我们知道服事是为主，判断在主，赏罚在主，才能避免那种因为虚荣，而做出沽名钓誉的事，陷入撒谎得罪神的境地里。同样，作为基督徒在日常生活中也同样需要警醒自己行为与言语，不可爱慕虚荣，不可互相攀比，免得陷入谎言的试探当中。
Acts 5: 1-11describes a negative event that occurred in the early days of the church. At that time, people in the church of Jerusalem shared their possessions with each other and had everything in common, but the couple Ananias and Sapphira were punished by God and died because they didn’t want to give up their property. They were punished not because they donated too little, or because they did not donate all the property they had earned, but because they desired fame and credit. They lied and deceived everyone to the extent that they deceived the Holy Spirit.
Nowadays people in some churches also use deception to angle for fame and compliments like Ananias and Sapphira. The most common thing they like to do is to exaggerate the facts. They may accomplish very little in their ministry, but they just like to exaggerate. This phenomenon in the church is often connected to the vanity of the church leader. Many church leaders use lies to replace facts in order to make a name for themselves or to bring fame to their own church.
When they call those who are willing to repent and believe in Jesus to come to the altar following an evangelistic sermon, they actually ask many Christians to also come forward so it appears there are many people repenting. Some churches either exaggerate their ministry or fabricate activities and program at the end of the year when they report on church ministry to brothers and sisters, or when they fellowship with or communicate with other churches.
The first sin recorded in the Bible is inseparable from telling lies. Satan deceived Eve through the serpent and caused her to reach out and pick from the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The ninth commandment is that you must not falsely testify against people. This false testimony means lying. The Lord Jesus severely reprimanded those who lie and said that their father is Satan. The Bible repeatedly teaches us to be truthful.
As a church leader, we need to be more vigilant, knowing that everything we do is done for the Lord. We work to bring honor and glory to the Lord but not receive a reward from others. No matter how much or how little we serve, or no matter how effective it is, the Lord will make his own judgment, as long as we follow the instructions of the Lord and do our best for the Lord.
When we know that our service is for the Lord, then judgment, reward and punishment are also in the Lord. We can avoid trying to make a name for ourselves and be concerned with our reputation because this is vain, and we want to avoid falling into the situation of lying and offending God. In the same way, as a Christian, you also need to be alert to your actions and words in our daily life. If we do not admire those who are vain, or those who compare themselves with each other, then we will not fall into the temptation of telling lies.
(Note: The author is a full-time co-worker of a grassroots church in Fujian.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Apostles' Devotion Series: Deception to Get The Reputation in Church
