All questions carry equal marks. Answer four questions to all All [9 marks]. [6 marks]. [11 marks]. [4 marks]. [9 marks]. [6 marks]. [11 marks]. [4 marks]. [9 marks]. [6 marks]. [9 marks]. [6 marks]. [9 marks]. [6 marks]

a) The events that led to the great fear in the early church, as described in Acts 5:1-11, involve Ananias and Sapphira:

• Sale of Property: Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property.
• Deception: They secretly agreed to keep back part of the money for themselves, while presenting only a portion to the apostles, pretending it was the full amount from the sale.
• Ananias's Confrontation and Death: Ananias brought the money to the apostles. Peter confronted him, stating that he had lied to the Holy Spirit, not just to men. Upon hearing this, Ananias fell down and died. Young men carried him out and buried him.
• Sapphira's Confrontation and Death: About three hours later, Sapphira came in, unaware of what had happened. Peter asked her if the amount her husband had given was the full price of the land. She confirmed the lie. Peter then told her that she too had conspired to test the Spirit of the Lord, and she immediately fell down and died. She was also carried out and buried next to her husband.
• Resulting Fear: As a result of these events, great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard about what had happened.

b) Three lessons the church today can learn from the above experience are:

• Honesty and Integrity: The incident emphasizes the critical importance of honesty and integrity within the church, especially concerning financial matters and commitments made to God. Deception is taken seriously by God.
• Seriousness of Sin against the Holy Spirit: It highlights the gravity of lying to the Holy Spirit. This teaches that God is not to be mocked and holds believers accountable for their actions and intentions, particularly when they involve hypocrisy within the community.
• Reverence for God's Holiness: The fear that came upon the church demonstrates the need for a deep reverence for God's holiness and justice. It reminds believers that God is actively present and expects purity and truthfulness from His people.