some have died

There are several places in the New Testament that play into the minds of those who believe our God to be a vengeful sort, waiting to smite people at the slightest infraction.  No doubt there are more, but these two come to mind.

The first occurs relatively soon after the birth of the church on Pentecost, fully constituted in the Love of The Father, the Grace of The Son, and The Power of The Holy Spirit.  Amid the beautiful description of how these new believers were one in heart and mind, sharing their possessions and selling others for the benefit of all (Acts 4:32-35), we have the sordid story of Ananias and his wife Sapphira (Acts 5).  Having sold some land to give for the relief of the saints, they secretly kept back a portion for themselves and are exposed by the apostle Peter through a word of knowledge.  Declaring that they lied, not just to the community, but to God, Peter presides over them as they drop dead sequentially.  

The second is when the apostle Paul takes issue with the way that the believers in Corinth observe an un-holy communion by adding a private feast for some and not for all.  He declares that they are eating and drinking judgment on themselves by not recognizing the Body of Christ in the fellowship or in the sacrament.  And then he adds, that is why many among you are weak and sick, and some have died" (1 Corinthians 11:20-30).

Commenting on the story of the dead couple, Luke writes that great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events (Acts 5:11).  Indeed, and that response includes us who have heard about those events and those in Corinth.

So what are we to make of these deaths?  First, it's worth noting that, in the first case, this is a one-off event.  Narrative stories in Scripture don't become normative unless they repeat and are accompanied by a biblical directive, as with being "filled with the Spirit" in Acts and Ephesians 5:18.  Second, as with the Israelites in the desert, God was in the days of Acts calling out and constituting a new people.  It would therefore make sense that the standards of behavior would be more strictly observed than in subsequent generations, with the occasional punishment by death of transgressors.

However, in order not to completely relegate these stories to the distant past, it is worth reminding ourselves of what C. S. Lewis said about Jesus/Aslan in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  When Susan expresses fear of meeting a lion, she asks Mr. Beaver if Aslan is safe, to which he replies, "Safe?  Who said anything about safe?  'Course he isn't safe.  But he's good.  He's the King".  The God we worship is always good, but never safe.  He is big, scary, and powerful, like a lion; but also humble, loving, and forbearing, like a lamb.  Let's be sure to examine ourselves and approach Him reverently and confidently.