1. Great fear seized the whole church (1-11)

Ananias and his wife Sapphira saw the respect that Barnabas had received from his giving. They wanted the same, yet without any sacrifice. After selling a field, they pretended they were offering the whole amount. It was their deceit and the fact that they thought they could lie to God that was so wrong, not the amount they gave. Peter called them out on it; he did not want the yeast of hypocrisy to spoil the loving spirit in this young community. He must have been surprised when they dropped down dead. This was a critical moment for the church as it developed. God acted quickly and firmly, to preserve his honor and the church's purity.

2. No one else dared join them (12-16)

God confirmed the authority of the apostles through many signs and wonders they performed. All the believers met together in Solomon's Colonnade yet no one else dared to join them. They had a marvelous reputation among the people but perhaps because they lived such faithful and sacrificial lives people were afraid of such commitment. Nevertheless, people were still added to their number.