Exegesis and Hermeneutics
Conference February 2026
Speakers
Prof. Jean-Bosco Bulembat Matabd
Université Catholique du Congo
Session 1 – The Deception of Ananias and Sapphira:
Hermeneutics of Acts 5:1–11 in the African Context
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
This study examines the responses of African readers and listeners to the narrative of Ananias and Sapphira’s deception as recounted in Acts 5:1–11. Within a cultural framework where, as evidenced by various texts from oral literature, reconciliation is regarded as salvific for the sinner, the imposition of the death penalty upon the protagonists provokes critical reflection. This is particularly striking given that divine mercy constitutes one of the principal themes of the Lucan corpus. Consequently, this pericope is perceived as both shocking and problematic for Christian audiences in Africa, especially as it appears to stand in stark contrast to the communal ideal depicted in the preceding passage (Acts 4:32–37). Employing a contextual analytical approach, this paper seeks to demonstrate how African hermeneutics of biblical texts reveal, on the one hand, a divergence in logic between ‘the world of the text’ and ‘the world before the text’, and, on the other hand, raise the question of whether African culture, as a recipient of the Gospel—the Word of God—can critically assess and enrich the presentation of this one within the Christian communities of the early Church.
Keywords: Acts 5:1–11 – divine mercy – deception – sin against the Holy Spirit – Church as Family of God – African reconciliation – salvation