The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 153

Ver. 86-ch. v. 11.-71,e earUest of the tares, in the field of the Church, The age of the Church numbered as yet only its da'l's, The" good seed" had been sown in tbe field by "the Son of man" but a few hours, yet II the enemy . . . the devil,, bad found a 'prized opportunity to II sow tnres," and uses it not in vain. 'l.'he names and history of Ananias a.nd Sapphira a.re among the best known of all those imbedded in Scripture. When the striking episode, however, is detached from its proper place, it loses very much of its significance a.nd force. But, taking the time and place of it into account, the episode is in the highest degree dramatic. And the reality of the history which it recounts, it is which exalts it to that height. It is one of those unwelcome products of human nature which mean, in equal proportions, three things-the painful, the startling, and the too true. A. very crisis of glory is dashed by an incident of darkness, sin, a.nd shame. It is dashed thus, however, in the present instance for "about the i,pace of three hours" only, when the majesty and integrity of truth are terribly vindicated. Let us consider- I. THE SIN HERE RECORDED. Though it may seem desirable to supplement the word,i of the ua.1Tative, the thought and intent of it want nothing. Thus, though it is not so worded in the case of A.nanias, it is plain that when he brought what any way pur- ported to be the full price of his vended "possession" and II laid it at the apostles' feet," either interrogated or without interrogation he gave it to be understood that it rea.liy was the full price. The ground of Peter's suspicion on the matter is not stated. But a choice of explanations of it can easily be offered. Something in the manner of the man, even possibly some needless asseveration of the entirety of the price, or some- thing disproportionately small in the price brought as the equivalent of the " posses- sion" parted with, or the discernment of the inspired and spiritually sensitive apostle, not set in motion by any external cause, may quite account for it. In this last sup- position Peter will remind us, not unworthily, of Peter's loved Master, in the exercise of a certain spontaneous detection, and in preventing any greater mischief by a certain promptness of anticipation. Be this as it may, in the analysis of the sin under con- sideration it must be th!lt: 1. The first constituent of it is a capital falsehood, and this needs no further comment. 2. Falsehood the deceiving purpose of which suffers no little aggravation from the cruel affront it offers a new-born loving, holy little society, a.nd the august representatives and leaders of it, now known for their inspiraLion and for the miracles they had wrought. 3. Falsehood in the matter of a religious and voluntary service. 4. Falsehood that was intended to win for those guilty of it a reputation for zeal toward God and enthusiasm of liberal love toward man, when neither the one nor the other was there. 6. Falsehood that meantime was covering, or seeking to cover, no higher style of character than this, viz. to save stealthily something from (what is inwardly regarded as) the wreck for self, and yet share the contributed beneficence of others. The case was presumably this-a man, under the cover of rcligiows ruotive and resolve, professes to sell all and give all, forsooth that he may secretly store some, and be placed at an advantage for getting more. The rich young ruler was sincerity, honesty, and enthusiasm, all to perfection, in compa- rison of this exhibition. 6. Falsehood that was deliberate. It was not the result of any sudden gust of temptation. It was deliberate to the extent of being concerted between two. The unhallowed imagination, thought, resolve, of one heart soon grows mto the unhallowed covenant of two hearts. Alas, for the suggested picture, for the mournful portraiture of human nature, for the dark interior, too faithfully drawn, of that household I To sum up, then, what has gone before, the direct falsehood of Ananias and Sapphira (to call them for the moment on~) was not the whole sin, 'but, bad as it w~s in itself was but the outside coverin:i; of sms, too strong neverthele&a to be held of 1t. "Some ~en's sins arc open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some they follow after" (1 Tim. v. 24). 'l'he delicacy and exquisiteness of all the fellowship of circum- stance amid which the sin of Ananias and Sapphira saw the li&ht, mcasu. re the extent of t}le atrro11t it, qarod t,o ofl'er to trut,ti, •~d aqgur t.lie f~rfumeas of tile 4oopi t~Jt en. 1~. 1-87.] THE ACTS OF TilE APOSTLES. 119