The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 192

Vers. 'i-10.-Helpers in win must be sl,arers in Judgment. The share faken by Snpphira was manifestly a prominent and an active one. She and her husband were on. v. l-·12.] 'l'lrn ACTS 01!' nm APOSTLE:-!. --------------------------------- at full !\CC?rd i~ tho matter; and ~er sin is the more agg!:wn.te<l as she b,l n. JCJr.~r,r time to tlunk 1t over, and had evI<lcntly planned whM she wonld say all(\ rlo if an, remarks were made by the apostles or the brethren as to the gift of the bnrl. "Tl,c question asked by St. Peter ~ave her an opening for repentance. It had hcen in hP power to save her husband by a word of wamin'.( protest, It was now in her J'0wer t0 clear her own conscience by confession, She misses tho one opportunity as she harl misused the other. 'l'he lie which they had agreed upon comes glibly from her lips, and the irrevocable word is spoken." I. TnE COMMON JUDGMENT. The same fate overtook both, as they had joined together in the sin. Compare the cases of Dathan and Abiram. There was union: 1. In the slow judgmcnt of the deteriorated and debased soul. And this is ever tbe first form of ~he Divine judgment on the sinner. Hardening of heart, deadenincr of conscience, cherishing of blinding and fatal delusions, are as truly direct jud o-mcn t~ of God, ever working, as sudden death. This truth needs to be seen more clearly and impressed more constantly. 2. In the swift and immediate judgment of the sudden death, which, in the second case, was prophetically declared to be God's witness to the exceeding heinousness of their sin. The life of all men is in God's handR, and we may well "fear him who can cast body and soul into hell." "The lives of all men are in bis hand. Daily he is cutting them off in a moment-even hot with lust or red- handed from crime. His doom now and then antedates the slower processes of human b.w. The time and fashion of all our deaths are with him. If one day his mercy turned to judgment, and he took from the earth two forfeited lives for the warning and the bettering of many, who shall say either that the lesson was dearly bought or that the penalty was undeserved? It is well that men should be taught once for all, by sudden de:ith treading swiftly on the heels of detected sin, that the gospel, which discovers God's boundless mercy, has not wiped out the sterner attributes of the judge" (Dr. Dykes). II. THE MORAL MISSION OF DIVINE JUDGMENT. A solemn awe fell on the minds of all present. Illustrate by impressions now made by a case of sudden death in a congregation, or by such a case as that of Alexis, smitten by lightning at Luthcr's side. It is said that" great/ear came upon all the Church." The Scripture meanings of the word "fear" may be given and illustrated. Here it is a solemn sense of the severity and power of God, and of the strictness of his demands. The members now felt, as they had never done before, what a serious thing it was to make a Christian profession. Dwell on two things. 1. Fear as solemnizing other professors, filling them with new thoughts about insincerity, hypocrisy, and covetousness. Reminding them that no man should enter Christ's kingdom without first "sitting down antl counting the cost." "'l'he true ecclesia must be free from such hypocritical professors, or its work could not advance." "God fills our hearts with the spirit of re,·ercncc, truthfulness, and godly fear, lest another spirit fills us with lies, with greed, with rnin- glory, and with presumptuous impiety." 2. Fear as dete1·ring would-be proft'ssors. Persons in all ages are too ready to take up the mere profession of Christ's Xar!rn, and such need to be shown that such profession involves responsibilities as well as privileges. There is grave danger of our estimating our responsibilities too lightly. The vows of Christ ought ever to be a solemn and a holy burden. "What manner of persons ought we to be?" God is "known by the jndgments that be executeth." ·we still neetl to recognize his hand, and we must be careful not to lose the impression of his penonality in the modern sentiment about law.-R. T. Ver. 13.-Hindrances to belief. These are suggested by the expression," Of the rest durst no man join himself to them." It seems that the first body of Christia~ con- verts made Solomon's porch their place of assembly. This they did, probably, tor the convenience of its situation and arrangement, and possibly for the sake of its association with the teachings of their honoured Master. The historian records that while the opposition of the Sanhedrim was feared, "none of the other people who had not yet joined the new community ventured to attach themselves intrnsively !o the C_hristian body." Whatever conviction ma.y have been wrought by the apostolic ten.clung n.nd miracles, it was repressed, and men were hindered from full ?onfession of their_ faith in Christ. This is the simplest explanation of the expression, but some thrnk that  188 THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. [011. v. 1-41.