determined to sell a possession, some farm or other which he had, and hand over the money to the apostles.  He probably meant at first to hand over the whole price, but with the money in his hand, the demon of avarice entered into his heart.  And he “kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.  But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?  Whiles it remained, did it not remain thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thy power?  How is it that thou hast conceived this thing in thy heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God” (Acts v. 2-4).

The sin of Ananias, then, lay in this, that he gave a certain sum as if it were the whole.  There was no necessity for his giving either the whole or the part.  Had he hung back, when others were selling their possessions, he would have been pronounced ungenerous in comparison with them.  Had he brought a part, making no mistake about it that it was only a part, when they were giving all, then he would have been not so generous.  But when he brought a part as if it were the whole, he added to his former selfishness and avarice deceit and hypocrisy.  If he did not in so many words tell a lie, he did what was equally heinous, he acted a lie.

It is only when we thus clearly realise the enormity of Ananias’s sin, that we can understand the reason of the dreadful doom that followed. “And Ananias, hearing these words, fell down, and gave up the ghost” (ver. 5).  The judgment came not from men, but from God.  As it was in God’s sight—­the sight of the living and heart-searching God—­that the sin had been committed:  so it was by the direct “visitation of God” that it was now punished.

Nor was the awful lesson yet over.  Three hours had scarcely elapsed since the young men had carried forth her husband, and buried him, when Sapphira, “not knowing what was done, came in.” “And Peter answered unto her”—­answered her look of amazement as she regarded the awe-struck faces of those present—­“Tell me, whether ye sold the land for so much?” “Yea, for so much,” she replied, adhering to the unholy compact into which, with Ananias, she had entered, and adding deceit in speech to his deceit in act. “But Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and they shall carry thee out” (verses 8, 9).