_But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession._ ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA The word Ananias means “grace of God”; and the word Sapphira signifies just “a sapphire,” the familiar jewel of brilliance and beauty. We should suppose these two people had an unusually bright prosp... [ Continue Reading ]
_And kept back part of the price._ THE SIN OF PRETENCE AND ITS PUNISHMENT They desired to have all the credit the Church would give them for acting as generously as Barnabas did, and yet, while getting credit for unselfish and unstinting liberality, to be able to enjoy in private somewhat of that w... [ Continue Reading ]
_Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost._ SATAN is a Hebrew word meaning adversary or opponent, whether in war (1 Kings 5:4) or litigation (Psalms 109:6), often applied to human enemies, but in one place to an angel (Numbers 26:22), and with the article (2 Samuel 24:1), was a pr... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God._ LYING UNTO GOD. I. The sin. Men lie unto God-- 1. When they use their profession as members of the Church for an instrument of self interest. 2. By making false pretences in their routine of worship. 3. By breaking their covenant of consecration. 4.... [ Continue Reading ]
_It was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in._ PLAIN LANGUAGE I think that one of the master incantations, one of the most signal deceits, which we practise upon ourselves, comes from the use of language. There are words that we learn in childhood... [ Continue Reading ]
_And great fear came upon all the Church._ AFTER JUDGMENT, REVIVAL The case of Ananias served several important ends. I. It bore a very emphatic testimony to truth. Falsehood in the world was a great barrier in the way of the Church. It was difficult to build even that Divine edifice without a fou... [ Continue Reading ]
_Inasmuch that they brought forth the sick._ ., that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow them. THE SHADOW OF PETER The miracles of Christ and His apostles were mainly miracles of healing--a fact to be well noted. The power to work these has been withdrawn; but the same object... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then the high priest rose up._ VAIN EFFORTS TO OPPOSE THE GOSPEL I. The effort in this case; by the imprisonment of the leaders of the gospel (Acts 5:17). The whole Jewish authority was in opposition. II. Its vanity. 1. Because God was on the side of the gospel (Acts 5:19). (1). Sending His an... [ Continue Reading ]
_But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors._ MIRACULOUS INTERPOSITION Observe-- I. That human authority is powerless to oppose the will of God. The king on his throne, the judge on the bench, the soldier in his rank, etc., can only claim Divine protection when they discharge the... [ Continue Reading ]
_And when they heard that they entered into the temple … But the high priest … called the council together._ THE CHARACTERISTICS OF OPPOSITION TO THE TRUTH The contrast is very graphic. The apostles in public disseminating the truth: the Jewish authorities at the same moment plotting in private fo... [ Continue Reading ]
_And when they had brought them, they set them before the council._ The accusation this time is simply that the apostles had not complied with the former judgment--they were guilty of contempt of court. They had not, however, broken their parole, for they had given none, having declared that they wo... [ Continue Reading ]
_We ought to obey God rather than man._ OUGHT The word “ought” is but an old past form of the verb “owe”; it is, in fact, but another spelling of “owed.” What, therefore, we _ought_ to do, we _owed_ to do; what we _ought_ to be, are _owed_ to be. To God we owe our lives; we ought to pay Him with o... [ Continue Reading ]
_Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins._ THE END OF THE SAVIOUR’S EXALTATION Elevation is necessary to influence. Of what advantage is a candle under a bushel? While the sun is below our earth, all is dark an... [ Continue Reading ]
_And we are witnesses of these things; and so also is the Holy Ghost._ THE WITNESS OF THE WORD AND OF THE SPIRIT The book of Acts is one continuous testimony to the Ascension. As the Gospels contain the record of what Jesus began, so the Acts contain the record of what He continued “to do and teac... [ Continue Reading ]
_When they heard that they were cut to the heart._ CUT TO THE HEART The strict meaning of the verb describes the action of a saw, as in Hebrews 11:37. Used figuratively, it seems to imply a more lacerating pain than the “pricked to the heart” of Acts 2:37, leading not to repentance but to hatred.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Before these days rose up Theudas._ THEUDAS: AN ANCIENT PERSONAGE WITH MODERN LESSONS Who Theudas was I do not know, and have carefully refrained from inquiring. Biographical details are of small importance when we are in search of substantial principles. The point of this passage lies in the fact... [ Continue Reading ]
_And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone._ THE WITNESS OF HISTORY TO CHRISTIANITY 1. Christianity was on trial before the Jewish Sanhedrin. It had then no history. Now it has an history of more than eighteen hundred years. Wisely spake that wisest of Jewish Rabbis: Let u... [ Continue Reading ]
_They departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer._ HEROIC FOR THE TRUTH I. The bitter antagonism of wicked men to the truth, as seen in their desperate attempts to arrest its progress in the world. The history of truth has ever been one of trial an... [ Continue Reading ]
_And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ._ DAILY APOSTOLIC LABOURS This is a suggestive picture of the life and work of the early Church. We like to trace enterprises to their beginnings, rivers to their springs. These were times of holy zeal a... [ Continue Reading ]