p. 9 | The Sin of Ananias by G. B. THOMPSON

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 22, 1909

The Sin of Ananias

By G. B. THOMPSON

G. B. THOMPSON

God’s hatred of sin is forcibly illustrated in the case of Ananias and Sapphira, recorded in Acts 5.

What was their sin?—They told a lie. They lied to Peter, and they lied to the Holy Spirit. Lying is common. Ever since Satan lied in Eden, men have been addicted to it. With a pretense of telling the truth, men add to, pervert, and deceive. And because they do not fall dead on the spot, many seem to think that the Most High does not care. But this record of the sin of Ananias and his wife contains a warning for us at this time against the sin of lying. Let us study it.

Pentecost was past, the gospel was being preached, and thousands were embracing

it. As a result, persecution was being waged, and the church was scattering from Jerusalem, going everywhere preaching the glad tidings. Funds were needed then, as now, to carry forward the work; and many who “were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the price of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.” Acts 4:34, 35. No doubt most of those who embraced the message were poor; but all were not, and some having possessions which they could do without, sold them to advance the work in various ways. They did not send it here and there according to their own notion, to aid some particular family or to support some particular worker, but brought it unto a common fund, from which it was disbursed. Among those who sold their possessions are mentioned Ananias, and Sapphira his wife, and Barnabas, who afterward became a strong preacher, and a companion of Paul in his labors.

Ananias and his wife had some land, and sold it with the promise that they would give it all to advance the work of the gospel. They were not compelled to sell their land, for, as Peter said, “Was it not thine own?” and if sold without a promise to God to use it in the work of publishing the gospel, they would not have been forced to give it. But a promise made to God is sacred, and having solemnly promised the Holy Spirit that a certain possession which they had, when sold, should be placed in the Lord’s treasury, they were under obligation to God to fulfil their vow. And vows, or pledges, made now are as sacred as then.

After they vowed, they sold the land. The church may all have known that the possession was sold, but the amount probably was not known. The sum, when received, looked large to Ananias and his wife, and the devil no doubt suggested to them that their vow was rash, and that they were not able to give so much. He further suggested, doubtless, that as the sum was not known, they could bring in only a part of the price received, and by lying a little and saying that the amount brought in was all they received, they could “keep back part of the price of the land.” Ananias and his wife considered this satanic suggestion, talked it over together, and decided that they would do so. They could save money by lying, and at the same time appear to the rest of the church to be upright and sincere. But the Spirit of God understood their deception, unmasked their hypocrisy, and the church was cleansed from their corrupting influence.

This, like other things in the Holy Scriptures, is “written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” Have we ever made a vow to God and failed to fulfil it when it was within our power to do so? If so, in God’s dealing with Ananias and his wife we have an illustration of how he regards such a thing. Note the following from the Spirit of the Lord:— “The hearts of men become hardened through selfishness, and like Ananias and Sapphira, they are tempted to withhold part of the price, while pretending to come up to the rules of tithing. Will a man rob God? Should means flow into the treasury exactly according to God’s plan,—a tenth of all the increase,—there would be abundance to carry forward his work.”—“Testimony for the Church,” No. 31, page 146.

Have we been “pretending” to pay tithe, and yet know that we do not really bring in a full tithe? Have we brought in what we called our tithe at the end of the week, month, or quarter, and laid it down before the treasurer, saying, “Here is my tithe,” and yet knew down in our heart that it was not an honest tithe, that in reality we were withholding “part of the price”? Have we, by thus lying to the Holy Ghost, had a name in the church as a tithe payer, when in reality this was not true? If so, the Spirit of God says we are “like Ananias and Sapphira.”

We should take these questions home to our hearts personally. If an honest tithe were paid, there would be “abundance” to carry forward the work of God. That the cause is hindered because of the lack of funds shows that some are robbing God, and not giving to him his own. Let us all be honest with our Creator.

Takoma Park, D. C.