The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-02-07

and. carrying aer forth. buried her - ner
husband
H. And great fear came upon all N.
church AID upon a. many as heard iheze
GOLDEN TENN herefor. puttins
AVA, lying speak ever, man truth
win hi. n-ishbor.-Eph. . -.
NOTES AND COMMENTS
Shining Against the Holy Spirit
In this lesson we are made acuuaint-
81 with a new power given 10 the
apostles through the Holy Spirit
the power Of detecting falsehood.
Tut that. however. j. not the chief
point for " 10 consider. Anani.S
and Sapphira were exposed that we
might see the responsiveness OF n.y.
rocTisy and the tac1 that insin-
ceriiy IN any religious profession Is
~, not To men merely. but ~ Cod
Sometimes Il Imposes upon men. out
i never does upon Him. and from
HIM, in lis own time. Is sure to
mcet wish the fearful p-a..hment
th.ch Ks its just and tisti due
brotherhood 81 the Caureh.-The
community Of Tire church here de-
=cribed j csiHgnts not a matter OF
exact tarm. The things which each
man possessed w,r.. held ~ each. but
10 oae boosted ~ his Ownership or
igt 4 .Hte Ttere with the relief II any
uerd q his brethren. The presence
81 this spirit among the disciples is
-iearls connected in the account with
iAe power that the apostles had in
preaching ie sale ~ property Was
solunfar. t5,f). and less universal
than the exact words II verse "a
would impy. IL was very common.
however. and is practic- inpovcr-
shed the church 30 that Paul had
constantly To be gathering funds for
the Christians at Jerusalem. ~ 4
very natural ARIA cement. the apo>-
tics were trea~Urcrs ~ the common
fund. the use being similar 10 that
which they themselves pTactictd
when travelling about Palestine with
JesGs- We DO not see on the surface
why Earnabas' gift brought him 20
much favorable notice The gift may
haze been unusually large. or his s0-
cial position among the Jews may
have been such A. ~ call attention
TO him. That is hardly likely. how
ever. ard il j. more probab THAI
there WAS something especially at
traciive about the way in which he
made fhe Offering. The word ~sNhOr-
tation" ID the Interpretation Of
Rarna nas' name j. from the same
root a. Comforter the title Jesus
gave TO the Holy Spirit; We hayr
changed the meaning Of the word
elaboration which originally
meant encouragement
Judgement Upon Anania~ ard sap
rhir4 These people wanted the
credit or generosity without making
thr niece sary sacrifice. The cnthnsi-
astic comments 10 the disci Die. uroH
tic act OF those who brought ia such
gifts made them desire to be- com
they did not come together. Perhaps
Sapphira hoped by an entrance ii
just the right moment 10 proinrw The
enthusiasm. Ananias told h ,ie
without speaking q word The worst
lies can W. puf in circulation i- this
way Peters charge that Ar&nias
lied I'd Tie lIoly Ghost 81 lecrwni-
tion of the presence ~ the Spirit 10
the church ann among the apostles
The rrbuke Peter gave AraniaS j.
sharp aud stirginG. showing the use
iessne.s Of hi~ deception a. Well a.
its outrageous wickedncss. The
death or Ananias was probably not
a mere result Of the terrible surprise
o. Peters r~uuke. hut direct juslg-
nient of God Even IL il were a
natural event il indicates that Ana
Mas sin was one especially danger
Gus 10 the church. Tse sin. il should
be- remembered. j. that OF trying to
seem better than he really was. Com
mon a. the sin i. il j. blaSphemous
toward God and dangerous 10 the lie
ard usefulness OF the church. The 4
circumstances connected with the
4. aih 81 Sapphira leave no room for 4
doubt that her fate was the result Of
Gods .iisplcasure and not OF mere
natural causes. whatever part such \
causes max have had in the result.
PRACTICAL. APPLICATION
Hypocrisy y The compliment which
sin paws 10 virtue. II borrows its
rcbe. that Il may BE- honorcd.
III Is the be~t things which are most \
c0urtrrfeifcd No one connterfcits
III. h.lls ~ a broken bank
n. one Is asked 10 give TO God
against his will. What he gives he
should give heartily and fully.
When the day az unmasking and
indrrncrf comes. how hvpocrites viii
shrink before the holy God,
CorGari shows the content Of char
zr.rr- RAMS Horn