The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1909-02-04
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INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM
MENTS FOR FEBRUARY :.

Acts 4:32-5:11 - Golden Text,
Prov. 12:22-Commit Verses 32
33-Commentary on the Lesson.
TIME.-30 A. or later. PLACE
Jerusalem.
EXPOSITION L. A spirit.fllled
Church, 4:32-37. Some time has
passed since Pentecost, perhaps
year or more, but still the unity and
love of the early church abide. II
was deep seated and permanent. Its
origin is shown in the Immediately
preceding verse, "tfev were all filled
with the Holy Che: " This is the
spirit of genuine CHI stianity in every
age. The form of e.: ression may diff,
Ter, even as IL did In he early church
Tor we find no community of goods
outside Jerusalem, but no true Chris.
tian regards aughtof thethings which
ne possesses as his own (1 Jno. 3:14,
II, 1S). And with great power gave
the Apostles witness of the resurrec.
ton of the Lord Jesus" Here was
another result of being filled with the
Holy Ghost. There is much witness.
ing to the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus In these days, but Is it with
great power?" There is evidently
nothing more needed by the individ.
ual believer and the church than
new filling with the Holy Ghost, that
there may again be love, unity and
power. The word translated gave"
IN this verse occurs forty-seven times
in the N. T., and always has in It the
thought of giving something due.
Their witness to the resurrection of
the Lord Jesus" was something the
Apostles owed to the world, and It is
something every one who knows Jesus
Christ owes to the world, to give
their witness to Him (Rom. 1:14,
15). Great grace was upon them
all" 1t is not said whether 1t was
Gods favor or mans favor that was
upon them. 1t seems, therefore, to
imply both (cf. Luke 2-52). The rea-
son why great grace was upon them
all" was because love and self-sacri-
flee abounded No man looked upon
his own interests, "but every man on
the things of others" Comp. Cor
9:7, 8; Phil. 4:15, 19). According
as any one had need" Not according
to distinguished abilities or notable
services, but according to need. That
is the Christian principle of distribu-
tion.
III. A Devil-filled Hypocrite, VS.. 4.
IL. 1t is an exceeding fair picture
we have been looking on up to this
point, but the serpent again enters
Eden. Up to this point the church's
danger had been principally from
without, but now 1t faces the greater
peril of foes within. No wonder God,
who loves His church, dealth with
this matter with a stern hand. The
atmosphere of love and entire conse-
Grafton in which the deed of Ananias
dnnn maAn ~ tho
donable. The same language Is used
in describing his action and that of
Barnabas, up to certain point. But
what difference; the one the deed
of self-forgetting love. the other the
deed of closely calculating hypocrisy.
The early church was not perfect
(Jno. S:44. But the lie of Ananias
was more than an ordinary lie. He
had seen the whole hearted love of
Barnabas (cf. ch. 4:36, 30, how he
had literally brought all that he had
and laid 1t at the apostles feet. He
had seen the admiration the conse.
Grated Barnabas had awakened in the
apostolic company. He decided to
gain the same applause for himself,
but without paying the full price.
He, too, sold a possession, but Sc
creted part of the price and brought
the rest with the intent to deceive the
church. The Holy Spirit guided the
early church and the attempt to de-
ceive the Spirit-guided church was an
attempt to deceive the Spirit Himself.
This presumption brought swift and
awful judgment. Ananias fell dead
the moment his sin was uncovered,
an awful warning to all who attempt
to deceive God. Not all lying can be
] rll1a6 lVin0 IN God pt,t xx,hn
Is false pretence of entire consecra-
tion, when something is knowingly
held back for self, that Is lying to
God; for conservation is not unto
men, but unto God. Peters question
Is very solemn, why hath Satan filed
thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost?"
1t implies that while the plan had
originated with Satan, Ananias was
none the less responsible, that he had
given place to Satan and permitted
him to fill his heart. The fact that
the sin originated with Satan did not
lessen but aggravated his guilt. He
had entered into partnership with the
devil. And that is what every liar ia
doing, every teacher of error instead
of the truth of God Il Jno. 2:22). In
chapter four we see the true disciples
Spirit-filled (ch. 4:31). here we see
Ananias devil-filled The heart that
is opened to the Holy Spirit He will
fill. The heart that is opened to Sa-
tan he will fill The one who pre-
tends to an entire conservation that
does not exist is tempting the Spirit
of the Lord" 1t is a dangerous thing
to do. II may not bring physical
death in every instance-indeed IL
will not in many; for God gives an
illustrative example of His feeling to-
ward certain sins (as, e. e., In the
case of Achan and here) then does
not again visit with immediate judg-
ment. but there will be great loss
none the less. The effect in this case
was most salutary. Those who were
thinking Of joining the church for
mercenary motives were held back
from so doing. Would that the Spirit
were present in such power In the
church to-day that hypocrites would
sssard 1t with terror.