Evening star., 1925-04-18
Sunday School Lesson

equalities of fortune by their practic-
ing p community of wealth.
Jesus and His disciples during His
public ministry had lived as one
family. 1t was natural for the
church, when it had been fused into
a spiritual unity through the Holy
Spirit and when they faced a COM
mon danger, to have "all things COM
mon." None of them said that their
property was their own, as they had
right to do, but voluntarily those
who had property sold their posses
sions and made donations of the pro-
ceeds to the church treasury and they
all lived out of common fund.
Every social reformer has been in
spired in his hopes for a new social
order by the experience of the Jeru-
salem Church. 1t would not have
been successful there, if there had not
existed a spiritual unity as a founda-
tfon for the economic action or the
Church, which did not make commun-
ism doctrine of the early Church or
adopt ii in any of the other Churches
1t was not compulsory, but developed
out of the needs of the poor, who
were so numerous in the Jerusalem
Church that aid was solicited for them
by the Apostle Paul from all of his
missionary churches. The practice of
communism by the Jerusalem church
can not be interpreted as an approval
of any modern socialistic or commu-
nistic program. 1t was local, tenn
porary, and voluntary. 1t reveals the
leveling power of the spirit of
brotherhood, which when adopted by
any economic or social program will
insure that it will possess the spirit
of Christianity.
The church has prepared to stand
the strain of expulsion, eXcommunica
ton, and experience the trial of So
cial oStraciSm, scourging, impriSon-
ment, and persecution through their
love of Christ and one another
Joseph, the Cyprian Levite, whose
generous heart and spirit of consola
ton resulted in his being called Bar
nabas, disposed of his estate and re-
vealed the deaths of his faith by in
trusting all the proceeds of the sale
of his land with the Apostles to be
used for the benefit of all. His gener-
Gus action inspired others to do like
wise. Luke records the name Of one
couple who conspired TO commit a sin
against the Holy Spirit. The heinous-
ness Of their hypocrisy and their pun
ishment ought to serve as a warning
to all the followers of Jesus Christ.
Heinous Hypocrites.
In every human organization there
is always some weakness. The church
in Jerusalem was no exception. While
many without doubt would be
prompted to follow the example of
Barnabas, there probably would not
/ be many who after the Lord had ad-
ministered His disciplinary measures
that condemned the Covetousness of
Ananias and his wife. who agreed to
keep back part of the sales returns
a nd cyiT- hnl 10 fn hA oh, =
for the relief fund, pretending that it
was all that they had received.
The exposure of their hypocrisy and
punishment for lying not unto men,
but unto the Holy Ghost. served to
testify that God was with His church.
1t is evident that our Lord desired
to keep His church free from having
within its fold any unspiritual mem
bers. He does not wish to have His
people to be marred by the sins OF
conceit, ambition, covetousness, or
envy. For the first time in Acts, we
have His followers called the church.
His high ideals for His people are
revealed in the drastic surgery He
committed, when through decisive
and divine strokes both Ananias and
his wife were removed by immediate
| death for lying not to the assembled
church but to the Holy Ghost
that day to this that the church did
not need the lesson taught by the
punishment of the guilty pair. All of
the financial troubles of our churches
BENEVOLENT and missionary organiza-
tions would disappear If we had within
the modern churches the spirit that
dominated the life of the early
church. when 1.-The multitude of them
that believed We're of one heart and
one soul and had all things COM
| mon" If in obedience to the Holy
Spirit. the membership of the Chris
tian churches would dedicate not all
| but a tenth to the Masters cause,
there would be no financial problems
in any of our churches. benevolent
or missionary work. If under the
pressure of danger the early church
gave so generously ought we not to
respond out of love for Christ and
| give until the needs of humanity have
been met and the spirit of brother
hood has permeated all nations.