The Acts of the Apostles
by Ellen G. White
Chapter 7: A Warning Against Hypocrisy
This chapter is based on Acts 4:34 to 5:11.
As the disciples proclaimed the truths of the gospel in
Jerusalem, God bore witness to their word, and a multitude believed. Many of
these early believers were immediately cut off from family and friends by the
zealous bigotry of the Jews, and it was necessary to provide them with food and
shelter. {AA 70.1}
The record declares, "Neither was there any among them
that lacked," and it tells how the need was filled. Those among the
believers who had money and possessions cheerfully sacrificed them to meet the
emergency. Selling their houses or their lands, they brought the money and laid
it at the apostles' feet, "and distribution was made unto every man
according as he had need." {AA 70.2}
This liberality on the part of the believers was the result
of the outpouring of the Spirit. The converts to the gospel were "of one
heart and of one soul." One common interest controlled them—the
success of the mission entrusted to [71] them; and
covetousness had no place in their lives. Their love for their brethren and the
cause they had espoused, was greater than their love of money and possessions.
Their works testified that they accounted the souls of men of higher value then
earthly wealth. {AA 70.3}
Thus it will ever be when the Spirit of God takes possession
of the life. Those whose hearts are filled with the love of Christ, will follow
the example of Him who for our sake became poor, that through His poverty we
might be made rich. Money, time, influence—all the gifts they have
received from God's hand, they will value only as a means of advancing the work
of the gospel. Thus it was in the early church; and when in the church of today
it is seen that by the power of the Spirit the members have taken their
affections from the things of the world, and that they are willing to make
sacrifices in order that their fellow men may hear the gospel, the truths
proclaimed will have a powerful influence upon the hearers. {AA 71.1}
In sharp contrast to the example of benevolence shown by the
believers, was the conduct of Ananias and Sapphira, whose experience, traced by
the pen of Inspiration, has left a dark stain upon the history of the early
church. With others, these professed disciples had shared the privilege of
hearing the gospel preached by the apostles. They had been present with other
believers when, after the apostles had prayed, "the place was shaken where
they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy
Ghost." Acts 4:31. Deep conviction had rested upon all present, and under
the direct influence of the Spirit of God, [72]
Ananias and Sapphira had made a pledge to give to the Lord the proceeds from
the sale of certain property. {AA 71.2}
Afterward, Ananias and Sapphira grieved the Holy Spirit by
yielding to feelings of covetousness. They began to regret their promise and
soon lost the sweet influence of the blessing that had warmed their hearts with
a desire to do large things in behalf of the cause of Christ. They thought they
had been too hasty, that they ought to reconsider their decision. They talked
the matter over, and decided not to fulfill their pledge. They saw, however,
that those who parted with their possessions to supply the needs of their
poorer brethren, were held in high esteem among the believers; and ashamed to
have their brethren know that their selfish souls grudged that which they had
solemnly dedicated to God, they deliberately decided to sell their property and
pretend to give all the proceeds into the general fund, but really to keep a
large share for themselves. Thus they would secure their living from the common
store and at the same time gain the high esteem of their brethren. {AA 72.1}
But God hates hypocrisy and falsehood. Ananias and Sapphira
practiced fraud in their dealing with God; they lied to the Holy Spirit, and
their sin was visited with swift and terrible judgment. When Ananias came with
his offering, Peter said: "Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to
lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles
it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine
own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not
lied unto men, but unto God." [73] {AA 72.2}
"Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the
ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things." {AA 73.1}
"Whiles it remained, was it not thine own?" Peter
asked. No undue influence had been brought to bear upon Ananias to compel him
to sacrifice his possessions to the general good. He had acted from choice. But
in attempting to deceive the disciples, he had lied to the Almighty. {AA 73.2}
"It was about the space of three hours after, when his
wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me
whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then
Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit
of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the
door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and
yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and,
carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the
church, and upon as many as heard these things." {AA 73.3}
Infinite Wisdom saw that this signal manifestation of the
wrath of God was necessary to guard the young church from becoming demoralized.
Their numbers were rapidly increasing. The church would have been endangered
if, in the rapid increase of converts, men and women had been added who, while
professing to serve God, were worshiping mammon. This judgment testified that
men cannot deceive God, that He detects the hidden sin of the heart, and that
He will not be mocked. It was designed as a warning to [74] the
church, to lead them to avoid pretense and hypocrisy, and to beware of robbing
God. {AA 73.4}
Not to the early church only, but to all future generations,
this example of God's hatred of covetousness, fraud, and hypocrisy, was given
as a danger-signal. It was covetousness that Ananias and Sapphira had first cherished.
The desire to retain for themselves a part of that which they had promised to
the Lord, led them into fraud and hypocrisy. {AA 74.1}
God has made the proclamation of the gospel dependent upon
the labors and the gifts of His people. Voluntary offerings and the tithe
constitute the revenue of the Lord's work. Of the means entrusted to man, God
claims a certain portion,—the tenth. He leaves all free to say
whether or not they will give more than this. But when the heart is stirred by
the influence of the Holy Spirit, and a vow is made to give a certain amount,
the one who vows has no longer any right to the consecrated portion. Promises
of this kind made to men would be looked upon as binding; are those not more
binding that are made to God? Are promises tried in the court of conscience
less binding than written agreements of men? {AA 74.2}
When divine light is shining into the heart with unusual
clearness and power, habitual selfishness relaxes its grasp and there is a
disposition to give to the cause of God. But none need think that they will be
allowed to fulfill the promises then made, without a protest on the part of
Satan. He is not pleased to see the Redeemer's kingdom on earth built up. He
suggests that the pledge made was too much, [75] that it
may cripple them in their efforts to acquire property or gratify the desires of
their families. {AA 74.3}
It is God who blesses men with property, and He does this
that they may be able to give toward the advancement of His cause. He sends the
sunshine and the rain. He causes vegetation to flourish. He gives health and
the ability to acquire means. All our blessings come from His bountiful hand.
In turn, He would have men and women show their gratitude by returning Him a
portion in tithes and offerings—in thank offerings, in freewill
offerings, in trespass offerings. Should means flow into the treasury in
accordance with this divinely appointed plan,—a tenth of all the
increase, and liberal offerings,—there would be an abundance for the
advancement of the Lord's work. {AA 75.1}
But 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 fulfill God's requirements. Many spend money lavishly in
self-gratification. Men and women consult their pleasure and gratify their
taste, while they bring to God, almost unwillingly, a stinted offering. They
forget that God will one day demand a strict account of how His goods have been
used, and that He will no more accept the pittance they hand into the treasury
than He accepted the offering of Ananias and Sapphira. {AA 75.2}
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From the stern punishment meted out to those perjurers, God
would have us learn also how deep is His hatred and contempt for all hypocrisy
and deception. In pretending [76] that they had given all, Ananias
and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit, and, as a result, they lost this life and
the life that is to come. The same God who punished them, today condemns all
falsehood. Lying lips are an abomination to Him. He declares that into the Holy
City "there shall in no wise enter . . . anything that defileth,
neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie." Revelation
21:27. Let truth telling be held with no loose hand or uncertain grasp. Let it
become a part of the life. Playing fast and loose with truth, and dissembling
to suit one's own selfish plans, means shipwreck of faith. "Stand
therefore, having your loins girt about with truth." Ephesians 6:14. He
who utters untruths sells his soul in a cheap market. His falsehoods may seem
to serve in emergencies; he may thus seem to make business advancement that he
could not gain by fair dealing; but he finally reaches the place where he can
trust no one. Himself a falsifier, he has no confidence in the word of others. {AA 75.3}
In the case of Ananias and Sapphira, the sin of fraud
against God was speedily punished. The same sin was often repeated in the after
history of the church and is committed by many in our time. But though it may not
be attended by the visible manifestation of God's displeasure, it is no less
heinous in His sight now than in the apostles' time. The warning has been
given; God has clearly manifested His abhorrence of this sin; and all who give
themselves up to hypocrisy and covetousness may be sure that they are
destroying their own souls. {AA
76.1}
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"Before the Sanhedrin"
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