THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES - Chapter 5 - Verse 4

Verse 9. Whiles it remained. As long as it remained unsold. This place proves that there was an obligation imposed on the disciples to sell their property. They who did it, did it voluntarily; and it does not appear that it was done by all, or expected to be done by all.

And after it was sold, etc. Even after the property was sold, and Ananias had the money, still there was no obligation on him to de- vote it in this way. He had the disposal of it still. The apostle mentions this to show him that his offence was peculiarly aggravated. He was not compelled to sell his property; and he had not even the poor pretence that he was obliged to dispose of it, and was tempted to withhold it for his own use. It was all his, and might have been retained if he had chosen.

Thou hast not lied unto men. Unto men only; or, it is not your main and chief offence that you have attempted to deceive men. It is true that Ananias had attempted to deceive the apostles, and it is true also that this was a crime; but still, the principal magnitude of the offence was that he had attempted to deceive God. So small was his crime as committed against men, that it was lost sight of by the apostles; and the great, crowning sin of attempting to deceive God was brought fully into view. Thus David also saw his sin as committed against God to be so enormous, that he lost sight of it as an offence to man, and said, "Against thee, thee ONLY, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight," Ps 51:4.

But unto God. It has been particularly and eminently against God. This is true, because

(1.) he had professedly devoted it to God. The act, therefore, had express and direct reference to him.

(2.) It was an attempt to deceive him. It implied the belief of Ananias that God would not detect the crime, or see the motives of the heart.

(3.) It is the prerogative of God to judge Of sincerity and hypocrisy; and this was a case, therefore, which came under his special notice. Comp. Ps 139:1-4. The word God here is evidently used in its plain and obvious sense, as denoting the supreme Divinity; and the use of the word here shows that the Holy Ghost is Divine; and the whole passage demonstrates, therefore, one of the important doctrines of the Christian religion, that the Holy Ghost is distinct from the Father and the Son, and yet is Divine.

{e} "unto God" Ps 139:4