At the same time, we can readily understand that in a large and mixed community like the early Church, all members would not think exactly alike, and that while many, we may believe most, would cheerfully obey this unwritten law of love, and share and share alike, others would give in to it--if they did give in, for, let me again emphasise, there was no compulsion upon any--more grudgingly and hesitatingly. Of these two classes the writer of the Book of Acts presents us with individual examples--of the former class, in the case of Joseph, or Barnabas, a wealthy Cypriot, who "_having a field, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet_" (Acts iv. 37)--of the latter, in the case of Ananias with Sapphira his wife, whose melancholy story is now before us. That story is very familiar, and is often regarded simply as an instance of the sinfulness of lying. And that undoubtedly it is; but it warns us also against other equally dangerous and insidious errors, as a little consideration will, I think, show. For what were Ananias's motives in acting as he did? If we can discover them, we shall have the key to the whole story. And here, it seems to me, they must, in the first instance at any rate, have been of a sufficiently _generous_ character. Ananias had seen what was going on around him, and he had determined that he must not be behindhand in this ministry of love. But--and now we get a little deeper into his character--_ambition_ to stand well with his fellow-members evidently mingled with the pure spirit of charity: though we do not need to suppose that there was as yet any conscious intention to deceive. Acting, then, on these somewhat mixed motives of charity and ambition, Ananias determined to sell a possession, some farm or other which he had, and hand over the money to the apostles. He probably meant at first to hand over the whole price, but with the money in his hand, the demon of avarice entered into his heart. And he "_kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, did it not remain thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thy power? How is it that thou hast conceived this thing in thy heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God_" (Acts v. 2-4).