[left that other site]

Ananias wasn't judged for having or keeping property/money; he was judged for lying about what he was giving: claiming to have given all when he had not.

That, my FRiend, was fine and sound Biblical Exegesis, in one Concise, Well-Constructed sentence.

Not only THAT, you OBVIOUSLY got the POINT of the story!

The article, on the other hand, used hundreds of words, obviously had a collectivist agenda, and did NOT get the point of the story at all.

Proof Positive once more that the things of the Spirit are Spiritually discerned.

[RJR_fan]

Worth repeating!

Ananias wasn't judged for having or keeping property/money; he was judged for lying about what he was giving: claiming to have given all when he had not.
That, my FRiend, was fine and sound Biblical Exegesis, in one Concise, Well-Constructed sentence.

It's similar to the sin of Simony -- trying to purchase something God hasn't given us. Trying to impress our neighbors with graces we don't really have. Something every one of us wrestles with at some point.

We crave recognition so much, yet as Jesus said, "How can you believe, who seek honor from one another, and not the honor only God can confer?"

I'm reminded of C S Lewis's wonderful essay on "the inner ring." It's when we quit trying to buy / bluff / bamboozle our way into the inner circle, and simply tend to our own calling, that we find ourselves in the only inner circle that really matters -- where we enjoy the sense of God's approval, and the respect of others who take craftsmanship seriously.