Acts 5:7-10 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.… It is said by sceptics that St. Peter's question to Sapphira, "Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much?" was a temptation to the sin of falsehood; but it is plain, from the story in the fifth chapter of the Acts, that Sapphira had committed herself to a fraudulent undertaking. The sin had been already committed when she adopted her sinful purpose. Peter's question was only to make the secret purpose known. It is an abuse of language to speak of tempting one to do what he has committed himself to do, We do not tempt a shopkeeper when we propose to buy what he wishes to sell. No more did Peter tempt Sapphira to become a liar. She was a liar before his question, quite as much as after her answer. The ethical principle is that it is the purpose, not the act, which constitutes the essential sin. Parallel Verses KJV: And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.WEB: About three hours later, his wife, not knowing what had happened, came in. |
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