Acts chapter 4 closes by stating that the first followers of Jesus did not consider their possessions to be their own, but they had all things in common -- not of obligation, but all were ready to use what they had on behalf of those in want. Barnabas, a Levite from Cyprus, sold a plot of land and donated the profit to the apostles.
In chapter 5, Ananias and Sapphira also sold their land, but withheld a portion of the sales, having decided that they did not wish to give it all to the common purse. Ananias presented his donation to Peter claiming that it was the entire amount. Peter replied, "Why is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit?" Peter pointed out that Ananias was in control of the money and could give or keep it as he saw fit, but that he had withheld it from Peter and lied about it, and stated that Ananias had not only lied to Peter, but also to God. Ananias died on the spot, and as a result, everyone who heard the tale became afraid. Three hours later, his wife told the same lie and suffered the same fate.
Ananias has gone down in history to mean a chronic liar.
"He thinks he's got us buffaloed."
Believe it or not I can't find a history of this phrase. I'm assuming that it refers to the fact that buffalos were the staple of hte American Indian, and in order to beat the Indians with as little bloodshed as possible, buffalo hunters exterminated the beasts - killing thousands at a time and just leaving their carcasses to rot.
"With the aid of a few of Uncle Sam's strips of currency with Cs in the corner of 'm."
A C is the Roman numeral for 100. That's why a C-note is a hundred dollar bill. Benjamin Franklin is on the hundred dollar bill - the only non-president so honored.
Phoebe Atwood Taylor apparently never saw a hundred dollar bill - there are no Cs in the corners, but rather the number 100.
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