Act 5:36-37 | KingComments | STEP | When Peter has given the clear testimony of God’s appreciation of Christ, the leaders are fed up. They realize what this means. They have been addressed in their conscience and accused of murder. Instead of bowing before God, they prove how murderous their hearts still are by their absolute refusal to give up their position of prestige among the people. Their outburst of anger is so great that they want to kill the apostles. Murder fills their hearts, inspired by satan who is a murderer from the beginning ( ). However, there is someone in the Council who keeps a cool head. It is Gamaliel. He is a law scholar who is honored by the whole people. He is the next instrument God uses in His providence to give His apostles their freedom back, just as He used an angel before ( ). Gamaliel brings the Council to rest. He has authority, for he orders that “the men” should be put outside the Council chamber for a moment. Then he begins his advice to the Council. His advice does not come from dealings with God, but from human wisdom. God uses this advice to reach His goal. Gamaliel addresses the Council as “men of Israel”, as men who belong to the people chosen by God. He urges them to think carefully before they deal with ‘these men’. In order to convince them that they should be careful and not hastily condemn these people, he points to two people from their recent history who have also presented themselves as leaders. He first cites the example of the otherwise totally unknown to us Theudas. This man claimed to be someone of significance. Modesty was not his greatest virtue. He acquired a following of about four hundred men. But what became of him and his movement? He was killed. With that, the whole company of followers fell apart. Nothing has come of all the wonderful plans and promises. Then there is that other popular leader, Judas of Galilee. About thirty years ago this person wanted to profile himself as a leader. The people were ready for that because it was in the days of census. Those days are an emphatic reminder of Roman domination. Then the climate was ripe for a revolt against the Romans. Also behind him were people who saw something in his ideas. But the Romans quelled his rebellion. He died and that was the end of his movement. All those who obeyed him were scattered. People like Theudas and Judas of Galilee are the thieves and robbers whom the Lord means when He speaks of people who enter the sheepfold other than through the door ( ). By presenting the case in this way, Gamaliel places the Lord Jesus on a par with them. His sober but darkened mind brings him to a sober conclusion. He simply says that they are always right if they let the matter rest. That ‘Man’ could also be such a deceiver and then Christendom would die down. Troublemakers come and go; that is how it could be with this new movement. However, if it were a work of God, all human effort would turn out to be in vain and they would turn out to be fighters against God. This advice of Gamaliel is still given to orthodox Jews who enter into conversation with Messianic Jews. Instead of such advice, Gamaliel would have done better to propose to the Council to investigate the matter on the basis of the Old Testament. Never did the Lord Jesus, like Theudas and many others with him, say that He was Someone of significance. In the course of time about forty false messiahs have risen up, of whom Bar Kochba is the best known. They have all served as liberators to free Israel from the yoke of slavery of the nations, but they have all failed miserably. They have dragged many into their trap. The only One Who can justifiably claim to be the Messiah has a message that is believed throughout the world and has received millions of followers. Instead of being scattered, they have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit.

‏ Acts 5:36-37

The Advice of Gamaliel

When Peter has given the clear testimony of God’s appreciation of Christ, the leaders are fed up. They realize what this means. They have been addressed in their conscience and accused of murder. Instead of bowing before God, they prove how murderous their hearts still are by their absolute refusal to give up their position of prestige among the people. Their outburst of anger is so great that they want to kill the apostles. Murder fills their hearts, inspired by satan who is a murderer from the beginning (Jn 8:44).

However, there is someone in the Council who keeps a cool head. It is Gamaliel. He is a law scholar who is honored by the whole people. He is the next instrument God uses in His providence to give His apostles their freedom back, just as He used an angel before (Acts 5:19). Gamaliel brings the Council to rest. He has authority, for he orders that “the men” should be put outside the Council chamber for a moment.

Then he begins his advice to the Council. His advice does not come from dealings with God, but from human wisdom. God uses this advice to reach His goal. Gamaliel addresses the Council as “men of Israel”, as men who belong to the people chosen by God. He urges them to think carefully before they deal with ‘these men’.

In order to convince them that they should be careful and not hastily condemn these people, he points to two people from their recent history who have also presented themselves as leaders. He first cites the example of the otherwise totally unknown to us Theudas. This man claimed to be someone of significance. Modesty was not his greatest virtue. He acquired a following of about four hundred men. But what became of him and his movement? He was killed. With that, the whole company of followers fell apart. Nothing has come of all the wonderful plans and promises.

Then there is that other popular leader, Judas of Galilee. About thirty years ago this person wanted to profile himself as a leader. The people were ready for that because it was in the days of census. Those days are an emphatic reminder of Roman domination. Then the climate was ripe for a revolt against the Romans. Also behind him were people who saw something in his ideas. But the Romans quelled his rebellion. He died and that was the end of his movement. All those who obeyed him were scattered.

People like Theudas and Judas of Galilee are the thieves and robbers whom the Lord means when He speaks of people who enter the sheepfold other than through the door (Jn 10:1). By presenting the case in this way, Gamaliel places the Lord Jesus on a par with them.

His sober but darkened mind brings him to a sober conclusion. He simply says that they are always right if they let the matter rest. That ‘Man’ could also be such a deceiver and then Christendom would die down. Troublemakers come and go; that is how it could be with this new movement. However, if it were a work of God, all human effort would turn out to be in vain and they would turn out to be fighters against God. This advice of Gamaliel is still given to orthodox Jews who enter into conversation with Messianic Jews.

Instead of such advice, Gamaliel would have done better to propose to the Council to investigate the matter on the basis of the Old Testament. Never did the Lord Jesus, like Theudas and many others with him, say that He was Someone of significance. In the course of time about forty false messiahs have risen up, of whom Bar Kochba is the best known. They have all served as liberators to free Israel from the yoke of slavery of the nations, but they have all failed miserably. They have dragged many into their trap.

The only One Who can justifiably claim to be the Messiah has a message that is believed throughout the world and has received millions of followers. Instead of being scattered, they have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit.