Acts 5 Not so fast to justice – Gamaliel – גַּמְלִיאֵל

Who is this man Gamaliel?

An angel brought the Apostles out of their prison cell, unbeknownst to the ruling council of Jerusalem who are about to try them for speaking the Name of Jesus AGAIN. When they discover that the Apostles somehow once again preach to the people in the Temple, they order the captain of the guard to bring them back to trial. He does so without violence or strong-armed coercion. Gamaliel in ‘a word to the wise’ cautions the Sanhedrin against zeal in their haste to prevail.

Arrested AND Released

And as Simon Peter now enrages some by his boldness of speech, an important leader of the Sanhedrin, Gamaliel, stands and orders the Apostles to be removed from their court before sentencing.

He is not the high priest or even a member of the majority leading party of Sadducees. But the Pharisee Gamaliel obviously holds a high position of accountability as a minority leader who is involved in these proceedings.

ACTS 5: Advice from Gamaliel

Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while.

Acts 5:34 NKJV

35 And he said to them: “Men of Israel, [be careful] take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men [referring to the outspoken Apostles Peter and John].

Gamaliel = “my recompenser is God” Γαμαλιήλ

Why do enraged leaders who demand instant justice even listen to reason?

Gamaliel holds a reputation of wise council and teaching respected even by those with other beliefs. In addition to God’s providential intervention (as Luke has just shown us by the angel’s leading of the Apostles back to the temple), Gamaliel is a political VIP. Look at his resume (below).

His Name:

Γαμαλιήλ, ὁ, (גַּמְלִיאֵל recompense of God [God, the Avenger, Fürst]; Numbers 1:10; Numbers 2:20), indeclinable (source: Thayer’s Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1059: Γαμαλιήλ)

Gamaliel (distinguished by the Jews from his grandson of the same name by the title הַזָּקֵן, the elder),

• a Pharisee and doctor of the law,
• son of R. Simeon, grandson of Hillel, and
• teacher of the apostle Paul.
• He is said to have had very great influence in the Sanhedrin, and to have died [~A.D. 52} eighteen years before the destruction of Jerusalem.
• A man of permanent renown among the Jews: Acts 5:34; Acts 22:3.

Recall now in hearing this caution of Gamaliel to Jerusalem's leaders in about A.D. 33 that Luke records these ACTS for readers some thirty years later after A.D. 61.

‘Take heed to yourselves’

And he said to them, “Men of Israel, be careful as to what you are about to do with these men.

ACTS 5:35 NASB – Caution to the leaders of Jerusalem by Rabbi Gamaliel

The renowned rabbi Gamaliel gives them solid examples WHY the other leaders ought to be careful before they make a rash judgment against the Apostles.

• 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him.
  • [YET] He was killed,
  • all his followers were dispersed,
  • and it all came to nothing.
• 37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led [drew away] a band of people in revolt.
  • He too was killed,
  • and all his followers were scattered.

These revolts from various Jewish wars against their Roman masters likely remained familiar to the Jews at the time Luke wrote ACTS of the Apostles just a few years before the fall of Jerusalem.

Gamaliel advises them to cease and desist

38 And so in the present case, I say to you, stay away [ἀφίστημι] from these men and leave them alone..

[As the rabbi likely paused here.. and as Gamaliel would have done frequently with his disciples to let his teaching sink in.. those hearing this respected Pharisee awaited his reason for such advice..]

..for if the source of this plan or movement is men, it will be overthrown..

[Of course, every man must have thought..]

but if the source is God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.”

Acts of the Apostles 5:39 – the caution of Gamaliel to religious rulers of Jerusalem

[Oh.. (and perhaps some would have thought of the Psalm of David)]

Tehillim (Psalms) 37 :

כִּי יְהוָה אֹהֵב מִשְׁפָּט וְלֹא־יַעֲזֹב אֶת־חֲסִידָיו לְעוֹלָם נִשְׁמָרוּ וְזֶרַע רְשָׁעִים נִכְרָֽת׃

Psalm 37:28 WLC

A Psalm of David.
Do not get upset because of evildoers,
Do not be envious of wrongdoers.
For they will wither quickly like the grass,
And decay like the green plants.

For the LORD loves justice
And does not abandon His godly ones;
They are protected forever,
But the descendants of the wicked will be eliminated.

Psalm 37:28 NASB20

θεομάχος – Fighting against God

Therefore Gamaliel concludes:

But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!”

Acts of the Apostles 5:39 NLT

40 His speech persuaded them.

They called the apostles in and had them flogged.

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Encouraging the persecuted church three decades later

Luke tells us in these early stories of the ACTS of the CHURCH and of the APOSTLES in JERUSALEM why the Gospel JESUS CHRIST will cause believers much suffering.

Gamaliel, now known as the Apostle Paul’s mentor, has also died by now. History will continue to prove him right as the Church grows in Jerusalem, BUT NOT without much suffering.

Therefore, the early readers of ACTS will be personally encouraged by the example of the Apostles Luke records at the end of this section about the Church in Jerusalem.

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The Jewish War and the Destruction of Jerusalem

There is scarcely another period in history so full of vice, corruption, and disaster as the six years between the Neronian persecution and the destruction of Jerusalem. The prophetic description of the last days by our Lord began to be fulfilled before the generation to which he spoke had passed away, and the day of judgment seemed to be close at hand. So the Christians believed and had good reason to believe.

Under the last governors, Felix, Festus, Albinus, and Florus, moral corruption and the dissolution of all social ties, but at the same time the oppressiveness of the Roman yoke, increased every year.

At last, in the month of May, A.D. 66, under the last procurator, Gessius Florus (from 65 onward), a wicked and cruel tyrant who, as Josephus says, was placed as a hangman over evil-doers, an organized rebellion broke out against the Romans, but at the same time a terrible civil war also between different parties of the revolters themselves, especially between the Zealots, and the Moderates, or the Radicals and Conservatives.

Source: BibleHub.org – History of the Christian Church, Volume I — Philip Schaff

ACTS of the Apostles continued..

5:41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.

And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and preaching the good news of Jesus as the Christ.

Acts of the Apostles 5:42 NASB20

And .. To Be Continued...