4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem..
6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child.
7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. And so the angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:
to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah [CHRIST], the Lord.
This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.”
Jesus
After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
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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.
But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. – Acts 5:29 NKJV
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.
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, [becareful] take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men [referring to the outspoken Apostles Peter and John].
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.
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)]
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!”
Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
Encouraging the persecuted church three decades later
PUBLISHED ~A.D. 61 + Acts of the Apostles + a History of Christ’s Church
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.
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.
So they arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.
But an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail during the night, brought them out..
Acts of the Apostles 5:18-19a – CSB
ACTS of Arrests witnessed by the Apostles
Politically motivated religious leaders of Jerusalem now begin to develop a dossier of accusations against Peter, John and the Apostles, because as disciples of the Messiah Jesus they boldly proclaim the Lord’s resurrection from His horrific death on a cross.
As they once again imprison the Apostles, let’s look back briefly at what Annas, Caiaphas and the ruling council of Jerusalem have on them. Herod’s palace records also add evidence.
Simon, a Galilean fisherman, aka Peter, had been a disciple of John the Baptist.
John baptized disciples, even JEWS, to REPENT about three years ago.
Herod had John the Baptizer beheaded.
Pharisees report that Simon and John were part of Jesus’ inner circle of Apostles.
The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling to His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?”
Gospel of Luke 5:30 NASB20
Simon Peter identified near Jesus’ trial
Witnessed just three months ago just prior to the Passover feast by a servant of the High Priest:
Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, “This man was also with Him.”
Gospel of Luke 22:55-56 NKJV
A Noteworthy Sermon from Solomon’s Portico
Just days ago the Sanhedrin, Jerusalem’s High Court, orders Peter NOT to say anything about Christ Jesus. Although Peter and John were arrested for preaching repentance, Jerusalem’s leaders released them from prison as a politically palatable concession to the crowds who had witnessed Peter healing a man lame from birth.
12 At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all together in Solomon’s portico…
And increasingly believers in the Lord, large numbers of men and women, were being added to their number, to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any of them. The people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together as well, bringing people who were sick or tormented with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed. But the high priest stood up, along with all his associates.. laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public prison.
Previously, the authorities brought Peter and John before the council, however on this occasion the Lord sends an angel to open their prison door!
and leading them out, he said,
“Go, stand and continue to speak to the people in the temple area all the words of the whole message of this Life.”
At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.
ACTS of the Apostles 5:21 NIV
(Of course, these same officials of Jerusalem’s political elite who had seized them believed that the Apostles were still imprisoned as before.)
Not just another day at the office
BIG political victory last evening. Those Apostles opposed to OUR LEADERSHIP of JEWISH JERUSALEM await OUR VERDICT of what to do with them.
(Or so they thought, as these religious officials arrived at work in a Jerusalem guarded by Roman centurions.)
ACTS 5:21b
Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.
But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported,
“We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.”
(REMEMBER their dilemma of JESUS’ EMPTY TOMB just a couple of months ago?)NOW what?
Who does this Galilean we arrested think he is?
Narrative of this private conversation is a speculative fiction behind the scenes in ACTS 5.
On that day when we arrested this Simon of Capernaum the first time what was it I said?
When we released him after he drew crowds to himself in the Portico of Solomon proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead, he challenged our very authority to hold or releasehim.
So when the others asked, “What are we to do with these men?”
I insisted, DO NOT release them to cause more trouble.
But when they couldn’t find cause to keep these men in prison I said, “You had better start a dossier on them, because we will just have to arrest them again.”
For this Simon Peter had confirmed my distrust when he answered:
“Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, make your own judgment; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
So I was all prepared to tell you, “I WARNED YOU about these men.”
But what’s this we hear now after having arrested these crowd-stirring Galileans again so soon? Listen to this new report as we assembled this morning:
The Captain of the Temple Guard’s Report
But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported,
“We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”
ACTS of the Captain of the Temple Guard 5:22-23 NIV
Even though it seems impossible, these rabble-rousers must have escaped and run home to Galilee.
(Maybe not such a bad thing for us.)
NOW what do we do?
Now when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them as to what would come of this.
25 But someone came and reported to them, “The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple area and teaching the people!”
The Apostles Now have Thousands of Disciples
And Peter, John and the others are preaching boldly as the Angel has commanded them to continue with the words of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as they return to preach in the Temple.
IT IS YET ANOTHER SIGN, not to be taken lightly by those who had seized them the previous day, throwing the Apostles into Prison.
26 Then the captain went along with the officers and proceeded to bring them back without violence (for they were afraid of the people, that they might be stoned).
(A riot against the capitol police? Roman soldiers in Jerusalem would certainly never condone such RAGE by any Jewish crowd throwing stones at Jerusalem’s politicized religious police.)
Would you, the arrested, convict US?
27 After they brought them in, they had them stand before the Sanhedrin, and [Caiaphas, or possibly Annas] the high priest asked,
“Didn’t we strictly order you not to teach in this name?
Look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
[Peter had convicted them of their complicity in Jesus’ Sacrifice on the Cross; however the Apostle had also stated that God the Father had allowed it AND that JESUS had been raised from the grave!]
But Peter and the apostles answered,
“We must obey God rather than men.
30 The God [theos] of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you put to death by hanging Him on a cross. He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince [archēgos] and a Savior [sōtēr], to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
32 And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
GUILTY!
When they heard this, they were furious [diapriō – cut to the quick] and wanted to put them to death.
It is what we should have done the first time we jailed them.
WE know that these men have escaped, but HOW? Never-the-less, WE cannot allow them to continue to sway all of Jerusalem to become disciples of this JESUS we hung on a Roman cross just two months ago.
But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time.
ACTS of Gamaliel 5:34 NASB
To be continued...
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