Acts 5:17-42
17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”
21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.
When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were at a loss, wondering what this might lead to.
25 Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” 26 At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them.
27 The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33 When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35 Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. 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 a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
40 His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
Standing Up
I’ve always liked Gamaliel. Maybe it’s because he reminds me of the bully in junior high who suddenly decides to be my protector instead. Or the guy on the Skytrain who deflects a drunk person from harassing a young woman. Or the elderly woman who seconds a motion at the annual meeting, not because she agrees, but because she thinks the rest of us should hear the poor person out. Or the friends on the rooftop who tear up tiles to get to Jesus.
Gamaliel might have done more, but what he did is not nothing. Standing up to your own team can be the hardest thing to do.
Acts chapter five is as intense as it gets. Pressures are high, fears are raised, and violence is at the door. We don’t often think of the New Testament as a place where God smites people, but Ananias and Saphira have just fallen dead at Peter’s feet for hiding their wealth to avoid giving their share. Peter might be a threat, except that he pivots immediately to healing and deliverance. Now the followers of the Disappeared Messiah are gathering a crowd.
The priests and Sadducees are jealous, but not for some small, petty thing. Even the best of us might feel the same in their shoes. They have been entrusted to protect the people from false messiahs and revolutionaries who not only lead people astray but are liable to bring the sword down on necks already held down by Roman boots.
These aren’t close-minded legalists; they’ve seen the people fall for this one before. Theudas famously promised to part the Jordan river, but his movement died as quickly as he did (5:36). Judas the Galilean rallied against oppressive taxation, but his revolt died with him (5:37). Watching Rome snuff out these upstart messiahs before the soldiers came knocking at doors must have become something of a relief.
The Jewish leaders are not motivated by petty jealousy; they are afraid this stubborn Jesus movement might turn the crowds against them (5:26). And who will be left to keep the faith and fend off Rome? Pharisees and Sadducees disagree about a final resurrection, but they agree that crazy talk about resurrection only gets people killed. But Peter’s men will not shut up! And putting them in jail only ends up giving them a bigger platform. Now they are doubling down and making this an either/or between God and the Jewish leadership (as if God is suddenly in the habit of making house calls rather than speaking through people). These fishermen must have a death wish.
Come to think of it, killing these apostles could even be considered punishment for what happened to Ananias and Saphira, who had been big donors to the Jewish establishment before their deaths. Peter must know he’s in danger, but he continues calling out the leadership in public. Read the room, Peter! Learn a thing or two about real-world politics. Teeth are gnashing and hands are looking for stones.
Until Gamaliel decides to spend all his social capital on a cause he doesn’t even believe in.
Why would a person do that?
We don’t know much else about Gamaliel, except that the murderous Saul was his protégé. Some imagine that Gamaliel was secretly sympathetic to Jesus’ followers, shrewdly protecting their movement without attracting the whistleblowers. Others take his words at face value and hear him saying not to stoke the Jesus freaks’ fires. Whatever the reason for it, we now have what’s known as Gamaliel’s Rule:
If it’s only human, it will flame out or fade. But if it’s of God, we’ll find ourselves fighting against God.
At best, Gamaliel’s Rule says to hear people out, to seek truth patiently, and watch for the fruit of the Spirit to show itself even in unexpected ways. At worst, Gamaliel’s Rule is the privileged powerplay of those who can afford to not give the question oxygen. Ignore it and it goes away.
At a pragmatic level, Gamaliel makes a decent case. Crucifixion and jail have only backfired so far. Eventually the movement will peter out on its own—especially since Rome is often willing to do the dirty work. The argument is persuasive enough to postpone the killing. Poor Stephen is next, but Peter lives to see another day. And the gospel continues to take off.
Does Gamaliel’s Rule work? Sometimes it does. This year the church lost Gustavo Gutierrez, founder of Liberation Theology, at the age of 96. For most of his life he was enemy #1 in the upper echelons of Roman Catholicism, until he was partially and joyfully vindicated late in life. Somehow Gutierrez hung in there, losing neither his conviction nor his smile. Sadly, there were others, like Oscar Romero, who did not live long enough to see such a thing. Gamaliel’s Rule is not a guarantee. Often, it’s the wicked who prosper and the faithful who suffer. We can’t just sit on the fence and wait for the passage of time to sort us into sheep and goats. Past or future success is not the barometer of faithfulness.
As the apostles will demonstrate in Acts 15, there is no shortcut around sharp dispute (15:2). Snap judgments may prove to be unnecessary stumbling blocks (15:19). Questions require careful consideration in community (15:23). And it takes time to discern the Spirit together (15:28).
Who are the Gamaliels in our churches today? Is there a good-faith trust in God to guide the community? Are we making room to seek truth in love?
Who are the Peters in our churches today? Is it dead-certain whether they are for or against God? Have we made room to hear them out, or are we rushing to push them out?
If bystanders on the roof are trying to stop the guys from tearing up the tiles, will any Gamaliels step in and say, “We’ll help put the tiles back, but for now let’s not keep this from Jesus?”
Author Bio
Rev Dr. Jon Coutts is an Alliance worker stationed at Ambrose University and Seminary, where he teaches systematic and pastoral theology. Jon is the author of several books, including an edited volume of reflections on Alliance history and theology entitled Looking Back, Leaning Forward: Wrestling with a Church’s Story. Jon’s website is thissideofsunday.blogspot.com.
Luke and Acts taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
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