GAMALIEL
What if one of the brightest people in the world was told about God and Christianity?
If a super smart person were told about Jesus and the New Testament , how would he respond?
An example of these very two things is found in Acts 5.
BEGINNING IN VERSE 34 WE READ ABOUT A PHARISEE NAMED GAMALIEL. THE TEXT DESCRIBES HIM AS A DOCTOR OF THE LAW WHO WAS HELD IN HONOR BY ALL THE PEOPLE.
A. Luke did not overstate this man’s position and
importance.
B. There are sources which say the Jews had a special
title for 7 Hebrew teachers.
C. This title was Rabban.
D. Gamaliel was one of the 7 men who was
honored with this title.
E. This teacher was so well respected he was called
“the beauty of the law.”
F. When he died fellows Jews said, “the
glory of the law died.”
G. Of all the Jewish rabbis that lived, this man was
among the most famous.
2. It is said Gamaliel was so bright 1,000 scholars—the
brightest students—studied underneath him.
3. 500 of these scholars studied the law; the other 500
studied Greek wisdom.
A. Since Paul studied under this man we can probably
draw a conclusion about Paul.
B. Paul must have been extremely bright because
Gamaliel didn’t take average students.
4. Gamaliel must have had mental abilities which went
far beyond brilliant.
5. I would not be uncomfortable classifying him as a
genius.
6. As time passed this highly respected man who was a
great intellectual was confronted w/ the gospel.
7. The information presented to him was not limited to
what the apostles said.
8. Several miracles had been performed in the city of
9. The Jewish religious officials had on more than
occasion tried to stop the preaching.
10. These same authorities are now so angry they want to
kill the apostles (verse 33).
11. All this information would have been familiar to
Gamaliel.
12. In fact, Gamaliel was well informed he stepped
forward too control of the situation (verse 34 – READ).
13. Gamaliel made an argument based upon history.
14. He affirmed that certain
movements had come from men instead of God and they had failed.
15. This point is expressly
stated in verse 38.
16. The flip side of his
argument is in verse 39 – READ.
PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWS OF GAMALIEL’S SPEECH. ON THE ONE HAND IT CAN BE ARGUED THAT THE EVIDENCE GIVEN BY THE APOSTLES SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMPELLING ENOUGH TO CONVINCE EVERYONE THEY WERE TELLING THE TRUTH—ESPECIALLY A PERSON AS SMART AS GAMALIEL. SINCE GAMALIEL DID NOT SUPPORT THE APSTLES, OTHERS HAVE SAID HE WAS LIKE A POLITICIAN TRYING TO MAKE A PROBLEM DISAPPEAR. STILL OTHERS PROPOSE HE WAS IN A DIFFICULT SITUATION AND DID AS MUCH AS HE COULD DO TO PREVENT THE APOSTLES FROM BEING KILLED.
A. However we wish to view this man, one point is too
plain to miss:
B. Gamaliel suggested that the success of a movement
was a test of truth.
C. If a group was not started by God he argued it would
fail; it would not succeed.
D. He then said any group begun by God could not be
defeated.
2. This argument may have sounded good and may have
been presented in a convincing way.
3. Today when we think about his points we find that he
was wrong.
A. Is success always an indicator of truth?
B. Teresa and I know a member of the church who sells
vacuum cleaners.
C. One day I visited with this brother at his store and
asked him a question.
D. Most of us have seen the Oreck
commercials; David Oreck can be seen on t.v.
E. He looks into the camera and says, “try my vacuum
for 30 days.
F. “If you don’t like it, send it back.”
G. This is the sweeper that is supposedly used in
hotels throughout the United States.
4. The salesman we know said he keeps one in the store
because so many people ask about these sweepers.
5. He doesn’t like them or recommend them. If you have one and like it, I am glad you’re
satisfied.
6. I am just telling you what a sweeper salesman told
me.
7. The man we know says these cleaners “only sell
because the guy is a super salesman.”
A. There are products and movements which succeed
because people are good at marketing.
B. Bad products can be popular because those doing the
selling have a good sales pitch.
C. The liquor industry produces a product that results
in death, addiction, and destruction.
D. This industry puts out beverages that help put
people into jail and prisons.
E. God is certainly not behind this movement but it
continues to succeed.
F. Gamaliel argued that if God were not behind a
movement it would fail.
G. A similar thing can be said concerning pornography.
H. With the Internet, pornography interest and
availability have skyrocketed.
I. In fact, I read that some operators are making it
available free to soldiers in the area of Iraq.
J. This industry is also successful but it is hardly
“of God.”
K. Someone may say that Gamaliel only had in mind false
religions.
L. If we limit what he said to religious faiths we must
say he still got it wrong.
M. There are faiths which deny the true God or say
Jesus is a created being.
N. These groups continue to succeed but they are not
from God.
8. Gamaliel was wrong.
9. If he had viewed things from the standpoint of
eternity we could agree with him.
10. It can be said that in eternity all groups but the
ones organized by God will die.
11. Jesus promised this in Mt. 15:13 – quote.
12. Tonight we want to consider some briefs points of application from the speech by Gamaliel.
13. The first point is found in verses 38-39.
A. There is a leading denomination that uses this verse
to say they are of God.
B. Their reasoning goes something like this:
C. “If a group continues to exist it is of God” (verse
39).
D. We have been around for a long time and even
persecuted but we continue to exist.
E. Since our existence has not come to an end, we are
“of God.”
14. We have already shown that Gamaliel’s
conclusion is not always right.
15. It should also be pointed out that this esteemed
teacher was uninspired.
A. Gamaliel was not an apostle.
B. He was a well respected man whose words are simply
recorded in the text.
C. That is, the Bible does not claim that what he said
is right.
D. There were people who said Jesus was demon
possessed.
E. These words are found in the Bible but the charge of
Jesus being possessed is untrue.
F. A similar thing is true of Gamaliel.
G. The text records what he said but it does not affirm
his remarks are right.
H. In spite of this people take what he said and apply
it say modern religions are right.
I. When Acts 5 is misused—and this often occurs—we need
to show people the facts.
16. Paul had been taught by Gamaliel but he certainly
did not take the advice in verses 38-39.
17. If Paul had operated by this principle he would have
left Christians alone.
18. Truth cannot be tested by the formula given in
verses 38-39.
19. Gamaliel did, however, get one of the points right.
20. He said the apostles could not be stopped if their
mission was from God.
AS WE LOOK AT THIS ACCOUNT THERE IS ANOTHER MATTER THAT DESERVES ATTENTION.
A. Gamaliel persuaded those who heard him (40a).
B. The ASV and KJV use the word “agreed.”
C. This term has the sense of being convinced.
D. Notice who did the convincing and how it was done.
1) The convincer (Gamaliel) was a religious man.
2) He was extremely bright and had an excellent
reputation.
3) He was someone who was so influential an angry crowd
listened to him.
4) His influence was great enough that other religious
leaders followed his lead.
E. Gamaliel was good at convincing a crowd but he was
in error.
F. Today there are a lot of people who are just like
Gamaliel.
G. These persons are religious, bright, may have
excellent reputations, and are convincing.
H. Others—even religious leaders—listen to these
teachers and follow them.
I. Being smart, influential, and convincing can make
someone look right.
J. After all, if a person is smart and others are
listening, what is the chance of him being wrong?
K. Acts 5 says to each person in the world, “be careful
when you listen to religious teachers.”
2. Have we stopped to consider what is NOT in this
account?
3. If Gamaliel was as familiar with the Old Testament
law as history says, what Bible passages did he cite?
4. Where is his appeal to the scriptures as he offered
advice?
5. Where are we told about his inquiring after the
Lord’s will concerning the apostles and the gospel?
6. This man, even if his intentions were somewhat noble
(calm the crowd), didn’t evaluate the matter.
7. A decision had already been reached.
8. The people of God were beaten and ordered to stop
preaching (verse 40).
9. There was no search for truth or right.
10. It was Gamaliel who spoke and his word was enough
for the crowd.
11. Today there are scores of people who listen to
someone like Gamaliel.
12. A religious person speaks and they believe and
follow what is said.
A. The crowd may have felt satisfied but the words of
Jesus come to my mind.
B. He said if the blind lead the blind both will fall
into a pit (Mt. 15:14).
13. Gamaliel was like a blind man leading others who
also couldn’t see.
14. He was a religious man who offered advice that was
convincing but bad.
15. This same situation continues to occur throughout
the world.
16. The Bible tries to deal with this type of problem by
a simple command.
A. 1 Jn. 4:1 instructs Christians to “test the
spirits.”
B. In 1 Thess. 5:21 Paul said, “prove all things.”
C. This is necessary because there are people like
Gamaliel.
17. Acts 5 contains some important lessons for us.
18. We never want to test matters in the spiritual realm
with the formula given by Gamaliel.
19. We can never say, “It works” so let’s use it. Our test must be God’s word.
20. Just because a person is a respected teacher or very
bright doesn’t mean he is right.
21. Teaching must always be tested by the scriptures.
22. Brilliance and intellectualism are not necessary to
being an effective Christian.
23. A Christian learns God’s word, obeys it, and lives
by the instructions in it.
24. Is this how we are trying to live?