Be Careful Not to Condemn What You Don’t Understand
Have you ever watched other Christians’ actions and thought, “God can’t be in what they’re doing”? This is the feeling many religious leaders were having in Acts 5.
Acts 5-6
Today's Scripture Passage
A Few Thoughts to Consider
Have you ever watched other Christians’ actions and thought, “God can’t be in what they’re doing”?
This is the feeling many religious leaders were having in Acts 5. Remember that we’re in the early stages of the Christian church, and Acts 5:12 says, “Many signs and wonders were being done among the people through the hands of the apostles.” Filled with jealousy, the Sadducees arrested and imprisoned these apostles, hoping to intimidate them into silence.
Miraculously, an angel of the Lord comes and frees these apostles and commands them in verse 20 to “Go and stand in the temple, and tell the people all about this life.” We can’t help but notice how this stands in contrast to Matthew 9:30, where Jesus said, “Be sure that no one finds out” to the blind man he’d just healed. Now is the time for everyone to know the good news.
Likely embarrassed by this great escape, this doesn’t sit well with the religious leaders. In verse 28, they say, “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.” To this, Peter and the apostles reply, 29 “We must obey God rather than people. 30 The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had murdered by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted this man to his right hand as ruler and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”
The weight of this claim, combined with the accusation attached, incenses the religious leaders even more, and they want to kill them. But that’s when a Pharisee named Gamaliel steps forward and tells them to be careful. “Gamaliel was a student of one of the greatest rabbis of all times, Hillel, and he was Paul’s tutor (22:3).”[1] Thus, his words carry weight. Ajith Fernando writes, “The apostles’ miracles and escape from prison presumably made him suspect that God might indeed be blessing this new movement.”[2]
