“The Wisdom of Gamaliel”


BIBLE READING: Acts 4-6
DISCUSSION                                                           
                Even though Jesus had been resurrected and the church had been established, that did not stop the Jews from seeking to put a stop to this new movement of disciples.  In fact, after Peter and John heal the man at the gate, called Beautiful in Acts 3, Peter and John are arrested.  After being scolded rather harshly they commanded the men to not teach anymore in the name of Jesus Christ.  After their release, the disciples continue following the Great Commission and are arrested again for teaching in the name of Jesus.  This time they are placed in prison to ensure they would not continue their teaching.  However, during the night, an Angel of the Lord opens the prison doors and Peter and John continue doing what Jesus had commanded them to do.  When word had reached the Council as to what they could do to stop them, Gamaliel offered up some sound advice.  Gamaliel was a highly respected doctor of Jewish Law and was esteemed very highly by the members of the Sanhedrin.  He encouraged the Council to think back about the men who had started some sort of Messianic movement in the past, like Judas from Galilee and Theudas.  Both men began some sort of movement, but it was short lived and failed on its own merits.  He advises that they leave Peter and John alone; if their movement is of human origin it will fail on its own.  However, if the movement is from God, they would not be able to stop it even if they tried.  Gamaliel was right! The Council would have no control over the growth of the church.  In fact, as Jesus told Peter in Matthew 16, not even the gates of Hell would be able to prevail against it.  Gamaliel’s advice got me to thinking, if he was such a smart man, is it possible that Gamaliel might have seen the success of the Apostles and even obeyed the Gospel?  In fact, we know that Paul was a student of his and it would have been possible for Paul to go back and educate his teacher concerning the Way.  Scholars are undecided concerning the issue and I guess we will never know, but what we do learn for this man is lessons concerning the providence of God.   If God wills something to happen, it can’t be stopped.  We might as well get on board and adjust our life to fit His plan. I just hope Gamaliel got on board as well.
Prayer Requests:___________________________________________________________________________________

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday - October 4, 2016

Woodlawn Family Bible Study TUESDAY BIBLE READING:    Genesis 32:22-32 Do you want to be blessed? That sounds like a rhetorical question, doesn’t it? Who doesn’t want to be blessed? I guess it really depends on your definition of “blessed.” Many people desire blessings that will make them wealthy or, perhaps, material goods. However, being blessed is not limited to those physical things. In fact, sometimes we can be blessed in the most unusual ways. For instance, in Genesis 32:26, we find Jacob wrestling with what we often call an angel. Within the story, Jacob is overtaking the angel and holding him down; refusing to let go until the angel gives him a blessing. The angel obliges Jacob, but not in the way he might have imagined. The angel changed his name from “Jacob” to “Israel,” but he also did something else. He put Jacob’s hip joint out of socket, causing him much pain and difficulty walking. In part, his blessing had to do with him walking with a limp. How is tha...
Read more

“Examples”

BIBLE READING: Mark 13- Luke 1 DISCUSSION                                                                                   This past week we have read of some great examples in the bible.   We read in Mark 13 about us being ready and being prepared for when Jesus returns.   We need to all stay awake!   In Mark 14 we read of one action having such an impact.   How this woman gave her very best to Jesus because of her love for Him.   In Mark 15 we read of Pontius Pilate and his desire to keep his power.   He loved his power and did not want to give it up even if that meant sending an inno...
Read more

Monday

BIBLE READING : Job 3. 1-26 “I wish I had never been born,” Job said to his friends. “I wish that my birthday was just wiped off of the calendar as though it never happened.” Who could blame him? The loss that he had endured in mere moments had been catastrophic. Job had experienced a wonderful life until that day, when all he had known changed. I know that many people have endured tragic losses, but Job’s defeat seems unfathomable. Isn’t it ironic that, although Job’s comments brought him so much pain, they can bring us so much joy? My mother always taught me that, no matter how bad I may think things are, someone else always is suffering more than I am. Not only does that help us to feel that we are not alone in our depression, but it gives us that hope for what is to come. Job’s story helps us to learn to appreciate the blessings that we have today! Job was not in control of his circumstances, but he was in control of his reaction to those circumstances. When Job was hurtin...
Read more