2024 ~ "The Whole Book"

Saturday, December 21, 2024

#1560 Acts 7 Part 1 The Trial of Stephen

And the high priest said, “Are these things so?”

2 And he said, “Hear me, brothers and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘Leave your country and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.’ 4 Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now living. 5 But He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and He promised that He would give it to him as a possession, and to his seed after him, even when he had no child. 6 But God spoke in this way, that his seed would be sojourners in a foreign land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years. 7 ‘And I Myself will judge the nation to which they will be enslaved,’ said God, ‘and after that they will come out and serve Me in this place.’ 8 And He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham was the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac was the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

9 “And the patriarchs, becoming jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him, 10 and rescued him from all his afflictions, and granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he appointed him governor over Egypt and all his household.

11 “Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction with it, and our fathers could find no food. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time. 13 And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family was disclosed to Pharaoh. 14 Then Joseph sent word and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five persons in all. 15 And Jacob went down to Egypt and there he and our fathers died. 16 And from there they were removed to Shechem and placed in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

17 “But as the time of the promise was drawing near which God had assured to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, 18 until another king arose over Egypt who did not know about Joseph. 19 It was he who deceitfully took advantage of our family and mistreated our fathers to set their infants outside so that they would not survive. 20 It was at this time that Moses was born, and he was lovely in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months in his father’s home. 21 And after he had been set outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and nurtured him as her own son. 22 And Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in words and deeds. 23 But when he was approaching the age of forty, it entered his heart to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel. 24 And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and took justice for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian. 25 And he supposed that his brothers understood that God was granting them salvation through him, but they did not understand. 26 On the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting together, and he tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers, why are you treating one another unjustly?’ 27 But the one who was treating his neighbor unjustly pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us? 28 Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 At this remark, Moses fled and became a sojourner in the land of Midian, where he was the father of two sons.

30 “And after forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. 31 When Moses saw it, he was marveling at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, there came the voice of the Lord: 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and would not dare to look. 33 But the Lord said to him, ‘Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have surely seen the oppression of My people in Egypt and have heard their groans, and I have come down to deliver them; come now, and I will send you to Egypt.’

35 “This Moses whom they disowned, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 This man led them out, doing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. 37 This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’ 38 This is the one who, in the congregation in the wilderness, was with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai and with our fathers; the one who received living oracles to pass on to you. 39 Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt, 40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us; for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt—we do not know what has become of him.’ 41 At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. 42 But God turned away and delivered them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘Did you present Me with slain beasts and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? 43 You also took along the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of the god Rompha, the images which you made to worship. I also will remove you beyond Babylon.’

44 “Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He, who spoke to Moses, directed him to make it according to the pattern which he had seen. 45 And having received it in their turn, our fathers brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations whom God drove out before our fathers, until the time of David. 46 David found favor in the sight of God, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 47 But Solomon built a house for Him. 48 However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands, as the prophet says:

49 ‘Heaven is My throne,

And earth is the footstool of My feet.

What kind of house will you build for Me?’ says the Lord,

‘Or what place is there for My rest?

50 Was it not My hand which made all these things?’

51 “You men—stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears—are always resisting the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 And which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; 53 you who received the Law as ordained by angels, and yet did not observe it.” Acts 7: 1-53 LSB

Acts 7 Stephen's powerful sermon and verbal apologia

This is such a beautiful sermon so I don't want to break it up, because it flows through their shared Jewish history, starting with God calling Abraham out from among all the peoples that were on the earth at that time.

Vs. 1-8 Go through the history of their father Abraham, that he was not born a Jew, there was no such thing at the time. He was called out from the Mesopotamian people, from Ur of the Chaldea, a Chaldean. This is the land that will later house Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar.

#1559 Acts 6 Part 2 Angel Face

8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and were arguing with Stephen. 10 But they were unable to oppose the wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking. 11 Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, and they came up to him, dragged him away, and brought him to the Sanhedrin. 13 And they put forward false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases speaking words against this holy place and the Law; 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus the Nazarene will destroy this place and alter the customs which Moses handed down to us.” 15 And fixing their gaze on him, all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin saw his face like the face of an angel. Acts 6: 8-15 LSB

Acts 6: 8-15

…12A deacon must be the husband of but one wife, a good manager of his children and of his own household. 13For those who have served well as deacons acquire for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 3: 12-13

V. 8 And Stephen - We just discussed the prior selection of Stephen and others to minister to the widows. They were the first deacons of the church, and the deciding factor was their godliness, that they were men of spiritual integrity, humble, not greedy for gain, role models for the church. They, in their sanctification, are the type of Christians we should all be aiming to be, more and more conformed to the image of Christ. This was such a man.

More on Elders and Deacons

If any man aspires

V. 8b Full of grace and power - This is being filled with the Spirit of God, and very distinguishing. We can do many things in our own power, have a system of works, go to church, tell people about a Jesus we don't really know, quote the Bible even, but our efforts are in vain if we are not empowered by the Spirit. It is even more gross to attribute works, error, euphoria etc. to the Holy Spirit, when He is the Spirit of truth and grace. Stephen is an excellent communicator of the grace of God, God's unmerited favor towards those who are being saved, and hell's minions hate him.

Horton on full of grace - The phrase "full of grace" is found in only one other passage in the New Testament (John 1:14 +), and there it describes Jesus. The Holy Spirit could use Stephen because he reflected the character of Jesus. (Acts: A Logion Press Commentary)

Grace (favor) (5485)(charis from from chairo = to rejoice) is a word which defies a simple definition but at its core conveys the sense of favor while the specific nuances of charis depend on the context in which it is used. Someone has written that the word grace is probably the greatest word in the Scriptures, even greater even than “love,” because grace is love in action, and therefore includes it. Stephen was a man who manifested "love in action!" - PA

V. 8c Was doing great signs and wonders among the people - This is a sign that shows he is one of Jesus' disciples, that his message should be taken seriously, and it has to be more than a little uncomfortable for his listeners. Peter has already made it clear that both the Pharisees and the Sadducees have killed their long awaited Messiah, and this is part of the message, yet with a "but", but there is grace available to those who believe. The great stand off is that the Pharisees were satisfied with their own system of works, and the liberal Sadducees were satisfied with their own reasoning, materialism, and both parties were legalist. For the Sadducees there is a double blunder, an added insult, for they have taught men that there is no supernatural, no such thing as the miraculous, yet you believe there is a Creator, as if life, the universe, the whole of Creation is not in itself a miracle. You say that, you teach that, but then there was this Jesus who raised people from the dead while you were teaching them that there is no such thing as the resurrection. Now there is this Stephen, full of the same Spirit, and probably holding his own debating even the greater Pharisees, like Paul, who at this time is still Saul. It is not stated that Saul is here for this debate, but he will be placed right after this as the one consenting to his murder.

12 The signs of a true apostle were worked out among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles. 2 Corinthians 12: 12

…17And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be made well.” 19After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.…

20And they went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked through them, confirming His word by the signs that accompanied it. Mark 16: 17-20

V. 9 Synagogue of the Freedmen - These were Hellenistic Jews, and this should not be confused with them all being outright Hellenists, as in Greek in their philosophy or behavior, but practicing Jews who were born outside of Israel. They had Roman citizenship, but they followed Jewish law. Paul would be the greatest example of these, and he was a respected Jewish mind, taught by Gamaliel. There is a but which brings this in conjunction with verse 8, and also signifies a shift. Stephen is "full of grace and power" but these men, "rose up and were arguing with Stephen." This is the harder side of discipleship, one and the same call. We enjoy fellowship with other believers, being surrounded by those who love us, and we enjoy when everyone else agrees with us or likes what we are saying, but then there is this reality, that not everyone will like us or agree with us, and so how important is it to stand by the truth when it's not going over so well? Stephen's story will show us, and it's why we need to be filled with the Spirit. If you think you are a Christian, and I hope you are, then remember this, look at all these things against the backdrop of eternity, because we are told not to be anxious. Paul will later have to comfort Timothy about these very things, argumentative people, stress, anxiety. Imagine what its like to be a pastor sometimes. Everyone thinks you should have every answer, even your own congregants, many have their own pet peeves and want to hammer the pastor every Sunday. Sometimes its important, sometimes its just chest beating, but Stephen is facing people outside of the church who are not going to agree to disagree and leave it at that.

…19‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You. 20And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ 21Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”… Acts 22: 19-21

16Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17But beware of men; for they will hand you over to their councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18On My account, you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.… Matthew 10: 16-18

…4So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 6For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.… 2 Timothy 4: 4-6

V. 10 But they were unable to oppose the wisdom - Stephen won the debate, and we think, great, this is like a rap battle on the movie 8 Mile, and now he get's to drop his mic and walk off like a boss. That's not the scene, and Christianity is not a stage to promote us or our worldly wisdom. We are called to contend for the faith, but we are also called to be humble. Those inside our group, claiming to be Christians, who bring in heresy, those we must confront, try to reconcile back to sound doctrine, and if they won't then we must be prepared not to associate, otherwise we share in their sin. We should never call a wolf a sheep.

…7As God’s steward, an overseer must be above reproach—not self-absorbed, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not greedy for money. 8Instead, he must be hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9He must hold firmly to the faithful word as it was taught, so that he can encourage others by sound teaching and refute those who contradict it.… Titus 1: 7-9

17Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Turn away from them. 18For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil.… Romans 16: 17-19

3If anyone teaches another doctrine and disagrees with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with godly teaching, 4he is conceited and understands nothing. Instead, he has an unhealthy interest in controversies and semantics, out of which come envy, strife, abusive talk, evil suspicions, 5and constant friction between men of depraved mind who are devoid of the truth. These men regard godliness as a means of gain.… 1 Timothy 6: 3-5

2Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. 3Beloved, although I made every effort to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt it necessary to write and urge you to contend earnestly for the faith entrusted once for all to the saints. 4For certain men have crept in among you unnoticed—ungodly ones who were designated long ago for condemnation. They turn the grace of our God into a license for immorality, and they deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.… Jude 1: 2-4

V. 11 We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God - Reason, going through the Scriptures with Stephen, didn't pan out. He schooled them, but didn't change their minds, and now they're furious. Note though that they bring up Moses, it will be really important later.

…10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.… Matthew 5: 10-12

Vs. 12-14 This Jesus the Nazarene will destroy this place - Jesus got in trouble for saying that not one stone of the temple would be left upon another, and this was actually a prediction of what took place in 70 A.D. when Rome came and destroyed the place. He also spoke of His own body and said, "destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again." They accused Jesus of threatening the temple, Rome, and blasphemy, and now they are doing it to His Stephen. You will win in a fair fight, so just know right now that most of the time it won't be fair.

17This is My command to you: Love one another. 18If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first. 19If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.… John 15: 17-19

V. 15 And fixing their gaze on him, all who sitting in the Sanhedrin saw his face like the face of an angel - This is scary, beyond scary, and really hard to understand their mindset here, but it's in all of us until God changes us. Remember how they said he spoke against Moses, well that probably has some to do with the law, because Stephen is teaching about grace which is found outside the law, because God is perfect and eternally so, and no one perfectly keeps the law. The Jews felt like they kept it good enough, and if that didn't work then they felt like being related to Abraham was good enough. The Sadducees weren't afraid because they thought that once you die then that was it, no worries. But what is it like to look at the face of an angel, well, in Scripture men don't want to see it, they stumble over their words because angels reflect the holiness of the God they stand before, and we are unholy. John accidentally worshiped an angel, which we are told not to do, but every time that men have such an encounter it is madness, and for those that loved God, it was still too overwhelming. Isaiah immediately realized he was a man of unclean lips, a vision of heaven put Ezekiel prostrate, but there was one man in the Bible who was very difficult for the people to look at, and that was Moses after every time he came before the Lord. He shined with a radiance from the Shekinah, in a way that let everyone know Who he had been before. These men revered Moses, but here is someone that God is putting before them in the same way, and yet so much more, for Moses gave the law, but Stephen preaches Christ, the fulfillment of the law, our Grace.

…34But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would remove the veil until he came out. And when he came out, he would tell the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35and the Israelites would see that the face of Moses was radiant. So Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD. Exodus 34: 34-35

…7“Behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of prophecy in this book.” 8And I am John, who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had shown me these things. 9But he said to me, “Do not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!”… Revelation 22: 7-9

#1558 Acts 6 Part 1 The First Deacons

Now in those days, while the disciples were multiplying in number, there was grumbling from the Hellenists against the Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. 2 So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not pleasing to God for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this need. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the service of the word.” 5 And this word pleased the whole congregation, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. 6 And these they stood before the apostles, and after praying, they laid their hands on them.

7 And the word of God kept on spreading, and the number of the disciples continued to multiply greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith. Acts 6: 1-7 LSB

Acts 6: 1-7 Selecting Men of Integrity

13 Now it happened the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from the morning until the evening. 14 And Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, so he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge and all the people stand about you from morning until evening?” 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 When they have a matter, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws.” 17 And Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. 18 You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. 19 Now listen to my voice: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people’s representative before God, and you bring the matters to God; 20 then warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they shall go and the work they shall do. 21 But you shall select excellent men out of all the people, those who fear God, men of truth, those who hate greedy gain; and you shall place these men over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 And they will judge the people at all times. And it will be that every major matter they will bring to you, but every minor matter they themselves will judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace.”

24 So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 And Moses chose excellent men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 26 And they judged the people at all times; the difficult matter they would bring to Moses, but every minor matter they themselves would judge. 27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land. Exodus 18: 13-27 LSB

Now in those days, while the disciples were multiplying in number - The church was growing rapidly, and with it the responsibilities. Twelve was no longer a great number in comparison to the need. I grew up in big churches, even mega churches, and so my preference now is a smaller church, as far as the local congregation meeting place, but that is preference. The examples I saw were fraught with many problems, relying on persona, programs, prestige, but having all manner of bad doctrine including a watered down gospel. The Bible itself took a back seat to the temperament of the attendees and the culture. People came to have their ears tickled and the "preachers" accommodated. There are some big churches that break the mold though, like John Macarthur's Church, Grace, in California. It seems to grow despite not following any marketing strategy, instead just preaching, teaching the Word, and then following what it says, relying on the Holy Spirit to change hearts and bring people in.

…10For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, 11so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it. 12You will indeed go out with joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.… Isaiah 55: 10-12

…16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.… Matthew 16: 16-18

V. 1b There was grumbling from the Hellenists against the Hebrews - I think here the main difference is language and some cultural divisions. I included a link below that talks about the Hellenization that went on during the Intertestamental period by force from Antiochus Epiphanes and Jews and Samaritans who had shifted to Greek culture. That included very violent attacks against orthodox Judaism, including force feeding the priests pork in the temple, desecrating the temple, and holding a sort of naked Olympics outside the temple. There are obviously some differences and divisions here in Acts, but apparently not to that extent. Pride finds all sorts of dumb reasons to vaunt itself, and it could be as simple as, "I'm more Jew than you, you ain't black if you don't vote for Joe Biden, or I have lived in Jerusalem longer." Whatever the definable divisions were here, most likely Hebrew speaking vs. Greek, we are all one in Christ, so don't make much of what God isn't making much of. You can go to hell speaking any language, being born in any place, or raised up in any culture. Being found in Christ makes you a new creature, that's what makes you special.

Hellenistic Jews - You will encounter considerable variation in the commentaries on the identification of this group, but suffice it to say there is not much factual information available. Most commentaries differentiate between these two groups on linguistic and geographic grounds. These are Greek-speaking Jewish believers from Jewish settlements outside Israel (from the Dispersion, the Diaspora). Robertson suggests "These Hellenists had points of contact with the Gentile world without having gone over to the habits of the Gentiles."

Hellenistic (1675)(Hellenistes from hellenizo = to hellenize) refers to a Jew by birth or religion who can speak Greek only and not a Semitic language, either Hebrew or Aramaic. Hellenistes used chiefly of foreign Jews and proselytes whether converted to Christianity or not (2x - Acts 6:1; 9:29; one additional use in Textus Receptus - Acts 11:20; no uses in the Septuagint).

Gilbrant gives a lengthy discussion of Hellenistes -

With the conquests of Alexander the Great in the Fourth Century B.C. and the subsequent rise of the Roman Empire, the Mediterranean world had become relatively unified through easier travel, common language, and shared elements of culture. For purposes of commerce many Jews migrated to commercial centers all around the Mediterranean Sea. As a result differences developed between them and Palestinian Jews. Even though they generally held onto their religious heritage, Jews of the Dispersion adopted the language and— in varying degrees—the customs of Graeco-Roman culture; they became “Hellenized.” This background sets the context for the meaning of Hellēnistēs. The traditional view has been that Jew versus Greek, or Gentile, distinguished racial and religious matters; but Hebrew versus “Hellenist” distinguished languages and customs between Jews at home and abroad (cf. Lightfoot, Philippians, pp.146-148). Hebrews spoke Hebrew (Aramaic) as their mother tongue while “Hellenists” used Greek and/or some other language to which they “were born” (Acts 2:6,8,11).

The Hebrew-Hellenist distinction also tended to correlate with Palestinian Jew and Dispersion Jew. That correlation was not absolute, of course, since in Jerusalem itself there was one synagogue (some think five) apparently for Hellenists (Acts 6:8-15; cf. 6:1-5), the one from which Stephen—and perhaps Saul and Barnabas—originated (Acts 6:36,37; 7:58-81; 11:20,22; 15:36-41). Jews raised outside Palestine might return to their ancestral land, and Jews raised in Palestine might emigrate elsewhere but diligently observe the law of Moses, the traditions of the elders, and Jewish social customs. Paul’s family could be an example since he called himself a “Hebrew of Hebrews” (Philippians 3:5) despite being born in Tarsus of Cilicia. Hellēnistēs would typically refer to a Jew outside of Palestine, though the word itself stressed which language he spoke. - Precept Austin

#1557 Acts 5 Part 3 Gamaliel

33 But when they heard this, they became furious and intended to kill them. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time. 35 And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men joined up with him. But he was killed, and all who were following him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away people after him. He too perished, and all those who were following him were scattered. 38 So in the present case, I also say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or you may even be found fighting against God.”

40 So they followed his advice. And after calling the apostles in and beating them, they commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them. 41 So they went on their way from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for the Name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. Acts 5: 33-42 LSB

Acts 5: 33-42 Gamaliel

V. 33 But when they heard about this, they became furious and intended to kill them - Isn't this always the way, the same pattern from the OT as well. There is a standard here, and I have to laugh when I see men whose aim is comfort and luxury wanting to be known as prophets. They definitely want something else.

…11Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you. 13You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.… Matthew 5: 11-13

…51You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did. 52Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers— 53you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.”… Acts 7: 51-53

V. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel - This is who Paul studied under when he was known as Saul of Tarsus. People can be from a very orthodox sect of religion, but he is well respected, even here among those, the Sadducees, with whom he would disagree. For me it comes down to actions, and I have seen some men who hold doctrines that I disagree with, yet live lives in accordance to their words. They practice what they preach. I have known Muslims that have been kinder to me than people who called themselves Christians, but that is not righteousness that can stand the test of God. He provides one Way, One Whose righteousness is perfect and acceptable, and it is by faith in the righteousness of Christ that we are made right with God. You can like or even love someone for their work ethic, their brilliant mind, like when I read the trial of Socrates, but my heart strings and admiration are not the bar.

A Pharisee named Gamaliel - This is interesting because the high priests were Sadducees and many if not most of the members of the Sanhedrin were Sadducees. Pharisees and Sadducees did not usually get along, but here there clearly was an exception, presumably because Gamaliel was so highly respected. It is also fascinating that here God uses a Pharisee named Gamaliel to save His apostles, whereas in Acts 9:1 (Acts 22:4) He allowed a Pharisee named Saul to slaughter the saints! And the further irony is that this same Saul was educated under this same Gamaliel! (Acts 22:3) God's ways are higher than our ways! (Isa 55:9).

The Mishnah helps us understand why Gamaliel standing and speaking would exert such persuasive power on the hard hearts of the stiff-necked Sanhedrin...

“Since Rabban Gamaliel the elder died there has been no more reverence for the law; and purity and abstinence died out at the same time.” (Sotah 9:15) - Precept Austin

7But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ. 8More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.… Philippians 3: 7-9

Vs. 35-37 Theudas and Judas the Galilean - It says of Theudas that he rose up, claiming to be somebody. We are not told if this was a claim to being the Messiah, the Christ, as many have and will, but at any rate he boasted above what he was and gained a following. Thanks to the internet there are many more of these today, along the spectrum from influencer all the way up to very organized cults with both enigmatic and charismatic leaders. There is also the cult of personality, rock stars, country stars, political leaders and on and on. I think Gamaliel makes a good point because it is seriously difficult to find anything about these men, and so many who worry about their legacy end up lost in the halls of legend or forgotten all together. There is only One person to be known by, does Jesus know you? That is of eternal value.

But he was killed - This is Gamaliel's main point. The rebellion or "movement" died because the leader Theudas (was killed - anaireo used in Acts 5:33 +).

And all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing - The word followed is interesting as it is peitho which means to have confidence. The KJV renders it "as many as obeyed him." The idea of in this context is that Thuedas had caused these men to come to his point of view and course of action (imperfect tense - they kept on holding to his point of view). He must have been a very convincing leader, but regardless of his "charismatic" personality, his actions came to naught.

Vincent comments "Note the word for obeyed (ἐπείθοντο), implying the persuasive power of Theudas’ boasting."

Gamaliel's example reminds me a man named David Koresh leader of the Branch Davidians who was able to attract a number of followers many of whom were killed when he was killed in the horrible incident in Waco, Texas.

14But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it. 15Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?… Matthew 7: 14-16

4Jesus answered, “See to it that no one deceives you. 5For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.… Matthew 24: 4-6

V. 38 If this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown - Well, here we are 2,000 years later, or as Amillennials would call it, a millennia or very long time. Every major kingdom has dissipated, whether Egypt, Babylon with Nebuchadnezzar, Persia with Cyrus, or Greece with Alexander. The iron mixed with clay is where we are still at till this present day, and the final Antichrist will try to revive this, make it more unified once again, but he will be added to those that eternity will forget. There is only one Christ, that is Jesus, make sure come to terms with Him today.

…7to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon and those sitting in darkness out from the prison house. 8I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols. 9Behold, the former things have happened, and now I declare new things. Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”… Isaiah 42: 7-9

…23This is what he said: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on the earth, different from all the other kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth, trample it down, and crush it. 24And the ten horns are ten kings who will rise from this kingdom. After them another king, different from the earlier ones, will rise and subdue three kings. 25He will speak out against the Most High and oppress the saints of the Most High, intending to change the appointed times and laws; and the saints will be given into his hand for a time, and times, and half a time.…

…26But the court will convene, and his dominion will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. 27Then the sovereignty, dominion, and greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven will be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will serve and obey Him.’ 28Thus ends the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts troubled me greatly, and my face turned pale. But I kept the matter to myself.”… Daniel 7: 23-28

V. 39 Or you may even be found fighting against God - There is some wisdom here, but why would he say this about people who he disagreed with. He is an orthodox Jew, a Pharisee, someone trying to earn a right standing before God by way of the law, adherence, piety, yet these Apostles are saying, "no, you are well read, well respected, but in reading the OT you should have seen Christ there, and this Man, Jesus, He has fulfilled so many things written about the Messiah, including being crucified, look back at Isaiah 53." Honestly, both Gamaliel and Paul would have been familiar with Jesus because He did and spoke openly. The miracles are attested to by His enemies, and really, how many run of the mill false prophets and Messiahs do you see actually healing lame, blind, and even dead people. Yeah, there is something a little different about Him and His followers are doing and saying the same things, so since men can't just perform miracles because they want to, there's a chance that you may end up fighting God. I'm going to say God hits harder than anyone or anything you know, so maybe just think about it. How sure are you?

…27What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.… Matthew 10: 27-29

V. 40 After calling the Apostles in and beating them, they commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus - Well, that oughta be the last we will see of them, but no, they keep preaching and teaching in the name of Jesus, and keep making these guys angrier and angrier till they eventually start plotting a bit harder and then licensing some, the very zealous, to kill. Yet, through all this, the church keeps growing.

1“I have told you these things so that you will not fall away. 2They will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. 3They will do these things because they have not known the Father or Me.… John 16: 1-3

V. 41 Rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for the Name - There is no other name under heaven whereby men can be saved. They have put everything on that Name, they have bet the family farm, taken their wives, children, all their possessions, and said, "Let it ride". It's an honor to them to be mistreated for the sake of Christ, Who was mistreated for their sakes, for mine. For those of you who don't know what it like to be beaten, to be viewed as a criminal, their is a sense of shame, of seemingly letting down those close to you. These men are obeying God and this was their reward for that in this life.

…8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. 10That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.… 2 Corinthians 12: 8-10

…33Sometimes you were publicly exposed to ridicule and persecution; at other times you were partners with those who were so treated. 34 You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, knowing that you yourselves had a better and permanent possession. 35So do not throw away your confidence; it holds a great reward.… Hebrews 10: 33-35

V. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ - The persecution brought no change to the directive, the mission stood, and the disciples continued with the same gospel. I think we have a lot to learn today.

6I am amazed how quickly you are deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse!… Galatians 1: 6-8

…3I am afraid, however, that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may be led astray from your simple and pure devotion to Christ. 4For if someone comes and proclaims a Jesus other than the One we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit than the One you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it way too easily. 2 Corinthians 11: 3-4

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