Acts 5:33-42 - Gamaliel's Advice

³³ When they heard this, they were furious, and wanted to kill them. ³⁴ But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, highly respected by all the people, got up in the council and gave orders to put the men out of the council a little while; ³⁵ then he said to them: "Fellow Israelites, take care as to what you are about to do to these men. ³⁶ For in the days gone by Theudas appeared, claiming that he was a man of importance, and a considerable number of men, about four hundred, espoused his cause, but he was slain and all his followers were dispersed and as a party annihilated. ³⁷ After him, at the time of the enrollment for the Roman tax, Judas the Galilean appeared and influenced people to desert and follow him, but he too perished and all his followers were scattered. ³⁸ So in the present case, I warn you, stay away from these men, let them alone. For, if this program or movement has its origin in men, it will go to pieces, ³⁹ but if it has its origin in God, you can never stop it. It is to be feared that you may find yourselves fighting God." ⁴⁰ They were convinced by him, and after calling the apostles in and having them flogged, they charged them to stop speaking on the authority of Jesus, and then turned them loose. ⁴¹ So they went out from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer disgrace for Jesus' name; ⁴² and not for a single day did they stop teaching in the temple square and in private houses the good news of Jesus the Christ.