Acts 5:33Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

See how here the apostles, after mentioning the Jews’ crime, speak of forgiveness. By this they show that what they did is worthy of death, yet the gift is offered to them as to those who repent.

How else could anyone have persuaded them, unless by saying that they could still amend themselves?

And what malice there is! They stir up against the apostles the Sadducees, who were especially in error concerning the resurrection. But malice brought them no benefit at all.

“And they plotted,” the writer says, “to kill them.” Notice: they again are in perplexity and grief, while the apostles are calm, courageous, and rejoicing.

They were not merely grieved, but “cut to the heart.” This means being in a bad condition and attempting evil, as can be seen here.

The apostles were in chains and stood before the tribunal, while the judges were perplexed and in great difficulty. As one who strikes diamond harms himself, so did they.

They saw that the apostles’ boldness was not diminished, but that the preaching grew stronger. They were fearless in speech and yet gave no occasion for killing them.

Let us, beloved, imitate them as well. Let us be fearless in all afflictions. Nothing is terrible for one who fears God, but for those who do not fear Him there are afflictions.

Whoever through virtue rises above the passions and looks upon temporal goods as a shadow, from what will he suffer affliction? What will he fear? What will he regard as an affliction?

Let us also take refuge in this unshaken rock. Suppose someone built a city for us and enclosed it with a wall.

Or better, suppose he settled us in a land where no one troubled us, and there provided us with abundance in everything, so that we needed to have dealings with no one.

Even he would not give us such peace as Christ now gives. Let this city, if you wish, be of bronze, enclosed on every side by a firm and indestructible wall.

Let no enemy attack it. Let it have rich and fertile land, and abound in all other goods.

Let its citizens be meek and gentle. Let there be not a single evildoer in it, neither thief, robber, slanderer, nor tribunal, but only simple and peaceful dealings.

Even if we lived in such a city, we still could not live in peace. Why? Because disagreements would necessarily arise with servants, wife, and children, and would cause many annoyances.

But here there was nothing of the sort. There was no cause for grief or annoyance.

But the apostles, without hesitation, say that one must obey God rather than men. They preach the resurrection of Jesus and the witness of the Holy Spirit.

The Sadducees can endure this no longer. They wish to kill the apostles. But the voice of the learned Pharisee Gamaliel, respected by all the people, served the work of God. They were only punished and released.

He reminds the judges of two popular uprisings and agitators: a certain Theudas, a person not definitely known from history, and Judas the Galilean.

Judas caused an uprising during and because of the census of the people. The Roman emperor Augustus commanded Quirinius, the Syrian governor, to conduct it in Judea, and because of it the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ took place in Bethlehem (Lk 2:2).

Since the work of the apostles appeared dangerous in the eyes of the Sanhedrin, because it was growing more and more (v. 28), Gamaliel recalls that the mentioned popular agitators had likewise at first succeeded and drawn hundreds of people after them.

But, he says, since their work was not the work of God, they themselves perished, and their followers were scattered and disappeared.

“And now I say to you, keep away from these men and leave them alone. For if this plan or this work is from men, it will be overthrown.

But if it is from God, you cannot overthrow it. Take care lest you be found even to be fighting against God.”

The comparison of the apostles with popular agitators seems to show that Gamaliel personally did not have a high opinion of the preachers of Christ.

Yet in the counsel with which Gamaliel then addressed the Sanhedrin, a favorable opinion of Christianity is reflected. He allows the possibility that the work of the apostles is the work of God, and warns men not to be found fighters against God.

Of course, by themselves they could not put the apostles to death without the consent of the Roman procurator. Yet those who had brought the Lord to death would surely not have had difficulty finding means and a pretext to hand His disciples over to death.

They would also have compelled the Roman procurator to issue a decision in this sense, as they had compelled such a decision concerning the Lord. But their design to kill the apostles was prevented by the prudent counsel of Gamaliel.

And so, in unreasonable zeal, they were ready to defend their worldly existence. But by what means? Not by self-sacrifice, like the apostles, but by violence against men innocent of anything that, even by their laws, deserved death.

For if the apostles said much that, in their opinion and not in truth, was not in agreement with their faith, they also said that they themselves were witnesses of what they proclaimed.

Therefore, while the witnesses were alive, it was possible to verify all the testimonies. By killing them, all these circumstances would be hidden.

Thus the members of the Sanhedrin again stubbornly wished, as people say, to hush up the matter, not shrinking even from bloodshed for this purpose.

Of course, by themselves they could not put them to death (see Mt 27:2). But Pilate, who had not hesitated to hand Jesus Christ over to them for crucifixion, would not have refused these killings either.

From his point of view, these were less important men. But then a prudent man was found even among these supposed judges of Israel, who were beside themselves with anger.