The Pragmatic Advice of Gamaliel

An angry council wants to kill the apostles, but Gamaliel urges its members to wait and see whether their movement survives. His advice contains practical wisdom, yet success does not reliably identify God’s work; faithful work may look fruitless, while evil may prosper. Scripture provides the missing test. Without it, the council avoids facing who Jesus is. Even so, God uses this flawed advice to spare His servants and keep the good news about Jesus spreading. Bible Reference: Acts 5:33–42 Preacher: John Westendorp