Gamaliel decided it was best to allow the way of Christ to ruin itself.

Acts 5:34-39

Click here for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click here for a description of the image of the beast.

“Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while.” Acts 5:34

Before Paul said “Yes” to Jesus Christ, he was a student of Gamaliel, as quoted, “I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors.” Acts 22:3 In other words, Paul had Gamaliel’s approval to persecute Christians, put them in jail, force them to blaspheme, and vote to have them killed. Paul was still doing all of that during this time in Acts 5 and didn’t become a follower of Jesus Christ until later in Acts 9:1-31.

Now we know how ruthless Gamaliel was against those of the way of Jesus Christ as he is the one who supported Paul’s persecution of Christianity. Gamaliel was respected by all the Jewish people and commanded to have the Apostles put outside while he plotted a strategy against them. In today’s culture, the respected leaders of communities are those who are making decisions against the Gospel of Jesus Christ and all of Christianity. They put Christians outside away from their decision-making. They also have influence over those who willingly persecute belief in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit [like Gamaliel’s influence over Saul/Paul]. This is the nature of today’s culture who govern and live for the beast that gives them what to do, speak, feel, and think.

“And he said to them: “Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed.” Acts 5:35-37

Gamaliel’s strategy was a hands-off approach, which was to refrain from pursuing active harm against the way of Jesus Christ nor to offer any help to them. Gamaliel compared the Apostles to the rebels of Theudas and Judas of Galilee. Both were rebels who ended being killed and their following disbanded. In today’s culture, the hope is that Christianity will just fade away, die out, and drift into extinction. This is done by not offering any governing support to the spread of Christianity while refraining from overtly hostile acts against individual followers of Jesus Christ. At the same time, this means that there is not any help on the grassroots level to Christians within a hostile community culture. In essence, we are considered rebels to the values of the atheistic culture, which is global.

The Holy Spirit speaks these words to us, “…be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.” Titus 3:1-2

Billy Grahm was a true follower of Jesus Christ who preached the Gospel message of the Cross, the forgiveness of sin through Jesus, the resurrection, eternal life, the judgment to come, and Heaven and Hell. His crusades were carried on major television networks [such as ABC, NBC, and CBS] for four days in a week once a year. His public ministry ended in 2005, or before, and no one has ever replaced him. Nowadays, the programming of major television networks is far, far removed from what Billy Grahm was bringing to the audience. What has happened to all of his viewers? I, for one, am still here as I continue to spread the Gospel message, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

Most of the Apostles were martyred, not as violent and armed rebels, but for spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the whosoever. The Apostle John, who wrote the Gospel of John, wrote 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John, and wrote the book of Revelations died of old age on the Isle of Patmos. He was banished to the Isle of Patmos where he wrote the book of Revelations. Even though most of the Apostles were slain, the way of Christ did not disband but grew and grew and grew to global proportions as we see today, 2000 years later.

“And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.” Acts 5:38-39

The strategy of today’s culture towards Christianity is very much the same as Gamaliel’s, “…keep away from these men and let them alone…”. In other words, the strategy is to ignore those who speak of belief in God, acknowledge the need for Jesus Christ to forgive unbelief, and who embrace the presence of the Holy Spirit. Today’s culture forms through unbelief, scoffing at the need for Jesus Christ, and through opposition to the Holy Spirit.

Today’s culture hopes to extinguish the Gospel of Jesus Christ by ignoring it, as Gamaliel said, “…for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing…” The Church was growing by multitudes, regardless of how hard the Jewish rulers wanted to ignore it, and regardless of how many followers of Jesus Christ were killed. The growth of the way of Christ reached global proportions, to all seven continents, is still alive today within the faithful few, and will continue until the return of Jesus Christ. As Gamaliel said, “…but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.“

---

“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11