Acts 5:34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. 36 For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38 So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, 40 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.
RESEARCH:a
These chosen men went to distant lands to call many to repentance and faith in the risen Christ. The court of history has recorded this evidence:
Peter and Paul “were martyred in Rome about 66 AD.”
Andrew “went to the land of the man-eaters in what is now the Soviet Union…He also preached in Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey, and Greece.”
Thomas “was probably most active in the area east of Syria. Tradition has him preaching as far east as India, where the ancient Marthoma Christians revere him as their founder.”
Philip “possibly had a powerful ministry in Carthage in North Africa and Asia Minor.”Matthew “the tax collector, and writer of a Gospel ministered in Persia and Ethiopia.”
Bartholomew “had widespread missionary travels attributed to him by tradition: to India with Thomas and back to Armenia, Ethiopia, and Southern Arabia.”
James “the son of Alpheus…is said to have ministered in Syria.”
John “the church leader in the Ephesus area…exiled to the island of Patmos…credited with writing the last book of the New Testament—the Revelation.”
YOU are the evidence the world sees today of how extraordinarily successful these men’s efforts were in proving Gamaliel’s prophetic truth “for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!”
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