• ESPAÑOL: Gamaliel el Anciano (Disponible el 16 de junio de 2024)

There is an interesting story involving Gamaliel the Elder in Acts 5. After Peter and the Apostles had been dragged before the Jewish Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, because they were preaching the Gospel in the Temple, Gamaliel convinced the Jewish Sanhedrin to not prosecute the disciples.

The Sanhedrin was the Jewish religious and legislative court composed of leading Jewish scholars and priests and held considerable political and religious power in Jerusalem.

Rising to their defense, Gamaliel cited two other incidents where men had risen up and had apparently been crushed at the hands of the Romans.

Citing their failures, Gamaliel said, “For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

The rabbi’s words convinced the Sanhedrin to let them go. Instead, the disciples were flogged and released with the warning that they were to quit speaking about Christ. A warning, they, of course, disobeyed.

Luke describes Gamaliel as being a ‘Pharisee,’ ‘teacher of the Law’ and ‘respected by all the people.’

Gamaliel the Elder it turns out is a rather infamous Jewish Rabbi of the day and is one of over thirty individuals mentioned by name in the New Testament, whose existence is confirmed by sources outside the Bible.

In their article, for the Jewish Encyclopedia, Solomon Schechter and Wilhelm Bacher discuss the important role that Gamaliel had in first-century Jewish life, due in part to being the grandson of perhaps Israel’s most famous rabbi, Hillel.

According to the Talmud, which is a compilation of Jewish interpretations of the Biblical law and theology, Gamaliel was described as ‘prince’ and ‘our master,’ suggesting he may have actually served as president of the Sanhedrin.

Some Jewish scholars disagree with this suggestion arguing if Gamaliel was actually president at the time the disciples were dragged before the court, Luke would have undoubtedly mentioned it in his description. Nevertheless, Gamaliel’s influence was fully displayed, as his words convinced the Sanhedrin to let him go.

According to the Jewish Mishnah, which is the first written tradition of the oral interpretations of the Jewish Biblical law, Gamaliel is considered one of the greatest rabbis of all time.

“Since Rabban Gamaliel the Elder died,” the Mishnah states, “there has been no more reverence for the law, and purity and piety died out at the same time”.

But this isn’t the only time Gamaliel is mentioned in the New Testament. Luke cites a statement the Apostle Paul made after his arrest in Jerusalem, where Paul says he actually trained as a pharisee under Gamaliel.

Speaking to the Jewish crowd, Paul said, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the Law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today” (Acts 22:3).

In his letters to the early churches, Paul cited the Old Testament extensively when talking about the Christian faith, and this verse implies that some of his Christian interpretation of the Law was influenced in part by Gamaliel’s teaching.

Though denied by Jewish sources, Church tradition suggests that Gamaliel eventually believed that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah and became a Christian.