[The posts which follow make extensive use of The Acts of the Apostles, by Madame Cecilia, (Religious of St Andrew's Convent, Streatham), with an Imprimi potest dated 16 October 1907 (Westminster); Burns, Oates & Washbourne Ltd. (London). With grateful prayers for the author and her team:
REQUIEM æternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Requiescant in pace. Amen.ETERNAL rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.]
Acts V : 33-42
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| The scourging of the Apostles. Nicholas of Lyra's Postil on the Acts. Circa 1392-1415. Universitätsbibliothek, Basel. |
[34] But one in the council rising up, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, respected by all the people, commanded the men to be put forth a little while.
[35] And he said to them: Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do, as touching these men.
[36] For before these days rose up Theodas, affirming himself to be somebody, to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all that believed him were scattered, and brought to nothing.
[37] After this man, rose up Judas of Galilee, in the days of the enrolling, and drew away the people
after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as consented to him, were dispersed.
[38] And now, therefore, I say to you, refrain from these men, and let them alone; for if this council or this work be of men, it will come to nought;
[39] But if it be of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest perhaps you be found even to fight against God. And they consented to him.
[40] And calling in the apostles, after they had scourged them, they charged them that they should not speak at all in the name of Jesus; and they dismissed them.
[41] And they indeed went from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were accounted worthy to suffer reproach for the name of Jesus.
[42] And every day they ceased not in the temple, and from house to house, to teach and preach Christ Jesus.
[33] Haec cum audissent, dissecabantur, et cogitabant interficere illos. [34] Surgens autem quidam in concilio pharisaeus, nomine Gamaliel, legisdoctor, honorabilis universae plebi, jussit foras ad breve homines fieri, [35] dixitque ad illos : Viri Israelitae, attendite vobis super hominibus istis quid acturi sitis. [36] Ante hos enim dies extitit Theodas, dicens se esse aliquem, cui consensit numerus virorum circiter quadringentorum : qui occisus est : et omnes qui credebant ei, dissipati sunt, et redacti ad nihilum. [37] Post hunc extitit Judas Galilaeus in diebus professionis, et avertit populum post se, et ipse periit : et omnes quotquot consenserunt ei, dispersi sunt. [38] Et nunc itaque dico vobis, discedite ab hominibus istis, et sinite illos : quoniam si est ex hominibus consilium hoc, aut opus, dissolvetur : [39] si vero ex Deo est, non poteritis dissolvere illud, ne forte et Deo repugnare inveniamini. Consenserunt autem illi. [40] Et convocantes Apostolos, caesis denuntiaverunt ne omnino loquerentur in nomine Jesu, et dimiserunt eos. [41] Et illi quidem ibant gaudentes a conspectu concilii, quoniam digni habiti sunt pro nomine Jesu contumeliam pati. [42] Omni autem die non cessabant in templo, et circa domos docentes, et evangelizantes Christum Jesum.
Notes
33. they were cut to the heart. Lit. “they were sawn through ’’ (διεπριοντο). The words “the heart” do not occur here in the original, but the complete phrase is given in ch. vii. 54. The verb “to saw” (πριω) and some of its compounds are surgical terms.
they thought. Lit. “ they began to take counsel ’’
to put them to death. They were only prevented from executing their design by Gamaliel ; but though he restrained the rage of the Sanhedrists, he could not prevent them from scourging the apostles.
34. a Pharisee. The word is derived from the Hebrew “pharash,” to separate. The Pharisees were an important Jewish sect. Their chief tenets were as follows : —
(a) The written law had been supplemented by an oral law delivered by Moses to their forefathers, and this, embodied in these “traditions of the ancients,” even took precedence of the written law.
(b) Various minute ritual precepts were necessary to “protect ’’ or “ hedge round the Law, ’’ and these were to be found in the teaching of certain eminent Rabbis or doctors in Israel.
(c) They taught that man was immortal, and they believed in the Resurrection, and in the existence of angels and spirits.
The Pharisees were ambitious and ostentatious, but yet they were more popular than the Sadducees. because they shewed more clemency in their judgments ; also they distributed abundant alms. Their piety and zeal for the Law of Moses procured for them the veneration of the lower classes. As Gamaliel was a Pharisee, he would naturally oppose the violent measures proposed by the Sadducees, especially as the doctrine of the Resurrectlon was in question.
Gamaliel. He was the grandson and disciple of Hillel, who was celebrated for his moderation and tolerance, and was respected as one of the great teachers of Israel. Gamaliel succeeded Hillel's son, Simeon, as President of the Sanhedrin, He was one of the seven on whom the highest title “Rabban” was conferred. There were three degrees of the title — Rabbi, Rab, and Rabban.
to be put forth. See Annot. on ch. iv. 15. Perhaps Saul of Tarsus, the disciple of Gamaliel, was present, and from him later St Luke may have derived his information.
Summary of Gamaliel’s Speech.
1. He recommends caution, and bases his advice on two examples : —
The Insurrection of Theodas, which was brought to nothing.The rebellion of Judas, which was also a signal failure.
2. He advises an “ opportunist policy," since : —
If it be of man, it will certainly fail.If it be of God, It must succeed.
3. warns them not to risk fighting against God.
35. Ye men of Israel. He addresses them as one having authority.
36. rose up Theodas, etc. This passage has given rise to much hostile criticism on the part of modern critics, chiefly those of the German rationalistic school, who see here an historical anachronism, on the ground that Josephus speaks of a certain “Theudas” who stirred up an insurrection in the reign of Claudius, when Fadus was procurator, that is, some ten years later than the date of Gamaliel’s speech. According to St Luke, this Theodas excited a rebellion before the days of the enrolling y since Judas of Galilee ‘‘rose up after him.” Now, the taxation was imposed about ten years after the Nativity of Christ ; consequently, if St Luke and Josephus speak of the same man, the sacred historian would have committed an anachronism of more than thirty years. But we have no proof that the two historians do refer to the same individual, but rather to the contrary, for St Luke asserts that Theodas had only about four hundred followers, whereas Josephus states that “ Theudas persuaded a great part of the people to take their effects with them and to follow him to the river,” etc. (Antiq., xx. 51). Again, St Luke asserts that Theodas was slain and his followers “ were scattered and brought to nothing ” but while Josephus states that Theudas was slain, he says that the troops of Fadus, falling upon the adherents of Theudas unexpectedly, slew many of them and took many of them alive” (ibid.). Hence neither the circumstances nor the time agree ; and “ if the Pharisee Josephus is to be believed when he writes of one Theudas, why should not the Pharisee Gamaliel be believed when he speaks of another ? Theodas was a common Hebrew name.
affirming himself to he somebody, — i.e. some great one. Simon the magician gave out that he was some great one (infra, viii. 9).
37. Judas of Galilee. Josephus also speaks of this leader, and he describes him as “Judas of Galilee” (Antiq., xx. 5. 2). He raised an insurrection against the payment of taxes to a foreign power. On three occasions a census of the Jews, in view of a capitation tax, was taken by order of Augustus; — in 27 B.c.; somewhere between 7-4 B.C.; and another in A.D. 14. The second was the one to which St Luke refers in his gospel (ch. ii. 1-2). The tax was not actually imposed until some few years after this second census, and Judas and his followers revolted against it.
This was one of the most desperate efforts of the Jews to throw off the yoke of the conqueror. Judas was aided by one Sadduc, and they stirred up their adherents to fight for the independence of Israel and to refuse tribute to Caesar in any form, which they regarded as “no better than an introduction to slavery ” (Antiq., xviii. l. l). The party, of which Judas was a leader, was known as the sect of the “ Zealots” or “ Galileans.” Simon the Cananite, surnamed “Zelotes,” one of the apostles, was probably a member of this sect.
By a manifest slip of the pen, Josephus once refers to Judas as a Gaulonite, but in other passages he distinctly asserts that he was a Galilean (Antiq., xviii. 1. 1).
dispersed. The insurrection broke out again on several occasions, and the excesses of the Zealots precipitated the fall of Jerusalem.
38. come to nought. Lit. “ be overthrown ” (καταλυθησεται).
39. consented. They agreed not to put them to death.
40. after they hod scourged. Thirty-nine blows were given in all — thirteen on the breast, thirteen on the right shoulder, and the same number on the left. Each of the apostles was subjected to this ignominious and painful punishment, but the remembrance that their Master had submitted to this degradation enabled them to rejoice that they were counted worthy to suffer for Him. The object of the Sadducees in inflicting this punishment was evidently to discredit the teachers of the new sect.
41. for the name. See Annot. on iii. 6.
42. every day they ceased not, etc. Strong in the power of the Holy Spirit, they were undaunted by threats and punishments.
preach Christ Jesus. Better, ‘‘preach that Jesus is the Christ” (εὐαγγελιζομενοι Ἰεσουν τον Χριστον).
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
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