Read Acts 5:34-42
Gamaliel sounds like a quite the wise and influential leader. Although he was personally unconvinced by the Jesus followers, he drew upon past experience in such movements of reform. If a movement was of man's power, it will be short lived. If God is behind the reform movement, then nothing will be able to stop it.
If a movement is leader driven only, then you strike the leader and you kill the movement. A value driven movement that has captured the hearts of the people (moved into to the top ranking priority in their lives) it will carry on well beyond the life of the leader. And with the reform movement of Jesus, these followers were thoroughly convinced that Jesus was no longer dead but alive forevermore. Gamaliel was wise to err on the side of a "wait and see" approach. Time will tell. Is it true? Will it last? What tangible difference will it make?
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