City Life Starter

Written by Scott Fiddler

The Word

33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 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!”

Acts 5:33–39

Reflection

In the face of a theology that differed from his own and that of his fellow religious leaders, Gamaliel counseled prudence. Although Gamaliel’s prudence didn’t spare the apostles from a good flogging.

Hindsight, they say, is 20/20. It’s hard today to fully appreciate the theological conflict some sincere Pharisees and Saducees must have felt when confronted with the claims of Jesus and the evidence of the resurrection. 

We know of men like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, who seem to have wrestled deeply with Jesus’ claims before eventually identifying themselves with Him. I wonder what it must have been like for them to struggle with this new teaching which threatened to upset the only religious order they knew. 

Application

I’ve been grappling lately with a doctrinal issue over which reasonable, theologically-trained, Jesus-followers differ. It’s not an issue that separates the faithful from the heretic, but neither is it unimportant.

As a result, I’ve been thinking through how one should approach making such determinations to ensure one arrives at the truth. Of course, the fact there are arguments on both sides doesn’t mean both are reasonable. I don’t think I’ve ever handled a case as a lawyer where the other side didn’t have an argument.

But how do you keep from being persuaded by the wrong argument?

First, we must recognize the sway the heart has over the mind. As one of my mentors was fond of saying, “The mind justifies the heart’s desires.” The Bible says it like this: “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).

When the religious leaders were stumbling over His teaching, Jesus didn’t question their intelligence; He questioned their heart: “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?” (John 5:44). They had ulterior motives that corrupted their ability to see the truth. 

So, the first thing we can do is examine our own hearts: Is there a reason I want this to be true?  If the answer is “yes,” we should proceed with caution. That leads to the next step.

Second, if we are not willing to do what truth will demand of us, we are likely not to be convinced of it. Jesus said it this way, “If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself” (John 7:17). A good heart is the key to a clear head.

And lastly, we need to know what truth feels like. James says that “the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable…” (James 3:17). God’s wisdom carries a different spirit than human argument. Even when it confronts us, it does so without manipulation, arrogance, or self-interest. It feels different. 

This is where a lot of people get tripped up though. They want to believe something that resolves relational conflict or eases cultural pressure and that can feel like peace. But the absence of conflict is not the same as peace.

How much easier it would have been for many of the religious leaders if they did not have so much to lose by Jesus being right? How much easier it would have been for them to believe had they been willing to follow Jesus if the truth demanded it? 

We don’t have to make the same mistake if we are quick to examine our motives, willing to do His will, and are better at knowing what truth feels like.

Prayer

Lord, help me always to seek the truth with a pure, obedient, and willing heart. Amen.