for before these days Theudas rose up, alleging himself to be somebody, to whom a number of men, about four hundred, were joined; who was slain, and all, as many as obeyed him, were dispersed and came to nothing.
Gamaliel calms a furious council with a story from recent history: a man named Theudas claimed to be somebody, drew a following, and left nothing behind. Does the collapse of a movement prove it was never from God, and did the apostles belong in that class at all?
Scripture tells us nothing about this man beyond what Gamaliel says here. The whole record fits in two lines:
A Jewish impostor and rebel who was destroyed, along with his four hundred men. Gamaliel pointed to him before the Jewish council as an example that what is not of God comes to nothing.
The verse does not say Theudas was somebody. It says he claimed it, and one writer presses hard on that difference:
He mentioned one "Theudas," who boasted that he was somebody — who or what we are not told. This man had a considerable following. But his boast was obvious for what it was, and his fraud spoke for itself. He was slain, and those he had fooled were brought to nothing. In this case there was not truth, but only a "boast."
Gamaliel put Jesus of Nazareth on the same list as Theudas. The same writer refuses the comparison:
What similarity was there between them and the case of Jesus of Nazareth? Did He "boast that He was somebody"? No! He did not need to boast, or take on a character He did not have. He was entirely what He said. What He was expressed itself in His words and ways. Demons confessed Him, if man did not. Heaven acknowledged Him, if earth refused Him. He did not boast.
Another writer counts the men Gamaliel named among the "thieves and robbers," and weighs what they brought against what Christ brought:
These thieves and robbers were men such as those mentioned by Gamaliel, in Acts 5:36-37; self-seeking impostors who brought in destruction and death. The true Shepherd brought in life; laying down His own life to do so.
The historian Josephus also tells of a rebel named Theudas, and some say Luke has confused the two. One writer answers that the details do not match:
The only thing suggesting they are the same is the death of the leader and the dispersing of his followers. That probably happened in every one of these pointless, scattered rebellions. One detail shows they are not the same. Luke gives the number of Theudas's supporters as about four hundred, whereas Josephus says they were "a great multitude." Luke clearly has accurate information here, since he can tell us the number of his Theudas's followers. Yet he is a historian remarkably free from any appearance of pretension or exaggeration.
Commentators differ here. Some treat his advice as sound, and even hopeful:
So Gamaliel gives good advice based on these facts. He tells the council to leave the men alone. If their work was merely of men, it would come to nothing. On the other hand, if it were of God they could not overthrow it, and would be fighting against God. Did Gamaliel perhaps have some thought that it could be God's work? At least he was telling them to consider that possibility.
Others call the principle itself false:
This was sheer worldly wisdom, and wholly false in principle. Neither prosperity nor adversity in this world proves whether a man or a cause is of God or not. The wicked often prosper. Job's friends went badly wrong here. It left Habakkuk deeply puzzled. Asaph, who wrote Psalm 73, had to follow the wicked in his thoughts beyond the grave to understand.
Whatever we make of his reasoning, the outcome was no accident:
The anger of men would have gone on to bloodshed. But God steps in by the ordinary path of His providence to protect His faithful servants. He works through a serious and wise man in the enemy's own camp. The voice of moderation and wisdom won out, though it was only natural. It beat the reckless impulses of pride and passion mixed with fear. God would still give truth more space to awaken consciences and win hearts among His ancient people. They were guilty, yet He gave them that time.
- Boast. Theudas said he was somebody. The claim was the whole of him — a boast with no truth behind it.
- Collapse. He was killed and his four hundred scattered — Gamaliel's example that what is not of God comes to nothing.
- Contrast. Christ never needed to boast; He was entirely what He said. The impostors brought destruction and death. The true Shepherd brought life.
- Test. Commentators differ on Gamaliel's rule. Some call it good advice. Others say survival proves nothing, since the wicked often prosper.
- Providence. God sheltered the apostles through a wise man inside the enemy's camp, buying more time for the truth to reach consciences.
After him rose Judas the Galilean in the days of the census, and drew away [a number of] people after him; and *he* perished, and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered abroad.
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.