Acts 5:38
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So in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone. Let them go! For if their purpose or endeavor is of human origin, it will fail.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
if . . . of men, it will come to naught--This neutral policy was true wisdom, in the then temper of the council. But individual neutrality is hostility to Christ, as He Himself teaches (Luk 11:23).
Open source ↗In this chapter we have, I. The sin and punishment of Ananias and Sapphira, who, for lying to the Holy Ghost, were struck dead at the word of Peter (Act 5:1-11). II. The flourishing state of the church, in the power that went along with the preaching of the gospel (Act 5:12-16). III. The imprisonment of the apostles, and their miraculous discharge out of prison, with fresh orders to go on to preach the gospel, which they did, to the great vexation of their persecutors (Act 5:17-26). IV. Their arraignment before the great sanhedrim, and their justification of themselves in what they did (Act 5:27-33). V. Gamaliel's counsel concerning them, that they should not persecute them, but let them alone, and see what would come of it, and their concurrence, for the present, with this advice, in the dismission of the apostles' cheerful progress in their work notwithstanding the prohibition laid upon them and the indignity done them (Act 5:41, Act 5:42).
Open source ↗Cross-references
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But Jesus replied, “Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by its roots.
Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has ordained it?
There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.
When our enemies heard that we were aware of their scheme and that God had frustrated it, each of us returned to his own work on the wall.
I will break Assyria in My land; I will trample him on My mountain. His yoke will be taken off My people, and his burden removed from their shoulders.”
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.”
If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
“Men of Israel,” he said, “consider carefully what you are about to do to these men.