The Gospel According to Theudas

Have you ever read the Gospel of Theudas? Neither have I, or, for that matter, anyone else. It's plausible that we might have, though, had things turned out differently for him. You see, Theudas lived in the Holy Land around the first century and apparently claimed some sort of religious authority, a messianic figure of some import. If you are having trouble recalling the name Theudas, relax; I have mentioned his name to several people over the years, and I get the oddest looks when I do. You're probably giving me about the same look now, wondering, “Who on earth is Theudas?” So that you will know that I am not making him up, you can read his story for yourself in Acts 5; it's the only place in antiquity where this obscure religious leader is mentioned. You might even be wondering why it is that you have no memory of any character named Theudas. After all, he, like Jesus, claimed some sort of religious authority and even had a very large group of disciples, according to scripture, about four hundred men. There is, however, one very large distinction between Jesus and Him. The reason you don't know anything about Theudas is that he died .... and he stayed dead.

The Story

In Acts 2 we read about the coming of the Holy Spirit during the Pentecost Festival in Jerusalem. With the arrival of the Holy Spirit on them, the once frail and denying disciples had acquired a new power to proclaim the gospel and apparently were not shy about doing so. This new boldness was not playing well with the religious/political leaders in Jerusalem. In Acts 5 we read that things begin to get heated. According to the text, the disciples had not only a new boldness in sharing the word of God, but also a new ability to perform miraculous healings. This new-found ability was causing even larger crowds to gather, as people brought to the disciples those who were in need. Apparently, this did not make the authorities, (who were, as the text points out, “full of jealousy”) very happy. So, the high priest had them arrested and thrown in prison. During the night, however, an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and instructed the disciples to return to the temple courts and resume proclaiming the truth of Jesus, which they promptly did. The next morning the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin, gathered to discuss their growing concerns about the disciples, and the ever increasing following they were gathering. They sent word to the jail to have the disciples brought before them; however, on arriving at the jail, the captain of the guard discovered that the prisoners were missing. Soon they learned that the disciples were back on the Temple Mount proclaiming

the message of Jesus. With growing frustration, the religious leaders had the disciples detained and brought to appear before the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin leadership basically said, “Didn't we tell you to stop stirring up the people and to speak no more of this person named Jesus.” The disciples responded with a profound question; they asked the religious leaders, “Is it right for us to obey God or man?” Some arguing took place and the authorities were so mad that they were ready to have the disciples executed. It is at this point that a very wise elder statesman of the Sanhedrin, a man named Gamaliel, spoke some very wise and prophetic words.

“Fighting Against God”

Gamaliel, a man of some distinct reputation, stood up and addressed the Sanhedrin. He warned them, “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men.” Then he told them an important story. He reminded his fellow Sanhedrin members of another religious leader named Theudas and his band of followers. He said, in so many words, “Don't you all remember Theudas; he claimed to be somebody as well and had a group of four hundred followers. He was put to death, and all of his followers were dispersed; it all came to nothing.”then he said something that turns out to be very profound and also quite prophetic. He proposed a logical litmus test for the veracity of the Gospel. He advised the Sanhedrin accordingly:

“Therefore, in the present case I advise you: leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourself fighting against God.”

Prophetic Words

Little did Gamaliel know how prophetic his words would turn out to be. The disciples were not dispersed after Jesus' death, but quite the opposite. He was also right to warn the members of the Sanhedrin that any effort to stop the disciples might just result in finding themselves in a battle with God Himself. His litmus test was a wise test for the veracity of the Gospel, and it came back positive for divinity.

What was the big difference between Theudas and Jesus, between his followers and the followers of Jesus? The difference was an empty tomb and and a living savior. We don't know anything about Theudas because there is nothing to know; he died and he stayed dead. We know about a lot about Jesus because he is alive and his disciples were witnesses to His resurrection. Gamaliel's profound statement echoes down through the ages of history as one of the first apologetic confirmations of Jesus' resurrection. His conditional test of the veracity of the gospel made a lot of sense to the seventy-member Sanhedrin; it makes even more sense today with its truth having been confirmed by history itself.

Believing Gamaliel's proposition,