34. But one of the members was the Pharisee Gamaliel, a highly respected teacher. He ordered the apostles to be taken out of the room for a little while.
35. Then he said to the council:People of Israel, be careful what you do with these men.
36. Not long ago Theudas claimed to be someone important, and about four hundred men joined him. But he was killed. All his followers were scattered, and that was the end of that.
37. Later, when the people of our nation were being counted, Judas from Galilee appeared. A lot of people followed him, but he was killed, and all his followers were scattered.
38. So I advise you to stay away from these men. Leave them alone. If what they are planning is something of their own doing, it will fail.
39. But if God is behind it, you cannot stop it anyway, unless you want to fight against God.The council members agreed with what he said,
40. and they called the apostles back in. They had them beaten with a whip and warned them not to speak in the name of Jesus. Then they let them go.
41. The apostles left the council and were happy, because God had considered them worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus.
42. Every day they spent time in the temple and in one home after another. They never stopped teaching and telling the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.