Gamaliel in Biblical History

Bible History

Schaff's Bible Dictionary

Definitions in Biblical History
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Who is Gamaliel?
GAMA'LIEL
(recompense of God). 1. The prince of Manasseh in the desert. Num 1:10; Num 2:20; Num 7:54, Num 7:59; Ezr 10:23. 2. A distinguished Jewish rabbi and prominent member of the Sanhedrin. Acts 5:34. He was for 32 years its president. He is first introduced to our notice in connection with the earlier attempts made at Jerusalem, a.d. 33, to intercept the progress of the gospel. On one occasion, when the apostles, standing in the presence of the Sanhedrin, aroused the feelings of this body to such a pitch that they discussed measures for putting them to death, Acts 5:33, Gamaliel, one of their number, counselled more moderate and prudent action. He wisely advocated a policy which would not have interfered, for the time being, by violence, with the preaching of the cross. His words on this occasion are among the most famous that the opponents of Christianity uttered in the early Church. Acts 5:38-39. He was Paul's teacher at Jerusalem. Acts 22:3. A tradition states that Gamaliel was baptized by Peter and John. This is very doubtful. Rather is the theory to be trusted which identifies him with that Gamaliel who was the grandson of Hillel, and who is referred to often as an authority in the Jewish Mishna.

Bibliography Information
Schaff, Philip, Dr. "Biblical Definition for 'gamaliel' in Schaffs Bible Dictionary".
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