Acts 5:36
Acts 5:36 Meaning and Explanation
“For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Gamaliel recalls Theudas, whose following of about four hundred men scattered and came to nothing after he was killed.
What Does Acts 5:36 Mean?
Movements led by self-proclaimed deliverers were familiar in those years. Theudas 'boasted himself to be somebody,' gathered four hundred men, and was slain; his cause died with him, as such causes do.
The pattern is the point: remove a merely human leader and his movement unravels. The unspoken contrast already hangs in the air of the council chamber, for Jesus was slain, and his followers have not scattered but multiplied.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 5:36
What does Acts 5:36 mean?
Gamaliel recalls Theudas, whose following of about four hundred men scattered and came to nothing after he was killed.