Acts 5:39 Meaning and Explanation
“But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →But if the work is of God, no council can overthrow it, and to try is to be found fighting against God himself.
What Does Acts 5:39 Mean?
Gamaliel finishes the sentence and the speech: 'if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it.' His 'lest haply' leaves open a possibility the court has refused to weigh, that the God they serve stands behind the men they are judging.
The rest of Acts proves the sentence true: the word grows and will not be stopped. There is a quiet warning here for any heart resisting what God is doing; Gamaliel's own student Saul would learn at Damascus how hard it is 'to kick against the pricks' (Acts 26:14). And there is deep comfort for all who labor in God's work: what is his cannot finally fail.
Acts 5:39 in the Original Language
theomachos (θεομάχος), 'fight against God' -- literally a God-fighter, one at war with God.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 5:39
What does Acts 5:39 mean?
But if the work is of God, no council can overthrow it, and to try is to be found fighting against God himself.