With this chapter I begin my assessment of the speeches of outsiders in Acts. The particular discourse to be discussed is the well-known address of the Pharisee Gamaliel. As we observed in the Introduction, it is crucial that the speeches of Acts be studied within their narrative settings, the reason being that the narrative situation affects our understanding of the speech and the speech in turn affects our understanding of the narrative of which it is part. Consequently, a good portion of this chapter is dedicated to an investigation of the principal theme being advanced in Acts 5.17–42.

In this chapter I will take note of Luke's careful arrangement whereby he highlights the stiff opposition encountered by the apostles in their task of gospel preaching. I will note that in his plot construction Luke places the speech of Gamaliel at the height of the conflict between the apostles and the Jewish authorities. I will concentrate on the dramatic ironic dimensions of the speech and on the resultant theological/historiographic implications. I will suggest that the speech plays a vital role for our understanding of Luke's use of the speeches of outsiders.

Context

Acts 5.17–42 is found in the larger context of 4.1–7.60, where Luke narrates the spread of the apostolic message in Jerusalem and its vicinity. This dissemination occurs within a framework of repression against the apostles on the part of the Jerusalem authorities.