“In every church, there is a person who sits in the counsel of God. Find that person and trust them.” I’ll never forget Dr. Virtus Gideon saying that to our New Testament class in seminary. At that point, I had served as pastor in two different churches. In both churches, I encountered those people. They had helped me make better decisions.
The high priest and his friends were about to get in greater trouble. They wanted these followers of Jesus to go away. Should they kill them? What should they do? Gamaliel spoke with the wisdom of one who stood in the counsel of God. He reminded them of former would-be messiahs who had caused uprisings and been forgotten. Wisely, Gamaliel advised them to do nothing to the apostles. If they were not from God, their movement would die on its own.But if the movement was from God, fighting Jesus’ followers would be like fighting God. They could never defeat God.
Gamaliel was a highly respected Rabbi. At one point, a young man named Saul studied at his feet. The famous Rabbi helped them that day by reminding them that they could not stop the work of God. God loves everyone. But those who sit in his counsel know his heart and speak his mind. In every church, there is someone who listens to God and speaks for him. Who is that person in your community? Knit your soul to that person. Pray with them and listen to their wisdom. It may save you from making a grave mistake.
