Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | Acts 5:34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Acts 5:34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law [of Moses], highly esteemed by all the people, stood up in the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) and ordered that the men be taken outside for a little while. |
Bible Question:
Jim you absolutely right we must check out everything we hear. I'm interested in hearing from people that have experience this deception first hand. I want to know what tried to deceived them, how they realized they had been deceived and what they are now doing to prevent it from happening again. |
Bible Answer: Here's a deception story.. (as we all sit around the campfire.. :) ) I met a family for the first time one Saturday afternoon in February this year that lives about an hour from me. This family was starting their own non-denominational church and they were currently 'mentoring' three people- leading them in their Christian maturity by being 'parental figures' to them and by sharing the Bible with them at their home church on Sundays. One of those three people met me at my church one Sunday and he took a liking to me instantly, saying that he thought that I was a 'real' Christian. So I met this guy and we became friends and he invited me over on a Saturday to meet his 'family'.. Well, I met the family and they also saw that I was a 'strong' Christian. They were also mentoring a young woman about my age, and (little did I know) that they began plans for us to date and court each other. So I became friends with this family and spent some time with them. But I noticed little things along the way about what they said and things that they did that were not according to the full line of thinking of Christianity. For instance, the man that I met who lead me to the family had been separated from his wife, and the family kept them apart so that they could 'mature in faith' before coming back together again, and they made them sign a contract and wear rings on their fingers to designate that contract.. So the family was nice to me at first, but then denounced my Conservative Mennonite Church and voiced their disapproval of it. So I took that as good criticism and not as something that would discourage me from attending. However, they were deceptive in not telling me their 'plans' for me. A little bit later, they approached me and asked me if I would wear a ring as a 'sign' of my singleness, and I carefully turned them down. But the alarm had been set off in my mind, and I began to avoid the family. Then I was able to meet the man at my house so I could get the 'full' story about him and his wife. So he told me all the details, explaining to me how they kept them apart.. Then it became clear to both of us that the family was actually slowly driving a wedge between this man and his wife (who were Christians)! So we got rid of everything that had to do with this family and we abandoned their way of thinking, which was not Christian at all.. In a way, this man credits me for helping to get him and his wife away from the deception of this family. I call him every week and keep contact with him. And today, he is now back with his Christian wife, attending my church, and will never have any part of that family again. He calls me a true brother in Christ, and I have gained his trust. I haven't mentioned his name here, but if he ever sees this, he will attest to its authenticity. |