The Theudas problem

[WJL]

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone could recommend some apologetics resources which respond to the claim of an alleged error in the Acts of the Apostles 5:36-39:

Acts 5:33-39 gives an account of speech by the first century Pharisee Gamaliel, in which he refers to two movements other than the Way. One lead by Theudas (v 36) and after him led by Judas the Galilean. Josephus placed Judas about 6 AD. He places Theudas under the procurator Fadus 44-46 AD. Two problems emerge. First, the order of Judas and Theudas is reversed in Acts 5. Second, Theudas’s movement comes after the time when Gamaliel is speaking.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_reliability_of_the_Acts_of_the_Apostles#Problematic_passages

Thanks.

 

[inkaneer]

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone could recommend some apologetics resources which respond to the claim of an alleged error in the Acts of the Apostles 5:36-39:

Thanks.

There could be any number of explanations to this alleged error.

1. Luke, the author of the Book of Acts, makes a mistake in his reading of Josephus, and takes a later reference in Josephus to the execution of the “sons of Judas the Galilean” after the rebellion of Theudas as saying that the rebellion of Judas was later.
2. Luke used a different, inaccurate source than Josephus when he compiled his history.
3. It is possible that there were other “Theudases”.
4. The text of Acts has been transmitted incorrectly.
5. Josephus wrote his history from memory very late in his life and not as it was happening so there could be some errors there.
6. A combination of factors

 

[Ne_OrangeKnight]

Another possibility is that Gamaliel just said it wrong.

Sam, the Neon Orange Knight

 

[Joe_Kelley]

The new RSV-CE New Testament has a footnote. They suggest that this was an earlier rebellion of which the record has not survived… I suspect that there were a lot of rebellions of one degree or another and only a few were recorded in any detail.