Apathy and Irony through ‘Speech-in-Character’

Abstract Despite the impulse of Christian interpreters to view Gamaliel as an intentional ally in his deliberative speech to the Sanhedrin in Acts 5:34–39, this article uses the literary and rhetorical concepts of dramatic irony and ‘speech-in-character’ ( prosopopoeia ) to argue that Gamaliel is presented as an apathetic and ironic supporter of the Jesus movement in Acts. Gamaliel advocates for a more reasonable approach to the believers than the rest of the angry council is ready to carry out, but he ultimately misses the point of the apostles’ proclamation of the gospel in Acts 5:29–32. Nevertheless, Gamaliel’s speech in Acts 5:34–39 serves to advance Luke’s narrative of the spread of the gospel in Acts.