Acts 5.33-39 - “Oh, that’s Nice”

Acts 5.33-39 - “Oh, that’s Nice”

I often heard this polite blather when my mom bragged about her son the pastor. “Nice.” (i.e. But you better stay out of my face!) “I am happy for you.” (i.e. Glad you can be so easily fooled by that religious mumbo jumbo!) The great Jewish scholar Gamaliel gave this kind of lukewarm response; conceding that maybe there might be some truth to the claims of the Nazarene (Acts 5.33-39). He seems sophisticated, but the empty tomb just a stroll away shouts out his stupidity! People who think Jesus is merely nice are spewed out of His mouth. Tepidity will lead to terror. Gamaliel’s most famous student was hot with rage, proudly killing Christ-followers. And it was Saul of Tarsus, not his truth-avoiding teacher, who met the One he tried to destroy. Keep praying for your Gospel-angry friends! Their rage might just be prelude to their repentance.