“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13)
Peter and John had been preaching Jesus to about 5,000 people and priests from the temple in Jerusalem when the Sadducees took them and put them in jail. (Acts 4:1-4) The next day, they were brought before the high priest, rulers of the temple along with the elders and their families and were asked who gave them authority to preach and by what power did they do it. (verse 7). This is a very peculiar question to ask. We can understand the question of authority to gather a crowd and speak since it may disrupt the function of the city. But they were also asked by what power. The word power in the original Greek means miraculous power or mighty works. From this we gather that they were not only preaching Jesus, but that the Word of God was being confirmed by signs and wonders. (Acts 4:14) “And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.” (Acts 5:12)
It was then that Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, began to preach Jesus to them. (Acts 4:8-11) Peter and John were fishermen. They were recognized by their speech and boldness to be uneducated men, but there was something recognizable about them that showed they had been with Jesus. The Scripture tells us that it wasn’t their speech nor boldness. (verse 13) It was not their clothing because as fishermen, they didn’t own elegant clothing. But I ask what is different in a person who has been with Jesus? It is obviously nothing tangible, nor something that comes from the person himself, not his speech nor character. It’s not any personal gain of status nor possession.
It’s the Holy Spirit. The human spirit of people can sense that there’s something different. It’s nothing tangible that they can point to and say, “There, that shows they’ve been with Jesus.” It’s a spiritual thing that is discerned by the spirit. In my experience people either fumble and get very nervous when they perceive the Holy Spirit, or they get very aggressive. Either way, they are discerning the Holy Spirit, and their human spirit reacts according to the spirit in them.
There’s the situation with the seven sons of Sceva a chief priest. They tried to deliver someone from demons and found out that only those who have Jesus in their hearts are safe from demons. Demons are afraid of Jesus. (James 2:19) The sons of Sceva used the name of Jesus but didn’t have Jesus through the Holy Spirit indwelling. The result was that they were hurt by the demons. (Acts 19:13-16) Dealing with demons is not some parlor game. They are real created beings. And it is God in us that they fear.
The same thing that was said of Peter and John that was said of Jesus when He attended the Feast of Booths in Galilee and taught in the temple. (John 7:15) “And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?” (John 7:15) Those who have the Holy Spirit are taught of God. When we hear sound holy teaching, our spirit by the Holy Spirit can discern if it’s from God. “Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me. If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of Myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh His glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.” (John 7:16-18)
There is a belief in some Christian camps that one doesn’t have to go to a Bible college and have a degree to preach the Word of God. And that is true to an extent. Just like the disciples, who were uneducated, the most uneducated person in this world can be the best preacher ever through the Holy Spirit. But in this world today as it was in those days, one who is studied is more readily accepted. But either educated or not, it is the Lord Who gives the gift of teaching and preaching, not man. (Ephesians 4:7-11) It is God who appoints men to be preachers, teachers and evangelists, whether educated or not. And it is God who opens and shuts doors for man to preach and to teach.
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