Acts 4:13-17
(13) 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. (14) And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. (15) But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, (16) Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. (17) But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
As we look at this particular text, I want to remind you, as I believe this scripture here reminds us, that we are created for the glory of God. We are created for Him; that He might shine, that He might be glorified, and that He might be lifted up. We can clearly see this great biblical truth on full display as we look to the text at hand.
It is here that we see one of Peter and John’s confrontational encounters with the Sanhedrin; the ruling religious establishment of Israel within the first century.
Having just healed a man who had been born with some type of unannounced physical handicap, Peter and John began to preach that it was only through the power and person of Jesus Christ that the lame man had been made whole. As we begin this particular study, it is here that we see Peter and John confronted with threats and commands, so as to not preach in the name of Jesus Christ. Though this great and wondrous healing had taken place, the religious rulers sought to silence Peter and John’s efforts to point others to both the Great Physician and the Redeemer of mankind.
Yet, despite the efforts of the religious rulers to silence the gospel and detract from the glorious work of the Lord through Peter and John, unbeknownst to them, their efforts merely declared the great truth of mankind’s purpose; that all were made for the glory of God.
In Acts 4:13 we see Luke declare, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men.” Luke records the religious leaders’ view of Peter and John as being unlearned and ignorant men. In today’s vernacular, one might say “They realized they were not the brightest in the room,” or perhaps, “They weren't the sharpest crayons in the box.” The scripture declares that the religious leaders, “marveled” at the fact that Peter and John were merely simple Galileans who “had been with Jesus.”
We see that Peter and John were not what we would consider “learned men.” Now, that doesn't mean they were fools. It doesn't mean that they were ignorant in regards to having no knowledge at all. Instead, it simply means that they were, in the eyes of those around them, simple men with unremarkable backgrounds.
We know that Peter and John would go on to write multiple letters to the churches. So, though they are spoken of as being “unlearned and ignorant men,” they were not illiterate. The “ignorance” of which the religious leaders spoke revolved more around the fact that neither Peter nor John were trained in a rabbinical school of thought; being raised as men who studied the scriptures in a professional manner. Many of the members of the Sanhedrin, if not all, would have been trained from an early age to memorize and recite the Old Testament scriptures.
Paul would be the epitome of such a man, having been raised in such a manner. Compare, if you will, the educational background of Paul in contrast with that of Peter and John. In Acts 22:3, we see, regarding his own upbringing, Paul declare “I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.” Paul, in comparison to individuals like Peter and John, would have had the upbringing that the religious leaders would have looked upon and said, “Well, clearly, we know he is learned. He is not ignorant of the scriptures. He was brought up knowing the law, and he is someone with authority to whom we could look up.”
Instead, the rulers of the day would have seen Peter and John as simple Galileans; “unlearned and ignorant men.” They would have seen them as simple fishermen, for that is what they were. In Matthew 4:18 & 21, the scripture declares, “And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers… And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.”
Elsewhere in Acts 2:7-8, a similar statement is made regarding the disciples of Christ. On the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descends upon the early church, Luke records the reaction of the multicultural audience in their midst as such; “And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?” In the eyes of the world, Peter, John, and a majority of the disciples of Christ would have been seen as simple and unremarkable.
On the day of Pentecost, when God poured out his Holy Spirit up on individuals like Peter and John, they began speaking in languages that they didn’t know. They were speaking in languages that they couldn’t have originally comprehend ed. These people who were present were amazed that they heard the gospel message in their own language.
Somewhat like the religious leaders in Acts 4, the large crowd in Acts 2 marvel at the fact that these seemingly simple disciples are able to do something so great and noteworthy. It is here then, that we see the beauty of God’s empowering of His people with the Holy Spirit. Peter and John could take no credit for the healing of the lame man in Acts 4.
Instead, we see that all credit, glory, and honor belong to the Lord Himself, who, through such simple men as Peter and John, healed a man in such a wondrous way. A truth that we as believers need to hold to and remember each day, though perhaps a little cliche, is the fact that God does not call the qualified, but He qualifies the called.
God doesn’t always call individuals to do a great work for His name simply because they are the best in their field. He doesn’t simply call people because He thinks, “They are the most qualified individual due to their credentials, so I suppose I have to use them for this task.”
Instead, God, in spite of our failings, our ignorance, and our station, calls us, that He might be glorified. In Acts 4:16, we see the religious rulers declare that the fact that a miraculous wonder had been performed by such simple men was undeniable; “…What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.” Peter and John never claimed to be great healers. They never claimed to be doctors. They simply claimed to know Jesus Christ the Lord. Though they were simple men, they were filled with the Holy Spirit of God.
It is here that we see God ’s purpose for using simple men to do great things . God creates us for His glory, and in doing so, He often creates us to be lacking in many areas. He creates us in such a manner so as to make sure that where we are lacking, He is able to provide. It is in this that we can look to places such as 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, in which Paul states, “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.
God used men like Peter and John who were not well known for their healing. God used people like Peter and John who were not scholars or rabbis or great studiers of the scriptures. God used them to point to a greater truth; that God is able to use any and all people for his glory. He didn’t use them in order for Peter and John to receive commendations, accolades, and praise, but so that people would see Peter and John and say “How can so foolish or so lowly of individuals do such a great thing?” In doing this, the answer always points back to the reality of the fact that Peter and John couldn’t do so great a work in their own power, but in Christ they were able.
In God, we see unremarkable men and women perform undeniably wondrous works, so that He alone might receive honor, glory, and praise. The scriptures are filled with this great truth. Peter and John are great examples of the fact that God takes foolish and weak things and things, things that are despised by the world, and He glorifies Himself through them; that the world might not praise the vessel but that they would praise the Lord Himself. We see this expressed beautifully in places such as Psalm 8 :2, as the psalmist says, “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.” In other words, the psalmist here is saying, “God is able to use weak things of this world, such as infants and babies, that they might bring glory to His name.” God is able to use something so small and something so weak and helpless in the eyes of the world so as to bring about great glory for His name.
Let us therefore take heed of so great a truth as is expressed in Paul’s continued words in 1 Corinthians 1:31; “That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” When things go well, and when things go right, let us not say “It's all about me. I did that. That was on my goodness, or my strength, or my wisdom.” Instead, let us say “It is only by the work of the Lord. I couldn’t have done that on my own. I couldn’t have done anything on my own. I must trust in you.”
Let God receive all glory, all honor, and all praise. For He is truly the one who works in and through us, that He might be lifted up and exalted. Let us therefore seek to simply say, like the saints of old, “Not I, but Christ!”