Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Acts 4:13

"Now when they beheld the boldness of Peter and John, and had 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 (ASV)

While literacy was high among Jews of the first century, theological disputations required rabbinic training. Since the common people had not had such training, they were thought to be incapable of carrying on sustained theological discussion. But here were Peter and John, whom the Sanhedrin observed to be “unschooled, ordinary men,” speaking fearlessly and confidently before the Jewish supreme court and senate. Their judges could not but wonder at such ordinary men having such a mastery of biblical argumentation. So they had to fall back on the only possible explanation—“these men had been with Jesus,” who, despite his lack of rabbinic training, taught “as one who had authority” (Mark 1:22). Furthermore, just as Jesus’ teaching was coupled with demonstrations of miraculous powers, which thus reinforced among the people the impression of authority (cf. Mark 1:23–28; 2:1–12; et al.), now Peter and John were beginning to do the same. There was no denying that the man had been healed. There he stood before them, physically regenerated at an age when regenerative cures do not occur of themselves (cf. v.22,). But even the miraculous is not self-authenticating apart from an openness of heart and mind; and the Sadducees’ preoccupation with protecting their vested interests shut them off from really seeing the miracle that occurred.