ILLITERATE AND IGNORANT
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Opening Prayer
Lord God, thank you for the gift of the Bible that teaches me who you are, offers me salvation in your Son Jesus and, as your Spirit speaks to me through it, transforms me into his likeness.
Read ACTS 4:13–22
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”
18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
This is a time to be with Jesus. He is with us all the time and in all places. Pause now to focus on his astonishing promise: ‘I am with you always, to the very end of the age’ (Matthew 28:20).Once, at a party, I stood with two eminent doctors—and there I was, a struggling freelance PR consultant! I chuckled at the thought that I was a spin doctor among physicians. I felt intimidated by their intellectual achievements, even though they were both humble and self-effacing. Comparing ourselves to others is always a joyless endeavor, and this reading exposes the flaw in our attempts to be at the top of the pecking order.
Faced with Peter and John’s persuasive words and stunning miracles, I can hear the scorn in the religious leaders’ put-down. The two men were illiterate and ignorant (v. 13)—what did they have to offer? The religious leaders had a point. It’s highly likely that neither of the men could read or write and they were utterly unfamiliar with the rhetorical skills of the temple. And yet their critics noted that they had been with Jesus. The indisputable power at work in their lives was apparent for all to see. If nothing else, the healed man was still there (v. 14), a living testimony to the power of the risen Christ.
Apply
Are you intimidated at times when you have the opportunity to share your faith with others?
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, there is nothing more important to share with others than who you are and what you have done. Help me to courageously speak about you, confident that your Spirit is at work through me, able to change hearts and lives forever.
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