Niels Prip – Blog

Acts 4:13 “Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and “untrained” men, they were marveling and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus”. The Greek word for “untrained” is “ἰδιώτης” (idiōtēs), which originally referred to a private individual or layperson, contrasting with someone in a public or official role. Over time, it evolved to imply a lack of education or skill, leading to its modern connotation of “idiot” as a foolish person. In Jesus’ day, the ruling class was made up of the educated ruling class, the priests, scribes, lawyers, Pharisees, Sadducees, etc. These were the learned and the educated, in contrast to Peter and John.

So, in Acts 4:5 we have Peter and John, unlearned men, being used by the Holy Spirit. They were brought before “the rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family”. This ruling class was amazed at Peter and John, some translations say they “marveled” at them. The Lord had just used them to heal lame beggar, and their speech and knowledge had been “quickened” by the Holy Spirit. They realized that Peter and John had been with Jesus.

There is much to say about all of this, but I want to hit home that fact that there is a huge difference between these learned rulers and the unlearned disciples. The power of the Holy Spirit surpasses the highest education. A W Tozer has a chapter in one of his books entitled Bible Taught or Spirit Taught that speaks about this. Click this link to read it.

The Apostle Paul had been part of this ruling class of Jews. When the Lord appeared to him and he received the Holy Spirit, he was never the same. We are told in Philippians 3 that Paul counted “all things as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus”. He walked away from the ruling class; the Spirit had given him something better!

These days we see many “learned” leaders fall into sin. Over the years, we have helped create a “ruling “class of preachers, ministers and prophets that have captured the attention of the modern church. Some of their ministries have become so huge that protecting the ministry takes priority, even to the point of where these leaders cease to walk by the Spirit. Their semblance of walking by the Spirit becomes murky. It ought not to be so!

May we be like Peter and John, so that people will sense that we have been with Jesus. Do not let anything hinder you from walking in the Spirit.