The apostles whom the Master chose included fishermen and uneducated people. A person’s character and faithfulness to God have nothing to do with the level of formal education which he has or has not received. Be thankful for the privilege (many are just as intelligent as you are, but for various reasons were never given a chance to pursue such an education), but do not be lifted up with pride because of it. On the other hand, perhaps you have been blessed to be given the opportunity to study in educational institutions. Some of Jesus’ apostles were in the same category. So, the leaders of the Jews counted the apostles as untrained, illiterate idiots.ĭo you lack special, advanced educational training? If so, do not feel badly. The word “untrained” comes from a very interesting sounding Greek word – ἰδιώτης, read as “idiōtēs,” which is defined as “in the N.T., an unlearned, illiterate, man as opposed to the learned and educated: one who is unskilled in any art”. They referred to those two as “ uneducated and untrained men.” “Uneducated” points to them being illiterate, that is, not having received a formal education in the Jewish schools in which Rabbis were trained. Second, the Jewish leaders observed the apostles’ LACK OF FORMAL TRAINING. Such boldness comes from trusting in the Lord and having complete confidence that He will help us and bless us as we do His will. It takes courage to put God first in our lives (Matthew 6:33). It takes courage not to listen when others are telling and laughing at dirty jokes. It takes courage to refuse to lie when pressured to do so. Saints of God need to act boldly in their place of study or work. We need parents who will have the wisdom and courage to train and discipline their children and set a godly example for them to imitate. We need courageous Christians in our homes. that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” (Ephesians 6:18,19). Paul understood the need to preach boldly, so he asked other saints to pray for him to do that: “. The church needs gospel preachers who will courageously preach the word, like Stephen did (Acts 7), both “ in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2). It requires commitment and courage to open our mouths and do that. Sure, it is easier to teach the truth when we are confident that people who hear it will respond favorably, but our job is to tell the good news to every person without fearing their reaction (Mark 16:15). Our task is to sow the seed – teach the gospel to all who will listen, regardless of their response to it. We must not sit back and try to analyze whether or not people will like the truth that we present. In the church today, we need members who will speak boldly to the lost about God’s word. Other references to disciples’ boldness are found in Acts 4:31 19:8 28:31. A later team, Paul and Barnabas, also had the habit of “ speaking boldly in the Lord” (Acts 14:3). The courage of the first-century followers of the Christ was one of their outstanding characteristics. In the face of opposition and danger, these men proclaimed the way of salvation that comes only through Jesus. This text shows three things that the opposers of Jesus’ Cause saw in two of His most well-known followers.įirst, the Sanhedrin saw the apostles’ BOLDNESS. And they realized that they had been with Jesus” (4:13). When the members of the Sanhedrin council watched and listened to them, what did they observe? “ Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. After John and Peter healed a lame man and Peter preached to the Jews who came together after that marvelous miracle, the Jewish leaders took the two apostles into custody and interrogated them (Acts 3:1-4:12).
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