Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and had perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled. They recognized that they had been with Jesus.
- KJV 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.
- BSB When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they marveled and took note that these men had been with Jesus.
- NASB Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.
- NLT The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The council marveled at the boldness of the unschooled Peter and John and recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. Their courage and likeness to Christ were unmistakable.
Overview
The apostles' boldness astonished the educated council, who saw they lacked formal rabbinic training. Yet their power came from having 'been with Jesus,' a phrase rich with meaning for all disciples. Time spent with Christ, and the indwelling Spirit, transforms ordinary people into bold witnesses. The verse encourages believers that intimacy with Jesus, not credentials, equips us to testify.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- 1 Cor 1:27but God chose the foolish things of the world that he might put to shame those who are wise. God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong;
- John 7:15The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How does this man know letters, having never been educated?”
- Matt 11:25At that time, Jesus answered, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to infants.
- Acts 2:7–12They were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Behold, aren’t all these who speak Galileans?
- Matt 26:73After a little while those who stood by came and said to Peter, “Surely you are also one of them, for your speech makes you known.”
- Matt 26:71When he had gone out onto the porch, someone else saw him, and said to those who were there, “This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
- John 18:16–17but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought in Peter.
- Matt 4:18–22Walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers: Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
- Luke 22:56–60A certain servant girl saw him as he sat in the light, and looking intently at him, said, “This man also was with him.”
- Matt 26:57–58Those who had taken Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together.
- John 7:49But this multitude that doesn’t know the law is accursed.”
- Luke 22:52–54Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and elders, who had come against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs?
- John 19:26Therefore when Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”
- Luke 22:8He sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 4:13 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.