Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13, ESV)
The verse is often used to teach on the importance and benefits of prayer. There was something different about the disciples because “they had been with Jesus,” and through prayer, we can also be with Jesus. Although we do not dispute the value of prayer, such an application of the phrase is too shallow and figurative.
These disciples spent time with Jesus not only in prayer, but in a comprehensive program of apprenticeship. They listened to him, prayed with him, ate with him, lived with him, and traveled with him. They performed numerous kinds of tasks under his supervision, including preaching, healing, making arrangements for meetings and celebrations, and distributing food and money to the people. They modeled after his doctrine, character, and lifestyle, and then they were empowered by his Spirit. This is highly significant because it explains why most Christian leaders are nothing more than winsome wimps no matter how much they have studied and no matter how much they have prayed. They have never been with Jesus – they have never received comparable training that imparted the spirit of Christ.
The religious leaders were impressed by the disciples’ courage and eloquence in declaring the message of Jesus Christ. These disciples were uneducated, but it was for the best because the religious establishment had an education system that produced murderers. They had a superior grasp of the things of God than all the approved theologians. These disciples were common men, but they were only common by the standard of these religious hypocrites, a standard that they made up and that was affirmed by their traditions and customs. But these were the students of Jesus, because of this they had the courage to speak the truth and the power to perform miracles. That made them truly educated and uncommon. None of the religious leaders and hypocrites could measure up to this.
Refuse training that would make you a lackey of the religious establishment or a mere echo of man-made and denominational traditions, and that would impart to you a spirit possessed by those who murdered Jesus. When you have been with Jesus, you become truly educated and truly spiritual. You become filled with his Spirit, with faith, power, and wisdom. You become filled with courage to speak the gospel and with power to perform miracles. Those who interrogate you could not learn these things from their schools, and you will make them look foolish and useless. The ministry of the gospel shatters their delusion, and shows that men’s learning and approval amount to nothing. What happens? Your very existence exposes their vanity and destroys their meaning in life. They will get angry, and they will say that you are a fanatic, a heretic, or even a criminal.
There is no need to follow Jesus in the flesh to receive the same benefits. Through the Scripture, we can receive the same wisdom that he gave the apostles, and through the Holy Spirit, we can receive the same power that energized their lives and ministries. Then, we can adopt the same model of apprenticeship that Jesus used to train his disciples, to learn from those who possess the same spirit of faith and power, and to impart it to others.
Does your church leader or seminary professor speak and behave anything like Jesus Christ or is he just another denominational drone? I am not referring to the Jesus that he presents to you – that Jesus is probably an idealized projection of this man. Human tradition and unbelief diminish the Lord so that men can measure up. No, I am referring to the Jesus that we see in the Bible. Read the Gospels again slowly, and notice the kinds of things that Jesus actually said and did. Is your teacher a reflection of that Jesus? Do you notice any resemblance at all? Could he be an apprentice of the Lord? You will probably discover that he is not. You must not follow him, because he will make you into another religious drone. Follow someone who really has been with Jesus, who is full of courage and power. Then you will become educated in the school of Christ, and made uncommon by the Holy Spirit.