Witness: Been With Jesus
This summer I have been doing a Bible study with my local Bible Bee group on Acts 1-11. We’re studying into the theme of “witness.” One of my favorite verses in Acts is Acts 4:13 (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.
First of all, we looked into the Greek for the word “untrained,” which has an amazing translation:
idiōtēs – “from G2398; a private person, i.e. (by implication) an ignoramus (compare “idiot”):—ignorant, rude, unlearned.” (Strong’s)
Peter and John were fishermen – they were not your typical disciples of a rabbi who were highly educated (like Paul). Instead, they were uneducated and untrained (or ignoramuses, as Strong’s defines the Greek!). Their confidence did not come from their education or their training. They were confident because they had been with Jesus!
Through the witness of Peter and John, the religious rulers knew that they had been with Jesus. As I’ve thought about this topic of witness and what it means to be a bold witness for Christ, I kept coming back to this truth: to be a witness, you have to actually witness something. To be a bold witness for Christ, we actually have to have been with Christ.
Peter is such an interesting character to study in this regard. He had walked with Jesus for three years. During that time Peter tried to tell Jesus not to talk about dying (see Matt. 16:21-23) and brashly declared that he would die with Jesus (see Luke 22:33), but when it came time for Jesus’ arrest and trial, he denied Christ three times (see Luke 22:60-62). Despite this, Peter is the one Jesus chose to lead the early church:
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. Matthew 16:16-18
15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus *said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Tend My lambs.” 16 He *said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” 17 He *said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus *said to him, “Tend My sheep. John 21:15-17
Peter seems to have been on quite the rollercoaster ride in his boldness and timidness during those three years with Christ. What made him become so confident that in Acts 4 it was clear he had been with Jesus?
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. Acts 2:1-4
After being filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter got up and spoke to the crowd at Pentecost and gave the first gospel presentation since Christ’s resurrection, and 3,000 people were saved (see Acts 2:41)!
Later in Acts 4, after Peter and John were threatened to stop speaking in Jesus’ name, the disciples gathered together to pray:
29 And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, 30 while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. Acts 4:29-31
If you’re like me, then maybe boldness doesn’t come naturally for you. It’s easy for me to think that some lucky people are just gifted with boldness and confidence. But after looking at the apostles (and Peter), boldness may not have come naturally for them either. What made them bold? Jesus! They were filled with the Holy Spirit and placed their confidence in the name of Jesus rather than in themselves.
let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. Acts 4:10
So, how do we become bold witnesses for Christ?
1: Be with Jesus. We cannot witness about something that we have not seen. We need to know Jesus personally. How do we do that?
First, we repent and believe the gospel.
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” Acts 2:36-39
Second, we get to know Christ through His Word. Scripture teaches that Jesus is the Truth and that the Word of God is Truth. If we want to know Jesus, we get to know His Word.
The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting. Psalm 119:160
Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. John 17:17
31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31-32
Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:6
The Bible is our sword (Eph. 6:17), guides and teaches us (2 Tim. 3:16-17), and testifies of Jesus (John 5:39). Get into the Word, and get into it daily, not for checking off a box or sounding really spiritual, but for getting to know Jesus your Savior more and more each day.
2: Pray for boldness. This sounds too simple, doesn’t it? But that’s exactly what the apostles did in Acts when they needed boldness, and God supplied it to them.
9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. 11 Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12 Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” Luke 11:9-13
Our Heavenly Father loves to give good gifts to His children, so let’s not hesitate to ask Him for courage when we need it!
3: Put your confidence in the name of Jesus! We don’t get boldness from ourselves (we can see how that turned out for Peter during Jesus’ trial). In and of ourselves, we do not have any reason for boldness. We are sinners in need of a savior. We are broken and, to be honest, rather wimpy. If we put confidence in ourselves, we have a recipe for timidity. But if we put our confidence in the name of Jesus, we can be bold because our confidence has been placed in the One who conquered death, our Savior, our Lord, the King of kings! I would encourage you, if you’re struggling with fear or a lack of boldness, to read through a book of the Bible and write down all of the attributes of Jesus (a good place to start would be Philippians). When we remember how great and powerful He is, we can have confidence.
I hope you have been encouraged today to know Jesus more and to place your confidence in Him, for He is worthy.
With love,
Kelsey
Works cited:
“G2399 – idiōtēs – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (nasb95).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 1 Jul, 2021. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2399/nasb95/mgnt/0-1/>.
