From Ordinary to Extraordinary

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

Acts 4:13

The disciples of Christ had not had the opportunities to be schooled or trained in public speaking — a learned skill set that was highly valued in the First Century. They were of the class of people who were expected to follow, not lead, yet as they came before the religious leaders of the Jews they spoke confidently and eloquently, to the surprise of their audience.

Only one thing could explain their sudden ability to do these things — they had been with Jesus. Peter and John had not been trained in their schools, and the only logical explanation to the minds of the priests was that Jesus had trained them and this explained their zeal as well as their skill. This perhaps helped them decide not to punish them so severely, since Christ was no longer around, they supposed, the training would be forgotten and the movement would fade away — well, that thought and the miraculous healing of the crippled beggar.

But the Sanhedrin was only partly right — Christ was still impacting them through His Spirit. It is never recorded that Christ trained His disciples for public speaking and discourse, and it is sheer conjecture to suppose that He ever did. His training was of the heart, as it continues today, through His word (2 Tim. 3:16–17) and through His Spirit. That is how God makes ordinary men extraordinary. God touches hearts through His Spirit, works within us both to will and to do His will (Phil. 2:13).

When ordinary men and women spend time with the Master, their entire lives are changed.

Prayer:

Thank You, Lord, for spending time with us through Your Spirit. Take our ordinary lives and make them extraordinary for You. Amen.