13. 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.
This one has always bothered me a little bit. Was it the boldness that made them think they were ignorant and unlearned? Perhaps it was the fact that they spoke back to these "church leaders" rather than giving them the respect that they felt they were due? Personally I suspect that it might have been their language, no, not swearing but perhaps they did not speak with fancy flowery words. If these were Americans chances are it was the ain'ts, y'all's, youse guys, and yonders that gave that impression. Is it safe to say that these men might have been ''Rednecks"?
Peter was the loud mouth, brash quick talking fisherman. John was the Fisherman who was called a Son of Thunder. Chances are these men were not eloquent in speech, but they sure were effective.
It says they marveled, they were shocked to see these ''rednecks'' preaching so boldly and not cowering in fear. The final comment was that they realized that these men had been with Jesus.
No matter how we speak, whom we speak to, how we dress, how we act or what we do.. will people take knowledge of us and realize that we have been with Jesus? If not, who are we being identified with?
