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Will the Theologians Please Sit Down  /  Chapter 4: How Jesus Overturned the Theologians  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 10
In Acts 4, the leaders “perceived they were uneducated and untrained” yet “realized they had been with Jesus,” and Peter insists on obeying God rather than theologians; what would it look like for a congregation to measure authority primarily by “has been with Jesus” and bold obedience, and what cherished modern assumptions about assurance, safety, and “order” would that threaten?
Another way to ask: What would it look like for a church to trust leaders mainly because they have been with Jesus and obey Him boldly? What ideas about safety, certainty, and “doing things in order” might that challenge?

Direct Answer Based on the transcript, a congregation would treat firsthand discipleship with Jesus (seen in bold, Spirit-filled witness and visible fruit) as the main source of authority, even when it contradicts respected experts; this would threaten the assumption that “trained” voices and institutional control are necessary for spiritual safety and order.

Support from Transcript:

  • Leaders noticed “the boldness of Peter and John” and that they were “uneducated and untrained men.”
  • They “marveled” and “realized that they had been with Jesus.”
  • Peter’s authority came from the Spirit and Christ: “Filled with the Holy Spirit… by the name of Jesus Christ… this man stands… whole.”
  • When commanded to be silent, they rejected expert control: “Whether it is right… to listen to you more than to God, you judge.”
  • They grounded obedience in testimony: “we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
  • Bercot frames this as the end of a “spiritual power monopoly” held by theologians.
Discussion Follow-ups How do we keep real “order” (servanthood, humility, faithfulness) while refusing the kind of order that is mainly about preserving professional authority?

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