Acts 4:8-13 “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. 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.”
Peter and John were detained in jail over night so that they could be questioned by Annas the High Priest and his religious associates. Having been questioned, the disciples were given the opportunity to answer the charges against them. With a boldness that only comes from being filled with the Holy Spirit, the disciples “marvelled” their accusers. This admiration was generated by what they saw and not what they heard; when they saw . . . they marveled.” The word “saw” means to discern by being a spectator. The spectators were moved by seeing Christ in the lives of Peter and John. The testimony of the spectators was “they had been with Jesus.” If you ever expect your friends to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and accept Him as Saviour, it will not be by what they hear you say, but what they see! While the spectators may not have known a whole lot about Jesus, they knew enough to know Him when they saw Him in the lives of Peter and John. Your friends and neighbors may not attend church and may not claim to have had any religious experience, but they know enough to know how a Christian is supposed to act! The only beliefs to be believed are those that can be seen as well as those that can be spoken!