John 7:15-16

7:15 Then the Jewish leaders ¹  were astonished ²  and said, “How does this man know so much when he has never had formal instruction?” ³  7:16 So Jesus replied, ⁴  “My teaching is not from me, but from the one who sent me. ⁵ 

Acts 4:13

4:13 When they saw the boldness ⁶  of Peter and John, and discovered ⁷  that they were uneducated ⁸  and ordinary ⁹  men, they were amazed and recognized these men had been with Jesus.

[7:15]  ¹ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents. See the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 1.

[7:15]  ² tn Or “began to be astonished.” This imperfect verb could also be translated ingressively (“began to be astonished”), but for English stylistic reasons it is rendered as a simple past.

[7:15]  ³ tn Grk “How does this man know learning since he has not been taught?” The implication here is not that Jesus never went to school (in all probability he did attend a local synagogue school while a youth), but that he was not the disciple of a particular rabbi and had not had formal or advanced instruction under a recognized rabbi (compare Acts 4:13 where a similar charge is made against Peter and John; see also Paul’s comment in Acts 22:3).

[7:16]  ⁴ tn Grk “So Jesus answered and said to them.”

[7:16]  ⁵ tn The phrase “the one who sent me” refers to God.

[4:13]  ⁶ tn Or “courage.”

[4:13]  ⁷ tn Or “and found out.”

[4:13]  ⁸ sn Uneducated does not mean “illiterate,” that is, unable to read or write. Among Jews in NT times there was almost universal literacy, especially as the result of widespread synagogue schools. The term refers to the fact that Peter and John had no formal rabbinic training and thus, in the view of their accusers, were not qualified to expound the law or teach publicly. The objection is like Acts 2:7.

[4:13]  ⁹ tn For the translation of ἰδιῶται (idiwtai) as “ordinary men” see L&N 27.26.