Acts 4:13 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.

Perceptions can be deceiving. Peter and John were given utterances by the power of the Holy Spirit at this time. It was not as if they were speaking from any education of that day. They were common men.

This passage gave rise to my questioning the education status of the Jews of that day. If Peter and John were common among the men of that day, then education in the scriptures would have been minimal if not dismal.

They were uncommon in that they had been with Jesus for three years. They learned much in that time and there was a fringe group who followed Jesus and heard much of what He had to teach. If John 6:66 is to be believed many of those in the outer layer of followers stopped following Jesus.

The majority of 1^st century Christians fell into that group of common uneducated believers. In this they could relate to Peter and John, but how is it these uneducated men and women, some who did not read or speak Hebrew came to know the scriptures?

Some speak of oral traditions and this may have some validity, but Paul encouraged believers to read the scriptures. Even in that, what existed within the reading realm of the 1^st century Christians?

My imperfect understand of the times and scriptures available to the 1^st century Christian adds nothing to my present studies except for one thing. The Holy Spirit was moving in great power in the 1^st century church. Nothing significant was said about how Priscilla and Aquila instructed Apollos in righteousness, only that they did.

How they knew the Word of truth is exactly the same way you and I have access to the truth. The Holy Spirit is our source of truth.