Acts 11:15 kjv
And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
Acts 11:15 nkjv
And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning.
Acts 11:15 niv
"As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning.
Acts 11:15 esv
As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning.
Acts 11:15 nlt
"As I began to speak," Peter continued, "the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as he fell on us at the beginning.
Acts 11 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Acts 2:2-4 | "Suddenly there came a sound...And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit..." | The original Pentecost outpouring on Jews. |
| Acts 10:44 | "While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word." | The immediate context; the Spirit falling during the sermon. |
| Acts 15:8 | "And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit..." | God's testimony through the Spirit's outpouring. |
| Joel 2:28-29 | "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people..." | Prophecy of the Spirit poured on all flesh. |
| Isa 44:3 | "For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit on your offspring..." | God's promise to pour out His Spirit. |
| Ezek 36:26-27 | "I will give you a new heart...and put my Spirit within you..." | God putting His Spirit in people. |
| John 14:16-17 | "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth." | Jesus promises the Spirit's coming. |
| John 14:26 | "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit...will teach you all things..." | The Spirit as a teacher and reminder. |
| John 15:26 | "But when the Helper comes...he will bear witness about me." | The Spirit testifies about Christ. |
| John 16:7-8 | "it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you..." | Jesus' departure enables the Spirit's coming. |
| Luke 24:49 | "And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you." | Jesus' promise of the Spirit. |
| Eph 2:13-18 | "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ..." | Gentiles are brought near to God, having access through one Spirit. |
| Rom 8:9 | "Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him." | The Spirit is essential for belonging to Christ. |
| Gal 3:2 | "Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?" | Receiving the Spirit is by faith, not works. |
| Gal 3:14 | "so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith." | The Spirit as the promised blessing for Gentiles by faith. |
| Titus 3:5-6 | "not because of works done by us...but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit..." | Salvation by mercy and Holy Spirit renewal. |
| 1 Cor 12:13 | "For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body..." | Baptism into one body by one Spirit. |
| Heb 2:4 | "while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will." | God testifying through Spirit's distribution. |
| Acts 8:17 | "Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit." | The Spirit's receiving post-conversion. |
| Acts 1:5 | "for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit..." | Jesus' promise of Spirit baptism. |
| Acts 19:6 | "And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them..." | Another instance of Spirit outpouring. |
| Acts 13:52 | "And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." | Disciples filled with the Spirit. |
Acts 11 verses
Acts 11 15 Meaning
Acts 11:15 conveys Peter's account to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem regarding the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Gentiles in Caesarea. It highlights the divine, spontaneous action of God, who sovereignly bestowed the Holy Spirit upon Cornelius' household even before Peter completed his sermon. This event strikingly mirrored the original outpouring on Jewish believers at Pentecost, serving as undeniable proof that God extended the same salvation and indwelling Spirit to the Gentiles, confirming their equal standing and inclusion in the body of Christ.
Acts 11 15 Context
Acts chapter 11 opens with the apostles and the believers in Judea hearing that "the Gentiles also had received the word of God" (Acts 11:1). This news stirred considerable controversy, particularly among "those of the circumcision party" (Acts 11:2), who criticized Peter for associating with and eating with uncircumcised men. In response, Peter meticulously recounts the entire sequence of events that unfolded in Caesarea, from his vision of the sheet containing unclean animals (Acts 10:9-16) to his arrival at Cornelius' house (Acts 10:25-33) and the subsequent divine intervention. Verse 15 is a crucial part of Peter's defense, emphasizing that the Holy Spirit's descent upon the Gentiles was a direct act of God, echoing the foundational experience of Jewish believers at Pentecost, thereby validating their inclusion.
Acts 11 15 Word analysis
- And (`kai`): A simple conjunction connecting Peter's explanation of the events to the previous narrative, emphasizing continuity in his testimony.
- as I began (`archomai`): "to begin, make a beginning." This Greek verb highlights that the Holy Spirit fell before Peter had finished his sermon. This is significant because it shows God's sovereign initiative; it wasn't due to the completion of human effort or religious rituals, but an immediate divine act. God preempted Peter's full message, proving He was the one moving.
- to speak (`laleō`): "to speak, preach, discourse." Peter had started delivering the good news, but had not concluded, emphasizing the spontaneous and unconditional nature of God's gift.
- the Holy Ghost (`to Pneuma to Hagion`): The Third Person of the Trinity. `Pneuma` refers to "spirit, breath, wind," and `Hagion` means "holy, set apart, sacred." This refers to the divine, sanctifying Spirit of God, a direct gift from God to indwell believers. The outpouring signified divine presence and empowerment.
- fell on (`epepesen`): This is the aorist indicative of `epipiptō`, meaning "to fall upon, fall on, lie on." It conveys a sudden, forceful, and overwhelming descent or impingement, a common biblical term used to describe a powerful and immediate divine manifestation (e.g., Exod 15:16; Acts 8:16). It underlines the active and unbidden nature of God's act.
- them (`ep’ autous`): Refers to Cornelius, his household, and his close friends, who were all Gentiles (Acts 10:24, 28, 45). This is the radical point of contention Peter is addressing: God gave His Spirit to them, the non-Jews.
- as (`kathōs`): "just as, in the same way that." This crucial comparative particle draws a direct parallel between the experience of Cornelius' household and that of the Jewish believers. It signifies identity in kind, not necessarily exact timing or external manifestations. The qualitative similarity of the Spirit's bestowal is Peter's central argument.
- on us (`eph’ hēmas`): Refers to Peter and the Jewish apostles and believers who first received the Holy Spirit. This specifically points to the Day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2, the foundational outpouring.
- at the beginning (`en archē`): "at the beginning, from the first, initially." This refers to the commencement of the Christian era or specifically the initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and earliest Jewish believers in Jerusalem (Acts 2:1-4). It serves as a benchmark, indicating that the Gentile experience was not secondary or lesser, but a direct repetition of God's inaugural spiritual baptism.
- "as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them": This phrase emphasizes the swift, spontaneous, and unmerited nature of God's gift. It demonstrates divine initiative and underscores that the Holy Spirit's arrival was not dependent on the Gentiles fulfilling certain rituals or laws, or even hearing Peter's full sermon. It was a divine embrace of faith.
- "as on us at the beginning": This comparison is the cornerstone of Peter's argument for Gentile inclusion. By explicitly linking the Gentile experience to the foundational Pentecost experience of Jewish believers, Peter highlights the unity and impartiality of God's saving work. It signifies that God was treating Gentiles just as He had treated Jews regarding the blessing of the Holy Spirit, dismantling any perceived distinction or hierarchy based on ethnicity or previous covenant.
Acts 11 15 Bonus section
The immediate and independent descent of the Holy Spirit in Acts 11:15, preceding even baptism and full doctrinal instruction, underlines the New Testament teaching that receiving the Holy Spirit is primarily a result of genuine faith in Christ, not a secondary blessing or rite. This event mirrors God's actions in the Old Testament, where the Spirit would come upon individuals for specific purposes, demonstrating divine enablement rather than solely human agency. Furthermore, the Jerusalem council later cited this experience (Acts 15:8) as crucial evidence of God's working among Gentiles, confirming Peter's assertion that "God had granted to the Gentiles also that repentance that leads to life" (Acts 11:18). This verse fundamentally reshaped the identity of the nascent Church, moving it towards a truly multi-ethnic body unified by the Spirit.
Acts 11 15 Commentary
Acts 11:15 is a pivotal verse, serving as the core of Peter's theological defense for baptizing Gentiles. It declares that the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Cornelius' Gentile household was identical in nature to the outpouring experienced by Jewish believers at Pentecost. The divine timing—the Spirit falling before Peter had finished speaking—highlights God's sovereign initiation, demonstrating that His grace and salvation are not contingent on human effort or complete understanding but upon His own divine purpose and the hearing of faith. This event irrefutably demonstrated that the inclusion of Gentiles was not a human innovation or Peter's personal decision, but a direct, divinely orchestrated act, echoing the foundational outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It revealed God's impartiality and His desire to extend salvation and spiritual empowerment to "all who heard the word" (Acts 10:44), thereby breaking down the historical wall between Jew and Gentile. The sameness of the spiritual experience (as on us at the beginning) underscored their equal standing before God, validating their full entry into the Church without requiring prior Jewish conversion or circumcision. This declaration was essential for the early church's mission and theology, confirming the universal scope of the gospel.