Acts 15:18 kjv
Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
Acts 15:18 nkjv
"Known to God from eternity are all His works.
Acts 15:18 niv
things known from long ago.
Acts 15:18 esv
known from of old.'
Acts 15:18 nlt
he who made these things known so long ago.'
Acts 15 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 33:11 | The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. | God's eternal, unchanging plan. |
| Isa 46:10 | declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’ | God declares future events and fulfills His purpose. |
| Job 21:27 | “Behold, I know your thoughts and the schemes with which you would wrong me." | God's comprehensive knowledge of thoughts and intentions. |
| Psa 139:2 | You know my sitting down and my rising up; you understand my thought afar off. | God's intimate and perfect knowledge of all things. |
| Psa 139:4 | Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. | God's complete foreknowledge, even of spoken words. |
| Psa 139:16 | Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. | God's plan for individuals from before their birth. |
| Jer 1:5 | “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you..." | God's foreknowledge and calling of individuals. |
| Rom 8:29-30 | For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son... | God's comprehensive salvific plan for believers. |
| Rom 11:2 | God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. | God's unchanging faithfulness based on foreknowledge. |
| Eph 1:4-5 | even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy... He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ... | God's election and predestination before creation. |
| Eph 1:11 | In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will... | God works everything according to His counsel and will. |
| 1 Pet 1:2 | according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood... | Salvation based on God's foreknowledge. |
| Acts 2:23 | this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified... | Jesus's crucifixion as part of God's foreknown plan. |
| Heb 4:13 | And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. | God's absolute omniscience; nothing is hidden from Him. |
| Dan 4:35 | He does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand... | God's sovereignty over all creation and events. |
| Amos 9:11-12 | “In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen... that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by my name," | The specific Old Testament prophecy quoted by James concerning Gentile inclusion. |
| Gal 3:8 | And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham... | God's ancient promise of Gentile justification by faith. |
| Eph 2:11-12 | Remember that you, once Gentiles... were at that time separated from Christ, alienated... | Gentile exclusion from Israel's covenants historically. |
| Eph 2:19 | So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God... | Gentile inclusion as full members of God's family. |
| Isa 2:2 | It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord... shall be established as the highest... and all the nations shall flow to it... | Prophecy of nations gathering to the Lord. |
| Isa 49:6 | “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob... I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” | God's intention to save Gentiles through His servant. |
| Rom 9:25-26 | As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘My people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘Beloved.’...” | Calling of Gentiles who were not God's people. |
| Acts 15:7 | And after much debate, Peter rose and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe." | Peter's testimony, confirming God's prior action for Gentiles. |
Acts 15 verses
Acts 15 18 Meaning
Acts 15:18 states a fundamental truth about God's eternal nature: all His works, plans, and purposes have been fully and perfectly known to Him from the very beginning of time, or indeed, from eternity past. This particular verse, quoted by James during the Jerusalem Council, specifically underscores that God's plan to include the Gentiles among His people, not as an afterthought but as an ancient, foreordained design, is currently unfolding according to His timeless knowledge and intention. It signifies that the calling of the Gentiles is not an unexpected development but the predetermined outworking of God's sovereign will, revealed and confirmed through Old Testament prophecy.
Acts 15 18 Context
Acts chapter 15 records the significant Jerusalem Council, convened to address a crucial theological dispute: whether Gentile converts to Christianity must be circumcised and observe the Mosaic Law in order to be saved. This intense debate arose because certain Judaizers from Judea were teaching, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved" (Acts 15:1). Paul and Barnabas vigorously opposed this doctrine, having witnessed God's grace powerfully at work among uncircumcised Gentiles on their first missionary journey.
Following testimonies from Peter, Barnabas, and Paul, James, a leading figure in the Jerusalem church and brother of Jesus, delivered the final, authoritative pronouncement. He supported the decision not to impose circumcision or the full Mosaic Law on Gentiles, grounding his argument in prophetic fulfillment. James quoted from the Septuagint version of Amos 9:11-12, interpreting it to mean that God had always planned to "rebuild the fallen tent of David" and gather the Gentiles. Acts 15:18 ("Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world") is James's foundational statement reinforcing that this inclusion of Gentiles is not an improvisation, but an ancient, known, and perfectly executed part of God's unchanging redemptive blueprint. It settles the question by appealing to God's eternal knowledge and sovereign plan, affirming that what God is now doing among the Gentiles is fully consistent with His foreordained purposes.
Acts 15 18 Word analysis
- Known (Greek:
γνωστὰ- gnōsta): This is the neuter plural form of the adjective 'known' or 'evident'. It signifies something that has been perceived, understood, and is not a secret or a new revelation to the subject of knowledge. In God's case, it denotes His inherent and perfect omniscience. For God, His works are eternally clear and decided, implying pre-knowledge, pre-planning, and settled purpose. - unto God (Greek:
τῷ θεῷ- tō theō): The dative case "to God" indicates the recipient of this knowledge, emphasizing that God is the possessor of this infinite, comprehensive understanding. It highlights God's unique position as the all-knowing and sovereign Being. - are (Greek:
ἐστὶν- estin): The present tense of the verb "to be" (ειμί). It denotes an abiding reality. God's knowledge of His works is not past or future; it is an eternal present truth. His foreknowledge is constant and unchanging. - all His works (Greek:
τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ- ta erga autou): This refers to God's deeds, actions, purposes, and designs. While broadly it refers to everything God has done or purposed from creation onwards, in the immediate context of James's speech (referring to Amos 9:11-12), it primarily points to God's current work of gathering Gentiles into His people. This emphasizes that even the "new" thing of Gentiles being saved without circumcision is, for God, an ancient and planned "work." - from the beginning of the world (Greek:
ἀπ’ αἰῶνος- ap’ aiōnos): Literally "from an age" or "from eternity." This phrase conveys a vast expanse of time, pointing to either creation's commencement or, more profoundly, to eternity past, God's timeless counsel. It stresses that God's plans are deeply rooted, predating any human activity or historical development. It underpins the divine immutability and the steadfastness of His eternal purpose.
Words-group analysis:
- "Known unto God": This phrase underlines the profound reality of divine omniscience and foreknowledge. It’s not merely that God will know, or has come to know, but that for God, His plans and actions are eternally settled and fully understood within His own being. This sets His wisdom and purpose apart from all human knowledge or unexpected developments.
- "all His works from the beginning of the world": This powerful statement declares the entirety and antiquity of God’s predetermined counsel. "All His works" encompass every aspect of creation, history, and redemption. "From the beginning of the world" (or "from ancient times") affirms that nothing God does is an improvisation or a reaction; rather, it is the deliberate unfolding of a plan that was established in eternity past, especially regarding His comprehensive redemptive initiative to include both Jew and Gentile.
Acts 15 18 Bonus section
The specific Greek text that James quotes from Amos 9 (especially v. 12) differs from the Masoretic Text (the Hebrew version often used in modern Bibles) but aligns closely with the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Old Testament widely used by Jews and Christians in the first century. The LXX reading makes the inclusion of the Gentiles explicit ("that they may seek the rest of mankind, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name"), which supports James's argument for the Gentile inclusion more directly than the Masoretic Text which mentions "the remnant of Edom." This demonstrates James's inspired use of Scripture to show that God’s redemptive plan always included the Gentiles, affirming the unity of God’s purpose across the Old and New Testaments. This verse served as a critical biblical-theological justification for Gentile inclusion into the early church without requiring full adherence to the Mosaic Law. It highlights the divine consistency: God is never surprised; His past intentions, present actions, and future goals are one unified, eternally established purpose.
Acts 15 18 Commentary
Acts 15:18 is a cornerstone declaration by James at the Jerusalem Council, articulating a fundamental theological principle to resolve a pressing controversy. By affirming that "Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world," James establishes that God's current activity—the powerful outpouring of His Spirit on uncircumcised Gentiles, bringing them to faith in Christ—is not an unexpected anomaly. Rather, it is the exact fulfillment of His preordained, ancient plan, foreseen and even foretold in the Old Testament, particularly through prophets like Amos. This truth dismantled the Judaizers' argument by showing that God Himself intended this inclusion, removing any notion that salvation was exclusively tied to Mosaic legalism. It asserts divine sovereignty and validates God's redemptive work across all humanity, reassuring that God is working out His perfect plan irrespective of human attempts to constrain Him.