Acts 15 8

Acts 15:8 kjv

And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;

Acts 15:8 nkjv

So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us,

Acts 15:8 niv

God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.

Acts 15:8 esv

And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us,

Acts 15:8 nlt

God knows people's hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us.

Acts 15 verses

Acts 15 8 Meaning

This verse conveys Peter's central argument at the Jerusalem Council: God Himself affirmed the salvation and acceptance of the Gentiles by pouring out the Holy Spirit upon them, exactly as He had done for the Jewish believers. It asserts that God looks beyond outward observances, recognizing sincere faith of the heart, and that the Spirit's indwelling is the definitive proof of divine approval, irrespective of ethnic background or adherence to the Mosaic Law. This demonstrates that there is no distinction in God's saving work between Jew and Gentile.

Acts 15 8 Context

Acts chapter 15 records the momentous Jerusalem Council, a pivotal event in early Church history. The immediate context leading to this verse is a major theological dispute: certain Jewish believers, identified as Pharisees, insisted that Gentile converts to Christianity must be circumcised and observe the Mosaic Law to be saved (Acts 15:1, 5). This teaching threatened the very core of the Gospel's universality and the principle of salvation by grace through faith alone.

Peter's speech, from which verse 8 is taken, recounts his divinely orchestrated encounter with Cornelius and his household in Acts chapter 10. There, God directly demonstrated His acceptance of Gentiles by pouring out the Holy Spirit on them, even before they were baptized or instructed in Mosaic Law observance. This experience shattered Peter's long-held Jewish prejudices. In Acts 15:8-9, Peter argues that since God Himself made no distinction between Jewish and Gentile believers in giving the Spirit, man should not impose additional burdens like circumcision or legalism. This verse emphasizes God's initiative and sovereign act of welcoming Gentiles into the new covenant on the same basis as Jews: through faith, authenticated by the Holy Spirit, without the Law. It confronts the ethnocentric view that Gentile converts needed to become "Jewish" proselytes first to be fully recognized as followers of Christ.

Acts 15 8 Word analysis

• And God (καὶ ὁ θεός - kai ho theos): Emphasizes the divine source and authority of the act. This is not a human decision or interpretation, but God's direct initiative and endorsement.
• who knows the heart (ὁ καρδιογνώστης - ho kardiognōstēs): This is a unique and powerful compound Greek word, "heart-knower." It highlights God's absolute omniscience and ability to see beyond outward appearance or adherence to external rules (like circumcision or dietary laws) and into the sincerity of a person's faith and inner disposition. This distinguishes divine judgment from human, often superficial, judgment. It resonates with Old Testament themes where God tests and knows the hearts (e.g., 1 Sam 16:7, Jer 17:10).
• bore witness (ἐμαρτύρησεν - emartyrēsen): A strong verb meaning "to bear witness," "testify," or "attest." It indicates God Himself provided irrefutable evidence. His action was a divine validation of the Gentiles' salvation.
• to them (αὐτοῖς - autois): Specifically refers to the Gentiles, particularly Cornelius and his household as described in Acts 10. This clear identification leaves no room for ambiguity about whom God was endorsing.
• by giving (δοὺς - dous): An aorist participle indicating the decisive, completed action of "giving." It describes the direct means by which God bore witness – His sovereign bestowal of a divine gift.
• them (αὐτοῖς - autois): Repetition emphasizes the recipients were the Gentiles.
• the Holy Spirit (τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον - to Pneuma to Hagion): The third person of the Trinity, whose indwelling is the definitive sign of a person's new birth and incorporation into the Body of Christ in the New Covenant. The giving of the Spirit is the ultimate proof of acceptance and a divine seal. It validates their faith as genuine.
• just as He did to us (καθὼς καὶ ἡμῖν - kathōs kai hēmin): The Greek phrase "kathōs kai" underscores absolute equivalence and parallelism: "just as also to us." This is crucial. "Us" refers to Peter and the Jewish believers, who initially received the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). This declaration establishes profound equality; God showed no favoritism or distinction between Jewish and Gentile believers in terms of His gift of salvation and indwelling Spirit. It completely undermined any argument for separate tiers of belief or required ethnic identity for full Christian fellowship.

Acts 15 8 Bonus section

• The term kardiognōstēs is used only twice in the New Testament (Acts 1:24 and Acts 15:8), both times attributed to God, underscoring this as a divine attribute unique to Him. It speaks to God's ultimate justice and wisdom, as He truly understands motive and faith.
• Peter’s reference to "just as He did to us" echoes the theme of a 'second Pentecost' (Acts 11:15), indicating that the Spirit's outpouring on Cornelius was comparable in significance and manifestation to that experienced by the Jewish disciples. This solidified the parity.
• This verse effectively addresses the Old Testament prophecy of God putting His Spirit within His people (e.g., Ezek 36:27, Joel 2:28-29) and powerfully demonstrates that this promise extends beyond ethnic Israel to all who believe, fulfilling the New Covenant.
• The argument presented by Peter, particularly in this verse, sets the foundation for the Apostolic Decree in Acts 15:20, which focuses on moral purity rather than ceremonial law for Gentile believers. It firmly establishes that justification comes by grace through faith and is demonstrated by the Spirit's indwelling.

Acts 15 8 Commentary

Acts 15:8 is the theological crux of Peter's argument at the Jerusalem Council. It decisively grounds the inclusion of Gentiles directly in God's own sovereign action, eliminating the need for any intermediaries like Mosaic Law observances. God, with His unique ability to penetrate human pretense and see true faith (kardiognōstēs), unmistakably "bore witness" to the Gentiles' salvation by giving them the Holy Spirit. This was not a minor spiritual experience but a powerful divine attestation of their acceptance, identical to the outpouring on Jewish believers at Pentecost.

This verse therefore functions as a powerful theological pivot:

1. Redefines Acceptance: It shifts the basis of divine acceptance from outward covenant signs (like circumcision) and adherence to a legal code to the internal disposition of the heart—faith.
2. Affirms Universality: By stating that God gave the Spirit to Gentiles "just as He did to us," it collapses the theological distinction between Jew and Gentile within the Church, confirming a single, unified Body of Christ, accessible to all by faith.
3. Highlights the Spirit's Role: It powerfully establishes the indwelling Holy Spirit as the unassailable evidence of salvation and divine belonging, superseding external rituals or ancestral claims. The Spirit is God's own signature of acceptance on the life of a believer, whether Jew or Gentile.The practical implication for the early Church was profound: if God Himself had made no distinction, then man could not impose one. The Gospel was truly for all humanity on the same terms.