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Contemporary English Version

Acts 15:8

He knows what is in everyone's heart. And he showed that he had chosen the Gentiles, when he gave them the Holy Spirit, just as he had given his Spirit to us.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Antioch;   Bigotry;   Catholicity;   Church;   Circumcision;   Council;   Doctrines;   Elder;   Gentiles;   God Continued...;   Heart;   Holy Spirit;   Law;   Peter;   Salvation;   Titus;   Thompson Chain Reference - Heart;   Hearts Read;   Knowledge;   Knowledge, Divine;   Knowledge-Ignorance;   The Topic Concordance - Gentiles/heathen;   Giving and Gifts;   Heart;   Holy Spirit;   Israel/jews;   Knowledge;   Salvation;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Gift of the Holy Spirit, the;   Heathen, the;   Jews, the;   Justification before God;   Witness of the Holy Spirit;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Circumcision;   Council;   Meats;   Peter;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Antioch in syria;   Gentile;   Peter;   Timothy;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Amos, Theology of;   Circumcision;   Sermon on the Mount;   Worship;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Abstinence;   Ordination;   Presbyterians;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Peter;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Joshua;   Paul;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acts;   Barnabas;   Council of Jerusalem;   Disciples;   Galatians, Letter to the;   Romans, Book of;   Temptation;   Unity;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Antioch;   Church Government;   Council;   Galatians, Epistle to the;   James;   James, Epistle of;   Law;   Paul the Apostle;   Peter;   Power of the Keys;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Divisions;   Ebionism (2);   God;   Holy Spirit (2);   Law;   Ordination;   Preaching Christ;   Regeneration;   Resurrection of Christ;   Witness;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Barnabas ;   Elders;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Antioch;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Paul;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Synods;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Law of Moses, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Foreknow;   Heart;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Antinomianism;   New Testament;   Saul of Tarsus;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for November 10;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he also did to us.
King James Version (1611)
And God which knoweth the hearts, bare them witnes, giuing them the holy Ghost, euen as he did vnto vs,
King James Version
And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
English Standard Version
And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us,
New American Standard Bible
"And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;
New Century Version
God, who knows the thoughts of everyone, accepted them. He showed this to us by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us.
Amplified Bible
"And God, who knows and understands the heart, testified to them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;
Legacy Standard Bible
And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;
Berean Standard Bible
And God, who knows the heart, showed His approval by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us.
Complete Jewish Bible
And God, who knows the heart, bore them witness by giving the Ruach HaKodesh to them, just as he did to us;
Darby Translation
And the heart-knowing God bore them witness, giving [them] the Holy Spirit as to us also,
Easy-to-Read Version
God knows everyone, even their thoughts, and he accepted these non-Jewish people. He showed this to us by giving them the Holy Spirit the same as he did to us.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And God which knoweth the heartes, bare them witnesse, in giuing vnto them ye holy Ghost euen as he did vnto vs.
George Lamsa Translation
And God, who knows what is in the heart, has testified concerning them, and has given them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us.
Good News Translation
And God, who knows the thoughts of everyone, showed his approval of the Gentiles by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he had to us.
Lexham English Bible
And God, who knows the heart, testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he also did to us.
Literal Translation
And the heart-knowing God testified to them, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as also to us.
American Standard Version
And God, who knoweth the heart, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did unto us;
Bible in Basic English
And God, the searcher of hearts, was a witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit even as he did to us;
Hebrew Names Version
God, who knows the heart, testified about them, giving them the Ruach HaKodesh, just like he did to us.
International Standard Version
God, who knows everyone's heart, showed them he approved by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us.1 Chronicles 28:9; Acts 1:24; 10:44;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
And Aloha, who knoweth what is in the hearts, testified of them, and gave them the Spirit of Holiness, as to us.
Murdock Translation
And God, who knoweth what is in hearts, bore testimony concerning them, and gave the Holy Spirit to them, even as to us.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And God whiche knoweth the heartes, bare them witnesse, and gaue vnto them the holy ghost, euen as he dyd vnto vs:
English Revised Version
And God, which knoweth the heart, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
World English Bible
God, who knows the heart, testified about them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just like he did to us.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And God who knoweth the heart, bare them witness, giving the Holy Ghost to them, even as also to us.
Weymouth's New Testament
And God, who knows all hearts, gave His testimony in their favour by bestowing the Holy Spirit on them just as He did on us;
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and God, that knewe hertis, bar witnessing, and yaf to hem the Hooli Goost, as also to vs;
Update Bible Version
And God, who knows the heart, bore them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did to us;
Webster's Bible Translation
And God, who knoweth the hearts, bore them witness, giving to them the Holy Spirit, even as [he did] to us:
New English Translation
And God, who knows the heart, has testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us,
New King James Version
So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us,
New Living Translation
God knows people's hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us.
New Life Bible
God knows the hearts of all men. He showed them they were to have His loving-favor by giving them the Holy Spirit the same as He gave to us.
New Revised Standard
And God, who knows the human heart, testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us;
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, the heart-observing God, bare witness, - unto them, giving the Holy Spirit, just as, even unto us;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And God, who knoweth the hearts, gave testimony, giving unto them the Holy Ghost, as well as to us:
Revised Standard Version
And God who knows the heart bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us;
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And God which knoweth the herte bare them witnes and gave vnto them the holy goost eve as he dyd vnto vs
Young's Literal Translation
and the heart-knowing God did bare them testimony, having given to them the Holy Spirit, even as also to us,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And God the knower of hertes bare wytnesse ouer the, and gaue the the holy goost, like as vnto vs,
Mace New Testament (1729)
God who knows their hearts has granted them a testimonial, by giving them the holy spirit, even as he did to us:
Simplified Cowboy Version
God knows all people's hearts, and he branded these mavericks with the Holy Spirit just like he did us.

Contextual Overview

6 The apostles and church leaders met to discuss this problem about Gentiles. 7 They had talked it over for a long time, when Peter got up and said: My friends, you know that God decided long ago to let me be the one from your group to preach the good news to the Gentiles. God did this so that they would hear and obey him. 8 He knows what is in everyone's heart. And he showed that he had chosen the Gentiles, when he gave them the Holy Spirit, just as he had given his Spirit to us. 9 God treated them in the same way that he treated us. They put their faith in him, and he made their hearts pure. 10 Now why are you trying to make God angry by placing a heavy burden on these followers? This burden was too heavy for us or our ancestors. 11 But our Lord Jesus was kind to us, and we are saved by faith in him, just as the Gentiles are. 12 Everyone kept quiet and listened as Barnabas and Paul told how God had given them the power to work a lot of miracles and wonders for the Gentiles. 13 After they had finished speaking, James said: My friends, listen to me! 14 Simon Peter has told how God first came to the Gentiles and made some of them his own people. 15 This agrees with what the prophets wrote,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

which: Acts 1:24, 1 Samuel 16:7, 1 Kings 8:39, 1 Chronicles 28:9, 1 Chronicles 29:17, Psalms 44:21, Psalms 139:1, Psalms 139:2, Jeremiah 11:20, Jeremiah 17:10, Jeremiah 20:12, John 2:24, John 2:25, John 21:17, Hebrews 4:13, Revelation 2:23

bare: Acts 14:3, John 5:37, Hebrews 2:4

giving: Acts 2:4, Acts 4:31, Acts 10:44, Acts 10:45, Acts 11:15-17

Reciprocal: Joel 2:28 - upon Luke 16:15 - God John 14:26 - Holy Ghost John 15:26 - he Acts 2:39 - and to all Acts 10:28 - but Acts 10:47 - General Acts 11:17 - as God Acts 13:22 - to whom Romans 8:27 - And he Romans 10:12 - there is no Romans 14:3 - for 2 Corinthians 11:11 - God Galatians 3:2 - Received Hebrews 6:4 - partakers 2 Peter 1:1 - have

Cross-References

Genesis 15:2
But Abram answered, " Lord All-Powerful, you have given me everything I could ask for, except children. And when I die, Eliezer of Damascus will get all I own.
Genesis 15:4
The Lord replied, "No, he won't! You will have a son of your own, and everything you have will be his."
Genesis 15:9
Then the Lord told him, "Bring me a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a dove, and a young pigeon."
Genesis 15:10
Abram obeyed the Lord . Then he cut the animals in half and laid the two halves of each animal opposite each other on the ground. But he did not cut the doves and pigeons in half.
Genesis 15:13
Then the Lord said: Abram, you will live to an old age and die in peace. But I solemnly promise that your descendants will live as foreigners in a land that doesn't belong to them. They will be forced into slavery and abused for four hundred years. But I will terribly punish the nation that enslaves them, and they will leave with many possessions.
Genesis 15:17
Sometime after sunset, when it was very dark, a smoking cooking pot and a flaming fire went between the two halves of each animal.
2 Kings 20:8
Hezekiah asked Isaiah, "Can you prove that the Lord will heal me, so that I can worship in his temple in three days?"
Psalms 86:17
Show that you approve of me! Then my hateful enemies will feel like fools, because you have helped and comforted me.
Isaiah 7:11
"Ask me for proof that my promise will come true. Ask for something to happen deep in the world of the dead or high in the heavens above."
Luke 1:18
Zechariah said to the angel, "How will I know this is going to happen? My wife and I are both very old."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And God which knoweth the hearts,.... Of all men; he being omniscient, the searcher of the hearts, and the trier of the reins of the children of men, knew with what sincerity Cornelius sent for Peter; and with what vehement desire and longing expectation he and his family and friends waited for his coming; and with what earnestness, diligence, and affection they attended to what he said:

bore them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; God bore a testimony, and showed his well pleasedness in the whole of this affair, by bestowing upon them not only the regenerating and sanctifying grace of the Spirit; but his extraordinary gifts, such as speaking with divers tongues, even in like manner as these were bestowed on the apostles themselves, on the day of Pentecost, though they were uncircumcised persons; for the drift of Peter's oration is to show, that circumcision was not necessary to salvation.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And God, which knoweth the hearts - Acts 1:24. God thus knew whether they were true converts or not, and gave a demonstration that he acknowledged them as his.

Giving them the Holy Ghost ... - Acts 10:45-46.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 15:8. And God which knoweth the hearts — Ο καρδιογνωϚης Θεος. We had this epithet of the Divine Being once before; see Acts 1:24, and the note there: it occurs no where else in the New Testament.

Bare them witness — Considered them as proper or fit to receive the Gospel of Christ. It is properly remarked by learned men, that μαρτυρειν τινι, to bear witness to any person, signifies to approve, to testify in behalf of. Here it signifies that, as God evidently sent the Gospel to the Gentiles, and, by the preaching of it, conveyed the Holy Spirit to them who believed, and as he can make no improper judgment of any who knows all hearts and their secrets, therefore what he had done was right: he saw that it was time for them to receive the Gospel; and he saw that they might be safely trusted with this heavenly deposit; and the experience of eighteen hundred years has justified the conduct of God.


 
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