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Saturday, July 19th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Acts 15:9

To God, those people are not different from us. When they believed, God made their hearts pure.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Antioch;   Bigotry;   Catholicity;   Church;   Circumcision;   Council;   Doctrines;   Elder;   Faith;   Gentiles;   Law;   Peter;   Regeneration;   Respect of Persons;   Salvation;   Titus;   Thompson Chain Reference - God;   Impartiality, Divine;   Justice-Injustice;   The Topic Concordance - Gentiles/heathen;   Israel/jews;   Salvation;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Faith;   Heart, the;   Jews, the;   Justification before God;  

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;   Heart;   Sermon on the Mount;   Worship;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Abstinence;   Faith;   Ordination;   Presbyterians;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Faith;   Peter;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Joshua;   Paul;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acts;   Barnabas;   Council of Jerusalem;   Disciples;   Faith;   Galatians, Letter to the;   Romans, Book of;   Temptation;   Unity;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Antioch;   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);   Faith;   Heart ;   Law;   Purity (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Barnabas ;   Elders;   Purification;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Antioch;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Paul;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Methodists;   Synods;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Law of Moses, the;   Kingdom or Church of Christ, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Heart;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - New Testament;   Saul of Tarsus;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for November 10;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
King James Version (1611)
And put no difference between vs & them, purifying their hearts by faith.
King James Version
And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
English Standard Version
and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.
New American Standard Bible
and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
New Century Version
To God, those people are not different from us. When they believed, he made their hearts pure.
Amplified Bible
and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith [in Jesus].
New American Standard Bible (1995)
and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
Legacy Standard Bible
and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
Berean Standard Bible
He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts by faith.
Contemporary English Version
God treated them in the same way that he treated us. They put their faith in him, and he made their hearts pure.
Complete Jewish Bible
that is, he made no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their heart by trust.
Darby Translation
and put no difference between us and them, having purified their hearts by faith.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And he put no difference betweene vs and them, after that by faith he had purified their heartes.
George Lamsa Translation
And he did not discriminate between us and them, because he purified their hearts by faith.
Good News Translation
He made no difference between us and them; he forgave their sins because they believed.
Lexham English Bible
And he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
Literal Translation
And He made distinction in nothing between both us and them, having purified their hearts by faith.
American Standard Version
and he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
Bible in Basic English
Making no division between them and us, but making clean their hearts by faith.
Hebrew Names Version
He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
International Standard Version
He made no distinction between them and us, because he cleansed their hearts by faith.Acts 10:15,28, 43; Romans 10:11; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Peter 1:23;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
And nothing distinguished between us and them, because he had purified by faith their hearts.
Murdock Translation
And he made no distinction between them and us; because he purified their hearts by faith.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And put no difference betwene vs and them, purifiyng their heartes by fayth.
English Revised Version
and he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
World English Bible
He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Weymouth's New Testament
and He made no difference between us and them, in that He cleansed their hearts by their faith.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and no thing diuerside bitwixe vs and hem, `and clenside the hertis of hem bi feith.
Update Bible Version
and he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
Webster's Bible Translation
And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
New English Translation
and he made no distinction between them and us, cleansing their hearts by faith.
New King James Version
and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
New Living Translation
He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith.
New Life Bible
He has made no difference between them and us. They had their hearts made clean when they put their trust in Him also.
New Revised Standard
and in cleansing their hearts by faith he has made no distinction between them and us.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and made no distinction at all betwixt us and them, by their faith, purifying their hearts.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Revised Standard Version
and he made no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their hearts by faith.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
and he put no difference bitwene them and vs but with fayth purified their hertes.
Young's Literal Translation
and did put no difference also between us and them, by the faith having purified their hearts;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
& put no dyfference betwixte vs & them, and purified their hertes thorow fayth.
Mace New Testament (1729)
making no difference between us and them, having purified their hearts by the faith.
Simplified Cowboy Version
He didn't check their pickles, just their faith . . . and he washed 'em clean of their sins.

Contextual Overview

6 Then the apostles and the elders gathered to study this problem. 7 After a long debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "My brothers, I am sure you remember what happened in the early days. God chose me from among you to tell the Good News to those who are not Jewish. It was from me that they heard the Good News and believed. 8 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. 9 To God, those people are not different from us. When they believed, God made their hearts pure. 10 So now, why are you putting a heavy burden around the necks of the non-Jewish followers of Jesus? Are you trying to make God angry? We and our fathers were not able to carry that burden. 11 No, we believe that we and these people will be saved the same way—by the grace of the Lord Jesus." 12 Then the whole group became quiet. They listened while Paul and Barnabas told about all the miraculous signs and wonders that God had done through them among the non-Jewish people. 13 When they finished speaking, James said, "My brothers, listen to me. 14 Simon Peter has told us how God showed his love for the non-Jewish people. For the first time, God accepted them and made them his people. 15 The words of the prophets agree with this too:

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

put: Acts 14:1, Acts 14:27, Romans 3:9, Romans 3:22, Romans 3:29, Romans 3:30, Romans 4:11, Romans 4:12, Romans 9:24, Romans 10:11-13, 1 Corinthians 7:18, Galatians 3:28, Galatians 5:6, Ephesians 2:14-22, Ephesians 3:6, Colossians 3:11

purifying: Acts 10:15, Acts 10:28, Acts 10:43, Acts 10:44, 1 Corinthians 1:2, Hebrews 9:13, Hebrews 9:14, 1 Peter 1:22

Reciprocal: Numbers 19:12 - He shall purify Psalms 24:4 - pure Psalms 51:10 - clean Proverbs 16:6 - mercy Proverbs 21:8 - but Ezekiel 47:22 - they shall have Zechariah 14:20 - shall there Matthew 5:8 - are John 17:17 - Sanctify Acts 10:35 - in Acts 10:47 - General Acts 11:9 - What Acts 11:17 - as God Acts 15:24 - Ye must Acts 26:18 - faith Romans 10:12 - there is no Romans 14:3 - for 2 Thessalonians 2:13 - belief 1 Timothy 1:5 - a pure Titus 2:14 - purify James 2:14 - though James 4:8 - purify 2 Peter 1:1 - have 1 John 3:3 - purifieth

Cross-References

Genesis 22:13
Then Abraham noticed a ram whose horns were caught in a bush. So Abraham went and took the ram. He offered it, instead of his son, as a sacrifice to God.
Leviticus 1:3
"If you offer one of your cattle as a burnt offering, it must be a bull that has nothing wrong with it. You must take the animal to the entrance of the Meeting Tent where the Lord will accept the offering.
Leviticus 1:10
"If you offer a sheep or a goat as a burnt offering, it must be a male that has nothing wrong with it.
Leviticus 1:14
"If you offer a bird as a burnt offering to the Lord , that bird must be a dove or a young pigeon.
Leviticus 3:1
"If you offer one of your cattle as a fellowship offering, it can be a bull or a cow. But the animal you offer to the Lord must have nothing wrong with it.
Leviticus 3:6
"If you offer a sheep or a goat as a fellowship offering to the Lord , whether it is a male or a female, it must have nothing wrong with it.
Leviticus 9:2
He said to Aaron, "Take a bull and a ram. There must be nothing wrong with them. The bull will be a sin offering, and the ram will be a burnt offering. Offer these animals to the Lord .
Leviticus 9:4
Take a bull and a ram for fellowship offerings. Take these animals and a grain offering mixed with oil for an offering to the Lord . Do this because the Lord will appear to you today.'"
Leviticus 14:22
and two doves or two young pigeons. Even poor people can afford these things. One bird will be a sin offering, and the other will be a burnt offering.
Leviticus 14:30
"Then the priest must offer one of the doves or young pigeons. (He must offer whichever the person can afford.)

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And put no difference between us and them,.... Neither in the extraordinary gifts, nor special grace, of the Spirit; giving them the same graces of faith, hope, and love, admitting to the same privileges and immunities of the house of God, and giving them a right and title to the same inheritance of the saints in light, though the one were circumcised, and the other were not. God puts no difference as to matters of religion under the Gospel dispensation between Jews and Gentiles, neither on account of Abraham's seed, or of circumcision, or of the ceremonial law, or of national adoption; nor would he have any made with respect to conversation, civil or religious; all which Peter knew full well: nor has he made any difference in his eternal choice of persons to eternal salvation, on any of the above accounts, having ordained Gentiles to eternal life as Jews, who in consequence of it believe in Christ; nor in redemption, Christ having redeemed by his blood men out of every kindred, tongue, people, and nation; nor in the effectual calling, for they that were called in the first times of the Gospel, were not of the Jews only, but of the Gentiles also, to whom the Gospel was alike sent, and made effectual to saving purposes: these shared in the same blessings of pardon, justification, and adoption; their sins were forgiven through the same blood, their persons were justified by the same righteousness, and they were taken into the same family, and were no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens of the saints, and of the household of God; having the same access to God, being built on the same foundation, enjoying the same privileges, and having the same hope of eternal glory.

Purifying their hearts by faith; which was done by implanting faith in them, and leading that faith to the blood of Christ, which cleanses from all sin, original and actual, with which men are defiled; for faith has not this efficacy in itself, but as it has to do with the blood of Jesus: and this spiritual purification being what answered to circumcision, made that unnecessary; for this is the circumcision of the heart, of which the other was only typical. The hearts of men are filthy, and need purifying; they are originally polluted with sin; this is the case of all men; and this defilement reaches to all the members of the body, and the faculties of the soul; and especially the heart is the seat of this impurity, which God only can cleanse: he promises to do it, and does do it; and he only can do it, men cannot; for though, they are exhorted to it, in order to make them sensible of their pollution, and their need of cleansing, that they may apply where it is to be had, yet it is not in their power to effect it; to make a clean heart is a creation work, which is peculiar to God: the heart cannot be purified, neither by ceremonial ablutions, nor by works of moral righteousness, nor by humiliations and tears, nor by submission to Gospel ordinances, as water baptism, but only by the grace of God, and the blood of Christ; which the Spirit of God sprinkles upon the heart, and which faith looks to and deals with, and so it is freed from an evil conscience; and this blessing the believing Gentiles enjoyed in common with the believing Jews.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And put no difference ... - Though they had not been circumcised, and though they did not conform to the Law of Moses. Thus, God showed that the observance of these rites was not necessary in order to the true conversion of people, and to acceptance with him. He did not give us, who are Jews, any advantage over them, but justified and purified all in the same manner.

Purifying their hearts - Thus, giving the best evidence that he had renewed them, and admitted them to favor with him.

By faith - By believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. This demonstrated that the plan on which God was now about to show favor to people was not by external rites and ceremonies, but by a scheme which required faith as the only condition of acceptance. It is further implied here that there is no true faith which does not purify the heart.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 15:9. Put no difference between us and them — Giving them the Holy Spirit, though uncircumcised, just as he had given it to us who were circumcised: an evident proof that, in the judgment of God, circumcision was no preparation to receive the Gospel of Christ. And as the purification of the heart by the Holy Spirit was the grand object of the religion of God, and that alone by which the soul could be prepared for a blessed immortality, and the Gentiles had received that without circumcision, consequently, the shadow could not be considered of any worth, now the substance was communicated.


 
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