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Friday, August 22nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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New Living Translation

Acts 15:8

God knows people's hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did 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.
Contemporary English Version
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.
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 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 So the apostles and elders met together to resolve this issue. 7 At the meeting, after a long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows: "Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe. 8 God knows people's hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith. 10 So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? 11 We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus." 12 Everyone listened quietly as Barnabas and Paul told about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13 When they had finished, James stood and said, "Brothers, listen to me. 14 Peter has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for himself. 15 And this conversion of Gentiles is exactly what the prophets predicted. As it is written:

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 replied, "O Sovereign Lord , what good are all your blessings when I don't even have a son? Since you've given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth.
Genesis 15:4
Then the Lord said to him, "No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir."
Genesis 15:9
The Lord told him, "Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."
Genesis 15:10
So Abram presented all these to him and killed them. Then he cut each animal down the middle and laid the halves side by side; he did not, however, cut the birds in half.
Genesis 15:13
Then the Lord said to Abram, "You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years.
Genesis 15:14
But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth.
Genesis 15:17
After the sun went down and darkness fell, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses.
2 Kings 20:8
Meanwhile, Hezekiah had said to Isaiah, "What sign will the Lord give to prove that he will heal me and that I will go to the Temple of the Lord three days from now?"
Psalms 86:17
Send me a sign of your favor. Then those who hate me will be put to shame, for you, O Lord , help and comfort me.
Isaiah 7:11
"Ask the Lord your God for a sign of confirmation, Ahaz. Make it as difficult as you want—as high as heaven or as deep as the place of the dead."

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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