EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Acts 11:17
17So we see that God gave these Gentiles his gift of the Holy Spirit. This is the same gift that he gave to us Jews who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. So I could never try to stop God.’
Acts 11:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?
- New International Version (NIV)So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”
- English Standard Version (ESV)If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?"
- New King James Version (NKJV)If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?”
Context of Acts 11:17
15When I started to speak to Cornelius and his family, the Holy Spirit came down on them. It happened in the same way that he first came down on us at the beginning. 16Then I remembered what the Lord Jesus had said to us: “John baptized people with water, but God will baptize you with his Holy Spirit.” So we see that God gave these Gentiles his gift of the Holy Spirit. This is the same gift that he gave to us Jews who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. So I could never try to stop God.’ 18The Jewish believers heard what Peter said. They could not say anything more against him. Instead, they praised God and they said, ‘We now see that God has also let Gentiles have life with him. He will accept them if they stop doing bad things and turn to him.’ 19After the Jewish leaders had killed Stephen, the believers had a lot of trouble. The believers left Jerusalem and they went to many different places. Some of them went away as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch. They told God's message to people in these places. But they only told the message to Jews.
Read all of Acts 11Acts 11:17 word by word
εἰ οὖν τὴν ἴσην δωρεὰν ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ὁ θεὸς ὡς καὶ ἡμῖν, πιστεύσασιν ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, ἐγὼ τίς ἤμην δυνατὸς κωλῦσαι τὸν θεόν;¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Forasmuchεἰei · ifG1487
- thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- gaveδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
- themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- the likeἴσοςisos · equalG2470
- giftδωρεάdōrea · free giftG1431
- asκαίkai · andG2532
- unto usἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- who believedπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100
- onἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
- ·δέde · thenG1161
- whatτίςtis · which?G5101
- wasεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- that I couldδυνατόςdunatos · ableG1415
- withstandκωλύωkōluō · to preventG2967
Cross-references for Acts 11:17
- Acts 11:15When I started to speak to Cornelius and his family, the Holy Spirit came down on them. It happened in the same way that he first came down on us at the beginning.
- Acts 15:8God knows what people truly believe. He showed clearly that he accepts Gentile believers as his people. He gave his Holy Spirit to them in the same way that he did for us.
- Matthew 20:14Take your money and go home. I choose to give this last man the same amount of money as I gave to you.
- Romans 9:15Think about this. God said to Moses, ‘I will be kind to whoever I choose to be kind to. I will feel sorry for whoever I choose to feel sorry for.’
- Romans 11:34The Bible says this: ‘Nobody knows the thoughts of the Lord God. Nobody is able to tell him what he should do.’
- Acts 10:47‘God has clearly given his Holy Spirit to these people, in the same way that he gave him to us. So we should now baptize them with water. You surely agree that this is the right thing to do.’
- Job 9:12If God decides to take something, nobody can stop him. Nobody can ask him, “What are you doing?”
- Job 33:13So you should not argue against him. You should not say, “God does not answer any of my questions.”
- Job 40:2‘Do you still want to argue with me, the Almighty God? You say that I have not been fair. Now you must explain what you mean.’
- Daniel 4:35All the people on the earth seem like nothing to him. He does whatever he wants among the angels in heaven, and among the people on the earth too. Nobody can stop him. Nobody can ask him, ‘Why are you doing that?’
- Romans 9:20But you are only human. You have no authority to speak against God like that. God has made you. A pot cannot speak against the person who made it! It cannot ask him, ‘Why did you make me like this?’
Commentaries on Acts 11:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17God gave them the like gift, etc. - Viz. the Holy Spirit, and its various gifts and graces, in the same way and in the same measure in which he gave them to us Jews. What was I, that I could withstand God? It was not I who called them to salvation: it was God; and the thing is proved to be from God alone, for none other could dispense the Holy Spirit.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17What was I - What power or right had I to oppose the manifest will of God that the Gentiles should be received into the Christian church. Withstand God - Oppose or resist God. He had indicated his will; he had showed his intention to save the Gentiles; and the prejudices of Peter were all overcome. One of the best means of destroying prejudice and false opinions is a powerful revival of religion. More erroneous doctrines and unholy feelings are overcome…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-17Peter reviewed what had happened. He explained that God had directed the whole series of events (11:12). Peter ate with Gentiles (non-Jews) because God made it evident that he should (11:4–12). Peter then saw the Holy Spirit come upon the Gentiles, realizing God accepted and blessed them like Jews who trusted in Jesus (11:15–17; see 1:5). Peter followed God's will by admitting Gentiles to the church.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 12-1812-18. we entered the man's house--No mention of Cornelius' name, much less of his high position, as if that affected the question. To the charge, "Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised," he simply speaks of the uncircumcised "man" to whom he had been divinely sent.Read the comment
Topics related to Acts 11:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Acts 11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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