Acts 15:8

Acts 15:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
• New International Version (NIV)God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us,
• New King James Version (NKJV)So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us,

Context of Acts 15:8

6So the apostles and the other leaders of the believers met to talk about this problem. 7After they had all talked about this problem for a long time, Peter stood up to speak. He said, ‘My friends, you know that, a long time ago, God chose me from among all you leaders. He wanted me to teach Gentiles the good news about Jesus. God wanted them to hear his message and to believe in Jesus. God 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. 9He made no difference between them and us. When they believed in Jesus, he saved them. He made them clean inside. 10So do not say that God has done a wrong thing. God has shown us that he accepts Gentiles when they believe in Jesus. If you make the Gentile believers obey the Law of Moses, that is like a heavy weight on their necks. Even we Jews and our ancestors could not carry that heavy weight.

Acts 15:8 word by word

καὶ ὁ καρδιογνώστης θεὸς ἐμαρτύρησεν αὐτοῖς δοὺς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον καθὼς καὶ ἡμῖν·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• which knoweth the heartsκαρδιογνώστηςkardiognōstēs · heart-knowerG2589
• bareμαρτυρέωmartureō · to testifyG3140
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• givingδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• the Holyἅγιοςhagios · holyG40
• Ghostπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
• asκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
• unto usἐγώegō · I/weG1473

Cross-references for Acts 15:8

• Acts 1:24Then the whole group prayed, ‘Lord, you know what everybody is really like. Please show us which man you have chosen.
• 1 Samuel 16:7But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at how handsome or how tall Eliab is. I have not chosen him. The Lord does not look at people in the way that people do. People look at the face and body of a person. But the Lord sees what they are like inside.’
• 1 Kings 8:39If someone does that, please hear him from your home in heaven. Please forgive the sins of your people and help them. Only you know what people are thinking. So please give to each person as they deserve.
• 1 Chronicles 28:9As for you, Solomon, my son, keep near to your father's God. Be happy to serve him faithfully in every way. The Lord knows what you are thinking. He understands all your thoughts. If you turn to him, you will find him. But if you turn away from him, he will leave you alone for ever.
• 1 Chronicles 29:17My God, I know that you look carefully at our thoughts. You are pleased when we want to do things that are right. And I really do want to offer all these things to you. I know that your people who have met together here are happy. I can see that they are pleased to give these things to you.
• Psalms 44:21But if we had done that, you would have discovered it. You know even our most secret thoughts.
• Psalms 139:1Lord, you look deep inside me, and you know all about me.
• Jeremiah 11:20So I said, ‘Lord Almighty, you judge people in a fair way. You know what people are thinking. You understand how they feel. I trust you to show that I have not done anything that is wrong. So please punish these people. Pay them back for their sins.’
• Jeremiah 17:10But I, the Lord, look inside a person's mind. I see what he thinks and what he feels. I see how everyone lives, and I see the things that they do. I give to each one what he deserves.
• Jeremiah 20:12Lord Almighty, you test righteous people, to see if they are faithful. You know what people think. You know their feelings. I trust you to show that I am not guilty. So punish those people who want to hurt me.
• John 2:24But Jesus himself did not trust the people. He knew what all people are really like.
• John 21:17Jesus asked him a third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was sad because Jesus asked him a third time, ‘Do you love me?’ So he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, you know everything. You know that I really love you!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Take care of my sheep.
• Hebrews 4:13There is nothing in the whole world that can hide from God. He sees everything clearly and he knows everything. We will have to explain to him everything that we have done during our lives.
• Revelation 2:23I will send a terrible illness to kill those who obey her. Then all the people in the churches will know that I look deep inside them. I know what you really want. I know what you really think. I will give each of you what is right for you, as a result of what you have done.
• Acts 14:3So Paul and Barnabas stayed in Iconium for a long time. They were not afraid to tell people the message about the Lord Jesus. The Lord gave them power to do miracles. These showed the people that God was with Paul and Barnabas and that their message was true. They taught that God saves people because he is very kind.
• John 5:37Also, the Father himself has spoken about me. You have never heard his voice. And you have never seen his shape.

Commentaries on Acts 15:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8And God which knoweth the hearts - Ϛ . 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 , 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8And 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.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-21Verses 7-21 We see from the words "purifying their hearts by faith," and the address of St. Peter, that justification by faith, and sanctification by the Holy Ghost, cannot be separated; and that both are the gift of God. We have great cause to bless God that we have heard the gospel. May we have that faith which the great Searcher of hearts approves, and attests by the seal of the Holy Spirit. Then our hearts and consciences will be purified from the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-11Peter recalled his experience in Cornelius's household (chapter 10). He argued that God had accepted the Gentiles without circumcision by giving them the Holy Spirit. The grace of the Lord Jesus was available to people from all nations.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. God, which knoweth the hearts--implying that the real question for admission to full standing in the visible Church is the state of the heart. Hence, though that cannot be known by men, no principle of admission to church privileges which reverses this can be sound.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 15:8

• Antioch
• Bigotry
• Catholicity
• Church
• Circumcision
• Council
• Doctrines
• Elder
• Gentiles
• God Continued...
• Heart
• Holy Spirit
• Law
• Peter
• Salvation
• Titus

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Holy Ghost
• Abstain
• Cause
• Choice
• Consider
• Conversion
• Council
• Declare

Commentaries on Acts 15

• 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