Acts 24:16

Acts 24:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.
• New International Version (NIV)So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.
• New King James Version (NKJV)This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.

Context of Acts 24:16

14But I confess this to you, that I worship the God of our ancestors according to the Way (which they call a sect), believing everything that is according to the law and that is written in the prophets. 15I have a hope in God (a hope that these men themselves accept too) that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. This is the reason I do my best to always have a clear conscience toward God and toward people. 17After several years I came to bring to my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings, 18which I was doing when they found me in the temple, ritually purified, without a crowd or a disturbance.

Acts 24:16 word by word

ἐν τούτῳ καὶ αὐτὸς ἀσκῶ ἀπρόσκοπον συνείδησιν ἔχειν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους διὰ παντός.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andδέde · thenG1161
• ·ἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• hereinοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• do I exerciseἀσκέωaskeō · to striveG778
• myselfαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• to haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• alwaysδιαπαντόςdiapantos · alwaysG1275
• a conscienceσυνείδησιςsuneidēsis · conscienceG4893
• void of offenceἀπρόσκοποςaproskopos · not giving offenceG677
• towardπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444

Cross-references for Acts 24:16

• Acts 23:1Paul looked directly at the council and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life with a clear conscience before God to this day.”
• Romans 2:15They show that the work of the law is written in their hearts, as their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or else defend them,
• Romans 9:1I am telling the truth in Christ (I am not lying!), for my conscience assures me in the Holy Spirit –
• 1 Corinthians 4:4For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not acquitted because of this. The one who judges me is the Lord.
• 2 Corinthians 1:12For our reason for confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with pure motives and sincerity which are from God – not by human wisdom but by the grace of God – we conducted ourselves in the world, and all the more toward you.
• 2 Corinthians 4:2But we have rejected shameful hidden deeds, not behaving with deceptiveness or distorting the word of God, but by open proclamation of the truth we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience before God.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:10You are witnesses, and so is God, as to how holy and righteous and blameless our conduct was toward you who believe.
• 1 Timothy 1:5But the aim of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.
• 1 Timothy 3:9holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
• 2 Timothy 1:3I am thankful to God, whom I have served with a clear conscience as my ancestors did, when I remember you in my prayers as I do constantly night and day.
• Hebrews 9:14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our consciences from dead works to worship the living God.
• Hebrews 10:22let us draw near with a sincere heart in the assurance that faith brings, because we have had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.
• Hebrews 13:18Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to conduct ourselves rightly in every respect.
• 1 Peter 2:19For this finds God’s favor, if because of conscience toward God someone endures hardships in suffering unjustly.
• 1 Peter 3:16Yet do it with courtesy and respect, keeping a good conscience, so that those who slander your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame when they accuse you.

Commentaries on Acts 24:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16And herein do I exercise myself - And this very tenet is a pledge for my good behavior; for as I believe there will be a resurrection, both of the just and unjust, and that every man shall be judged for the deeds done in the body, so I exercise myself day and night, that I may have a conscience void of offense toward God and toward men. Toward God - In entertaining no opinion contrary to his truth; and in offering no worship contrary to his dignity…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16And herein - In this, or for this purpose. Do I exercise myself - ̓͂ askōI accustom or employ myself; I make it my constant aim. Paul often appeals to his conscientiousness as the leading habit of his life. Even before his conversion he endeavored to act according to the dictates of conscience. See Acts 26:9; compare Philemon 3:5-6. To have always a conscience … - To do what is right, so that my conscience shall never reproach me. Void of offence - ̓́…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-21Verses 10-21 Paul gives a just account of himself, which clears him from crime, and likewise shows the true reason of the violence against him. Let us never be driven from any good way by its having an ill name. It is very comfortable, in worshipping God, to look to him as the God of our fathers, and to set up no other rule of faith or practice but the Scriptures. This shows there will be a resurrection to a final judgment. Prophets and their doctrines…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16Paul emphasized that he had acted with a clear conscience (see 20:27, 33; 23:1; 1 Corinthians 4:4; 2 Corinthians 1:12; 4:2; see also 2 Timothy 1:3). He remained true to his Jewish heritage and did not fear God's judgment (Acts 24:14, 15).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. And herein--On this account, accordingly; that is, looking forward to that awful day (compare 2Co 5:10). I exercise myself--The "I" here is emphatic; "Whatever they do, this is my study." to have always a conscience void of offence, &c.--See Ac 23:1; 2Co 1:12; 2:17, &c.; that is, "These are the great principles of my life and conduct--how different from turbulence and sectarianism!"Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 24:16

• Conscience
• Defense
• Heresy
• Holiness
• Honesty
• Integrity
• Obedience
• Readings, Select
• Self-Defense
• Sinlessness
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Assent
• Clemency
• Conscience
• Exercise
• Hear
• Inform
• James
• Jewess

Commentaries on Acts 24

• 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
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings