Acts 15:9

Acts 15:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
• New International Version (NIV)He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.
• New King James Version (NKJV)and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

Context of Acts 15:9

7At 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. 8God knows people’s hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith. 10So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? 11We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.”

Acts 15:9 word by word

καὶ οὐθὲν διέκρινεν μεταξὺ ἡμῶν τε καὶ αὐτῶν τῇ πίστει καθαρίσας τὰς καρδίας αὐτῶν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• putδιακρίνωdiakrinō · to judge/doubtG1252
• noοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
• betweenμεταξύmetaxu · between/meanwhileG3342
• ·τεte · and/bothG5037
• usἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• purifyingκαθαρίζωkatharizō · to cleanG2511
• heartsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• heartsκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
• by faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102

Cross-references for Acts 15:9

• Acts 14:1The same thing happened in Iconium. Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers.
• Romans 3:9Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin.
• Romans 4:11Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous—even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are counted as righteous because of their faith.
• Romans 9:24And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles.
• Romans 10:11As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”
• 1 Corinthians 7:18For instance, a man who was circumcised before he became a believer should not try to reverse it. And the man who was uncircumcised when he became a believer should not be circumcised now.
• Galatians 3:28There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.
• Galatians 5:6For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.
• Ephesians 2:14For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.
• Ephesians 3:6And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.
• Colossians 3:11In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
• Acts 10:15But the voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.”
• 1 Corinthians 1:2I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.
• Hebrews 9:13Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity.
• 1 Peter 1:22You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.

Commentaries on Acts 15:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Put 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9And 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…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. 99. put no difference between us and them: purifying their hearts by faith--"Purification" here refers to "sprinkling (of the conscience by the blood of Jesus) from dead works to serve the living God." (See on 1Co 6:11). How rich is this brief description of the inward revolution wrought upon the genuine disciples of the Lord Jesus!Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 15:9

• Antioch
• Bigotry
• Catholicity
• Church
• Circumcision
• Council
• Doctrines
• Elder
• Faith
• Gentiles
• Law
• Peter
• Regeneration
• Respect of Persons
• Salvation
• Titus

In the dictionaries

• Abstain
• Cause
• Choice
• Consider
• Conversion
• Council
• Declare
• Dissension
• Faith
• Galatians, Epistle to

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