Acts 15:7

The message of the gospel to the Gentiles

The gospel’s word εὐαγγέλιον euangelion · gospel

In a wide landscape of woods, mountains and a river, a crowd gathers by a roadside pool as an old man in a red cloak bends over a kneeling man, with horses, a dog and travellers in the foreground. — Joos de Momper the Younger and Jan Brueghel the Elder, A Mountainous Road Scene with the Story of Saint Peter and Cornelius, 1590 (National Trust, Kedleston Hall) · Source

Original

Translations

BSB

After much discussion, Peter got up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you that the Gentiles would hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.

KJV

And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

LSV

and there having been much disputing, Peter having risen up said to them, “Men, brothers, you know that from former days God made choice among us, through my mouth, for the nations to hear the word of the good news, and to believe;

개역한글

많은 변론이 있은 후에 베드로가 일어나 말하되 형제들아 너희도 알거니와 하나님이 이방인들로 내 입에서 복음의 말씀을 들어 믿게 하시려고 오래 전부터 너희 가운데서 나를 택하시고

흠정역

많은 논쟁이 있은 뒤에 베드로가 일어나 그들에게 이르되, 사람들아 형제들아, 너희가 알거니와 이방인들이 내 입을 통해 복음의 말씀을 듣고 믿게 하려고 하나님께서 매우 오래 전에 우리 가운데서 나를 택하시고

Commentaries

Matthew Henry on Acts 15:7-21 as a whole
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. …
Read the whole commentary →
Wesley Acts 15:7
After much debate - It does not appear that this was among the apostles themselves. But if it had, if they themselves had debated at first, yet might their final decision be from an unerring direction. …
Read the whole commentary →

Note

Must Gentile believers be circumcised and keep the law of Moses to be saved? The apostles and elders meet in Jerusalem over that question, and after long debate Peter stands up. This verse opens his speech.

Acts 15:7

Men from Judea had been teaching the believers at Antioch, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved" (Acts 15:1), and in Jerusalem believers from the party of the Pharisees said the same (Acts 15:5). The early days Peter recalls are the day at the house of Cornelius in Caesarea, some years before (Acts 10:44–48). God gave those Gentiles the Holy Spirit as He had to the apostles, Peter says, and "He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts by faith" (Acts 15:9). He ends: "we believe it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are" (Acts 15:11).

Here the gospel is the noun, , in the genitive: "the word of the gospel" (ton logon tou euangeliou). In the whole book of Acts the noun appears only twice, here on Peter's lips and once more on Paul's, at Miletus (Acts 20:24). Luke uses the verb "to bring good news" often, but the noun "gospel" he gives to the two apostles once each. What the Gentiles were to do is put in two aorist infinitives, akousai, "to hear," and pisteusai, "to believe." Nothing stands between them: no circumcision, no yoke of the law. It is the order Paul gives in Romans: "faith comes by hearing" (Romans 10:17).

The KJV has "God made choice among us," the BSB "among you": the Greek texts differ here by one letter, the Textus Receptus reading hēmin, "us," the critical text humin, "you." The KJV keeps the full Greek address, "Men and brethren," where the BSB has "Brothers." For the gospel phrase the KJV says "the word of the gospel," the BSB "the message of the gospel," and the LSV, true to form, "the word of the good news."

Wesley notes, "This is the last time he is mentioned in the Acts" Wesley. Peter's last recorded words in the book are about the Gentiles, the gospel and grace. Matthew Henry sees in his speech "that justification by faith, and sanctification by the Holy Ghost, cannot be separated; and that both are the gift of God" Matthew Henry, and he adds: "We have great cause to bless God that we have heard the gospel" Matthew Henry.

Following James, the council went on to decide that the Gentiles who were turning to God should not be troubled with demands of circumcision and the law (Acts 15:19–29). Peter's argument had been simple. The Gentiles heard the message of the gospel and believed, and God counted that enough. To anyone who feels something must be added before God will accept them, this verse answers that hearing and believing is the way God Himself chose.