Acts 11:17 - If then God gave to them the same gift as us, when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could withstand God?”
Select Bible Verse
Filter Categories
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
R
S
T
U
V
W
What does "Acts 11:17" mean?
This verse, Acts 11:17, is Peter explaining to Jewish Christians in Jerusalem why he ate with Gentiles and baptized them (as recounted in Acts 10 and 11). Let's break it down:
"If then God gave to them the same gift as us..." The "gift" being referred to is the Holy Spirit. Peter is saying that the Gentiles received the same miraculous signs of the Holy Spirit as the Jewish believers did on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). They spoke in tongues and prophesied, demonstrating that they were also filled with the Spirit.
"...when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ..." This emphasizes that both Jewish and Gentile believers received the Holy Spirit after they had faith in Jesus. The basis for receiving the Spirit was belief, not ethnicity or adherence to Jewish law.
"...who was I, that I could withstand God?" This is the key point. Peter is essentially saying, "If God Himself has demonstrated His approval of the Gentiles by giving them the same gift He gave us, what right do I have to stand against God's will? Who am I to say they are unworthy or excluded?"
In summary, the verse means:
Peter is defending his actions of welcoming and baptizing Gentiles into the Christian faith. He argues that God made it clear that He accepts Gentiles by bestowing the Holy Spirit upon them in the same way He did upon Jewish believers. Therefore, Peter felt he had no authority or justification to object to God's will and exclude Gentiles from the Christian community. It's a powerful argument for the inclusion of all believers, regardless of background, into the Church.
Acts 11:17 - If then God gave to them the same gift as us, when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could withstand God?”
What does "Acts 11:17" mean?
This verse, Acts 11:17, is Peter explaining to Jewish Christians in Jerusalem why he ate with Gentiles and baptized them (as recounted in Acts 10 and 11). Let's break it down:
"If then God gave to them the same gift as us..." The "gift" being referred to is the Holy Spirit. Peter is saying that the Gentiles received the same miraculous signs of the Holy Spirit as the Jewish believers did on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). They spoke in tongues and prophesied, demonstrating that they were also filled with the Spirit.
"...when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ..." This emphasizes that both Jewish and Gentile believers received the Holy Spirit after they had faith in Jesus. The basis for receiving the Spirit was belief, not ethnicity or adherence to Jewish law.
"...who was I, that I could withstand God?" This is the key point. Peter is essentially saying, "If God Himself has demonstrated His approval of the Gentiles by giving them the same gift He gave us, what right do I have to stand against God's will? Who am I to say they are unworthy or excluded?"
In summary, the verse means:
Peter is defending his actions of welcoming and baptizing Gentiles into the Christian faith. He argues that God made it clear that He accepts Gentiles by bestowing the Holy Spirit upon them in the same way He did upon Jewish believers. Therefore, Peter felt he had no authority or justification to object to God's will and exclude Gentiles from the Christian community. It's a powerful argument for the inclusion of all believers, regardless of background, into the Church.