Acts 10:35
in Acts 10but welcomes those from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is acceptable to him.
KJV
But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
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This verse in Acts 10
Commentary
12 notes on this verse...to whom Peter, coming in, said, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation, he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is acceptable to Him." He thus clearly indicates, that He whom Cornelius had previously feared as God, of whom he had heard through the law and the prophets, for whose sake also he used to give alms, is, in truth, God. The knowledge of the Son was, however, wanting to him...
This site's exposition
Then Peter began to speak
on Acts 10:34-35
Peter opens with what he has only now grasped: I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism. This is the truth the vision, the voice and the two households were sent to teach him.
This site's exposition
welcomes those from every nation
Albert Barnes reads this as Peter's discovery that God's favor reaches beyond the Jews to every people. John Wesley holds that such a person is accepted through Christ even before knowing Him. Irenaeus stresses that Cornelius still lacked the knowledge of the Son.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
"Righteousness" instead of every virtue.
Wherefore saith Peter, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is acceptable to Him:" that is, He calls and attracts him unto the truth. Seest thou not Paul, that he was more vehement than any one in warring and persecuting? yet because he led an irreproachable life, and did these things not through human passion, he was both received, and reached a mark beyond all.
"But in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is acceptable to him." What then? It may be asked, is the man yonder in Persia acceptable to Him? If he be worthy, in this regard he is acceptable, that it should be granted him to be brought unto faith. The Eunuch from Ethiopia He overlooked not. "What shall one say then of the religious men who have been overlooked?" It is not the case, that any such ever was overlooked. But what he says is to this effect, that God rejects no man. "In every nation, he that feareth God and worketh righteousness:" by righteousness he means, all virtue. Mark, how he subdues all elation of mind in him. "Every one," as he saith, "that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, would be acceptable to Him." As when Paul saith, "For when the Gentiles which have not the Law, do by nature the things of the Law." "That feareth God and worketh righteousness:" he assumes both doctrine and manner of life: is "accepted with Him;" for, if He did not overlook the Magi, nor the Ethiopian, nor the thief, nor the harlot, much more them that work righteousness, and are willing, shall He in anywise not overlook. "What say you then to this, that there are likely persons, men of mild disposition, and yet they will not believe?" Lo, you have yourself named the cause: they will not. But besides the likely person he here speaks of is not this sort of man, but the man "that worketh righteousness:" that is, the man who in all points is virtuous and irreproachable, when he has the fear of God as he ought to have it. But whether a person be such, God only knows. See how this man was acceptable: see how, as soon as he heard, he was persuaded.
The Medieval Church1 voice
"In every nation." He says this so that you would not think that the Gentiles belong to the category of the rejected. "He who works righteousness is acceptable to Him." The expression "righteousness" is used in place of "with every virtue." He did not say …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
But in every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness - He that, first, reverences God, as great, wise, good, the cause, end, and governor of all things; and secondly, from this awful regard to him, not only avoids all known evil, but endeavours, according to the best light he has, to do all things well; is accepted of him - Through Christ, though he knows him not.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
But in every nation,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
And since to such "He giveth more grace," according to the law of His Kingdom (Jas 4:6; Mt 25:29), He sends Peter, not to be the instrument of his conversion, as this is very frequently called, but simply to "show him the way of God more perfectly," as before to the devout Ethiopian eunuch.
But in every nation he that feared him, etc. - In every nation he who, according to his light and privileges, fears God, worships him alone, (for this is the true meaning of the word), and worketh righteousness, abstains from all evil, gives to all their due, injures neither the body, soul, nor reputation of his neighbor, is accepted with him. It is not therefore the nation, kindred, profession, mode or form of worship, that the just God regards; but the character, the state of heart, and the moral deportment. For what are professions, etc., in the sight of that God who trieth spirits, and by whom actions are weighed! He looks for the grace he has given, the advantages he has afforded, and the improvement of all these. Let it be observed farther, that no man can be accepted with this just God who does not live up to the advantages of the state in which providence has placed him. Why was Cornelius accepted with God while thousands of his countrymen were passed by? Because he did not receive the grace of God in vain; he watched, fasted, prayed, and gave alms, which they did not. Had he not done so, would he have been accepted? Certainly not; because it would then appear that he had received the grace of God in vain, and had not been a worker together with him. Many irreligious men, in order to get rid of the duties and obligations of Christianity, quote this verse in their own favor, while they reject all the Gospel besides; and roundly assert, as they think on the authority of this text, that they need neither believe in Jesus Christ, attend to his Gospel, nor use his ordinances; for, if they fear God and work righteousness, they shall be infallibly accepted with him. […]
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
But in every nation ... - This is given as a reason for what Peter had just said, that God was no respecter of persons. The sense is, that he now perceived that the favors of God were not confined to the Jew, but might be extended to all others on the same principle.
The words behind it
13 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀλλ᾽ | all᾽ | but | G235 → | 635 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| παντὶ | panti | every | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| ἔθνει | ethnei | nation | G1484 → | 161 times |
| ὁ | ho | which | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| φοβούμενος | phoboumenos | is fearing | G5399 → | 95 times |
| αὐτὸν | auton | Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐργαζόμενος | ergazomenos | working | G2038 → | 41 times |
| δικαιοσύνην | dikaiosunen | righteousness | G1343 → | 92 times |
| δεκτὸς | dektos | acceptable | G1184 → | |
| αὐτῷ | auto | to Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἐστιν. | estin | is. | G1510 → | 2333 times |
ἀλλ᾽but
all᾽G235 →635 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
παντὶevery
pantiG3956 →1235 times
ἔθνειnation
ethneiG1484 →161 times
ὁwhich
hoG3588 →19766 times
φοβούμενοςis fearing
phoboumenosG5399 →95 times
αὐτὸνHim
autonG846 →5565 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐργαζόμενοςworking
ergazomenosG2038 →41 times
δικαιοσύνηνrighteousness
dikaiosunenG1343 →92 times
δεκτὸςacceptable
dektosG1184 →
αὐτῷto Him
autoG846 →5565 times
ἐστιν.is.
estinG1510 →2333 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Colossians 3:11Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all.
it leads to
- Ephesians 3:6
This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Galatians 3:28–29
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
- 1 Corinthians 12:13
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink.
- Romans 10:12
For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him,
- Ephesians 1:23
which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
- Ephesians 3:6
Through
1 John 2:29If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him.
it leads to
- John 3:3–5
Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
- 1 John 3:7
Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.
- John 3:3–5
Through
Acts 10:2He and all his household were devout and God-fearing. He gave generously to the people and prayed to God regularly.
it leads to
- Matthew 7:7–8
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
- Matthew 7:7–8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies15
On this chapter
About Acts
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Irenaeus, Against Heresies Book III; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 8; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 23; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.