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Acts 15:1

in Acts 15

Then some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And certain men came down from Judæa and taught the brethren, saying, Except ye be circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

KJV

And certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

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This verse in Acts 15

Commentary

3 notes on this verse
And certain men - These were undoubtedly men who had been Jews, but who were now converted to Christianity. The fact that they were willing to refer the matter in dispute to the apostles and elders Act 15:2 shows that they had professedly embraced the Christian religion. The account which follows is a record of the first internal dissension which occurred in the Christian church. Hitherto the church had been struggling against external foes. Violent persecutions had raged, and had fully occupied the attention of Christians. But now the churches were at peace.

This site's exposition

circumcised after the manner of Moses

on Acts 15:1-2

Certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved, turning the question left open by chapter fourteen, whether faith is enough, into an open demand at Antioch itself. Paul and Barnabas have no small dissension and disputation with them, refusing to let the claim stand unchallenged, and the church settles the fight by sending a delegation up to Jerusalem rather than by local vote, honoring the apostles and elders as the body competent to decide it. The verse states the position at its sharpest, salvation itself made to depend on the rite, which is exactly what the council will answer.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Many that had been proselytes to the Jewish religion became Christians; and they would have such as were proselyted to the Christian religion to become Jews.

The words behind it

20 Greek words

Every 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.

  • ΚαίAnd

    kaiG2532 →9120 times

  • τινεςcertain ones

    tinesG5100 →528 times

  • κατελθόντεςhaving come down

    katelthontesG2718 →16 times

  • ἀπὸfrom

    apoG575 →640 times

  • τῆς<the>

    tesG3588 →19766 times

  • ἸουδαίαςJudea

    ioudaiasG2449 →44 times

  • ἐδίδασκονwere teaching

    edidaskonG1321 →96 times

  • τοὺςthe

    tousG3588 →19766 times

  • ἀδελφοὺςbrothers

    adelphousG80 →343 times

  • ὅτιthat

    hotiG3754 →1292 times

  • ἐὰνOnly

    eanG1437 →352 times

  • μὴunless

    meG3361 →1066 times

  • περιτμηθῆτεyou shall become circumcised

    peritmetheteG4059 →17 times

  • τῷaccording to the

    toG3588 →19766 times

  • ἔθειcustom

    etheiG1485 →12 times

  • τῷ<the>

    toG3588 →19766 times

  • Μωϋσέως,of Moses,

    mouseosG3475 →78 times

  • οὐ[then] not

    ouG3756 →1664 times

  • δύνασθεyou are able

    dunastheG1410 →207 times

  • σωθῆναι.to be saved.

    sothenaiG4982 →105 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Galatians 5:6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. All that matters is faith, expressed through love.17 worksActs 15:5But some believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and declared, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”14 worksColossians 2:8See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.12 worksGalatians 2:11–14When Cephas came to Antioch, however, I opposed him to his face, because he stood to be condemned.10 works1 Corinthians 7:18–19Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man still uncircumcised when called? He should not be circumcised.10 worksLeviticus 12:3And on the eighth day the flesh of the boy’s foreskin is to be circumcised.10 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
Galatians 5:1–4It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.9 worksRomans 4:8–12Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.”9 worksGalatians 6:13–16For the circumcised do not even keep the law themselves, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.9 worksActs 15:24It has come to our attention that some went out from us without our authorization and unsettled you, troubling your minds by what they said.8 worksGalatians 2:3–4Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.7 worksGenesis 17:10–27This is My covenant with you and your descendants after you, which you are to keep: Every male among you must be circumcised.6 worksPhilippians 3:2–3Watch out for those dogs, those workers of evil, those mutilators of the flesh!6 worksColossians 2:11–12In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of your sinful nature, with the circumcision performed by Christ and not by human hands.6 worksGalatians 5:2Take notice: I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.6 worksActs 6:14For we have heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.”5 worksJohn 7:22But because Moses gave you circumcision, you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath (not that it is from Moses, but from the patriarchs.)4 worksActs 15:3Sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, recounting the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy to all the brothers.4 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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 2:8

    See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.

    it leads to

    • 1 Timothy 6:20

      O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid irreverent, empty chatter and the opposing arguments of so-called “knowledge,”

    • Ephesians 5:6

      Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

    • Matthew 7:15

      Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

    • Galatians 4:9

      But now that you know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you are turning back to those weak and worthless principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them…

    • 1 Corinthians 3:18–19

      Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise.

  • Through

    Galatians 5:6

    For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. All that matters is faith, expressed through love.

    it leads to

    • Galatians 6:15

      For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything. What counts is a new creation.

    • 1 Corinthians 7:19

      Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commandments is what counts.

    • James 2:14–26

      What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?

Where this verse is studied

About Acts

The Ascension — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)
The Ascension — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)
Acts: the study guide →Read Acts 15 →

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Acts 15 →