Acts 15:11
in Acts 15On the contrary, we believe it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in like manner as they.
KJV
But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
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This verse in Acts 15
Commentary
16 notes on this verseThere is yet another passage similar to this: "By grace you have been saved" (Eph. 2:5). Thus, formerly the law saved those who kept everything written in the law, but now the grace of the Lord, even without observance of the law, saves through faith.
This site's exposition
why do you test God
on Acts 15:10-11
Peter calls the demand a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear. He confesses that it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are, reversing the expected order.
This site's exposition
through the grace of the Lord Jesus
These are the last words of Peter that Acts records. From here the narrative follows Paul, and Plumptre marks how fitting it is that Peter leaves the story confessing salvation by grace. James speaks next.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
"But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus we shall be saved, even as they." How full of power these words! The same that Paul says at large in the Epistle to the Romans, the same says Peter here. "For if Abraham," says Paul, "was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God." Do you perceive that all this is more a lesson for them than apology for the Gentiles? However, if he had spoken this without a plea for speaking, he would have been suspected: an occasion having offered, he lays hold of it, and speaks out fearlessly. See on all occasions how the designs of their foes are made to work with them. If those had not stirred the question, these things would not have been spoken, nor what follows.
Then he shows, not that the Law was evil, but themselves weak. "But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus we shall be saved even as they." Mark how he ends with a fearful consideration. He does not discourse to them from the Prophets, but from things present, of which themselves were witnesses. For if, what the Law could not do, faith had power to do, "we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus we shall be saved even as they:" but faith falling off, behold, themselves are in destruction. "And put no difference between"-he said not, them of the circumcision, but "us and them," i.e. the Gentiles: for this gradual advance little by little is stronger.
"But through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we believe to be saved." Just as formerly the law preserved those who observed the things declared in it, so now grace, without the guardianship of the law, saves through faith. [AMMONIUS]
A commentator
Augustine of HippoAGAINST TWO LETTERS OF THE PELAGIANS 1.39 · Written before 430.
proposed
The Apostle Peter also says, "Why do ye wish to put a yoke upon the heathen, which neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? But, by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we believe that we shall be saved, even as they." You who are enemies to this grace do not wish this, that the ancients should be believed to have been saved by the same grace of Jesus Christ; but you distribute the times according to Pelagius, in whose books this is read, and you say that before the law men were saved by nature, then by the law, lastly by Christ, as if to men of the two former times, that is to say, before the law and under the law, the blood of Christ had not been necessary; making void what is said: "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."
The Medieval Church1 voice
But by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we believe to be saved, even as they are. If therefore they, that is, the fathers who could not bear the yoke of the old law, believed themselves to be saved by the grace of the …
8 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
The Lord Jesus - He does not here say our Lord; because in this solemn place he means the Lord of all, we - Jews, shall be saved even as they - Gentiles, namely, through the grace of the Lord Jesus, not by our observance of the ceremonial law.
"We that are circumcised believe to salvation, and so do those that are uncircumcised; and, as our circumcision will be no advantage to us, so their uncircumcision will be no disadvantage to them; for we must depend upon the grace of Christ for salvation, and must apply that grace by faith, as well as they.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
But we believe,....
The Nineteenth Century5 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
But we believe - We apostles, who have been with them, and have seen the evidences of their acceptance with God. Through the grace ... - By the grace or mercy of Christ alone, without any of the rites and ceremonies of the Jews. We shall be saved, even as they - In the same manner, by the mere grace of Christ. So far from being necessary to their salvation, they are really of no use in ours. We are to be saved, not by these ceremonies, but by the mere mercy of God in the Redeemer.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
through the grace of the Lord Jesus--that is, by that only. we shall be saved, even as they--circumcision in our case being no advantage, and in their case uncircumcision no loss; but grace doing all for both, and the same for each.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
You who are conversant with Scripture will recollect that these are the words of the Apostle Peter. Paul and Barnabas had been preaching the Gospel among the Gentiles with great success, but "certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed could not get rid of their old Jewish bigotry and vehemently urged that the converted Gentiles ought to be circumcised, or else they could not be saved. They made a great clamor over this and there was no small dissension and disputation.
You who are conversant with Scripture will recollect that these are the words of the Apostle Peter. Paul and Barnabas had been preaching the Gospel among the Gentiles with great success, but "certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed could not get rid of their old Jewish bigotry and vehemently urged that the converted Gentiles ought to be circumcised, or else they could not be saved. They made a great clamor over this and there was no small dissension and disputation. The children of the bondwoman mustered all their forces, while the champions of glorious liberty arrayed themselves for the battle. Paul and Barnabas, those valiant soldiers of the Cross, stood out stoutly against the ritualistic Brothers and told them that the rite of circumcision did not belong to the Gentiles at all, and ought not to be forced upon them. They would not yield their free principles at the dictation of the Judaizers, but scorned to bow their necks to the yoke of bondage. It was agreed to bring the matter up for decision at Jerusalem before the Apostles and Elders. And when all the Brothers had assembled, there seems to have been a considerable dispute. Finally, Peter, speaking with his usual boldness and clearness, declared that it would be wrong to put a heavy yoke upon the necks of the Gentiles which neither that generation of Jews nor their fathers had been able to bear. And then he concluded his address by saying, in effect, "Although these people are not circumcised, and ought not to be, yet we believe that there is no difference between the Jew and the Gentile, and by the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they." Here Peter was not to be blamed, but to be greatly commended, for he spoke under the influence of the Spirit of God. I. We shall use the text as concisely as we can for three important purposes.
Through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved - This seems to be an answer to an objection, “Has not God designed to save us, the Jews, by an observance of the law; and them, the Gentiles, by the faith of the Gospel?” No: for we Jews can be saved no other way than through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ; and this is the way in which the Gentiles in question have been saved. There is but one way of salvation for Jews and Gentiles, the grace, mercy, or favor coming by and through the Lord Jesus, the Christ; this is now fully opened to the Gentiles; and we believe we shall be saved in the same way.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀλλὰ | alla | But | G235 → | 635 times |
| διὰ | dia | through | G1223 → | 664 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| χάριτος | charitos | grace | G5485 → | 153 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κυρίου | kuriou | Lord | G2962 → | 711 times |
| Ἰησοῦ | iesou | Jesus | G2424 → | 908 times |
| πιστεύομεν | pisteuomen | we believe | G4100 → | 237 times |
| σωθῆναι | sothenai | to be saved | G4982 → | 105 times |
| καθ᾽ | kath᾽ | in | G2596 → | 468 times |
| ὃν | hon | [the] same | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| τρόπον | tropon | manner [as] | G5158 → | 13 times |
| κἀκεῖνοι. | kakeinoi | they also. | G1565 →G2532 → | 260 times |
ἀλλὰBut
allaG235 →635 times
διὰthrough
diaG1223 →664 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
χάριτοςgrace
charitosG5485 →153 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
κυρίουLord
kuriouG2962 →711 times
ἸησοῦJesus
iesouG2424 →908 times
πιστεύομενwe believe
pisteuomenG4100 →237 times
σωθῆναιto be saved
sothenaiG4982 →105 times
καθ᾽in
kath᾽G2596 →468 times
ὃν[the] same
honG3739 →1405 times
τρόπονmanner [as]
troponG5158 →13 times
κἀκεῖνοι.they also.
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
Titus 2:11For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to everyone.
it leads to
- Ephesians 2:8
For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God,
- 1 Timothy 2:4
who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
- Isaiah 45:22
Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.
- Hebrews 2:9
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death…
- Ephesians 2:5
made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved!
- Ephesians 2:8
Through
Romans 3:24and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 1:18–19
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers,
- Titus 3:5–7
He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
- 1 Peter 1:18–19
Through
Galatians 2:16know that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in…
it leads to
- Philippians 3:9
and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.
- Philippians 3:9
Where this verse is studied
By subject
Grace35 verses
On this page
Studies19
On this chapter
About Acts
This page draws on 16 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Acts of the Apostles; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, AGAINST TWO LETTERS OF THE PELAGIANS 1.39; Bede, Commentary on Acts; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 765: “Grace—the One Way of Salvation” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); E. H. Plumptre, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, The Acts of the Apostles; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 32; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.