but welcomes those from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.
Parallel translations
- WEB but in every nation he who fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.
- KJV But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
- ESV but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
- NKJV But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.
- NASB but in every nation the one who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him.
- NLT In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
In every nation those who fear God and do right are acceptable to Him. God welcomes worshipers from all peoples, not one ethnicity alone.
Overview
Peter is not teaching salvation by works apart from Christ, for Cornelius still needed the gospel (11:14); rather, God accepts true seekers from any nation and brings them to faith. The verse rejects ethnic favoritism while affirming that genuine reverence shows itself in righteous living. It opens the door for the Gentile mission that the rest of Acts unfolds.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 34
- 1 Jn 2:29If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him.
- Acts 10:2He and all his household were devout and God-fearing. He gave generously to the people and prayed to God regularly.
- Rom 10:12–13For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him,
- Acts 15:9He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts by faith.
- Col 3:11Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all.
- Eccl 12:13When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.
- Isa 56:3–8Let no foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, “The LORD will utterly exclude me from His people.” And let the eunuch not say, “I am but a dry tree.”
- 2 Cor 7:1Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
- Prov 1:7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
- Prov 16:6By loving devotion and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns aside from evil.
- Ps 85:9Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that His glory may dwell in our land.
- Heb 11:4–6By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous when God gave approval to his gifts. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.
- Eph 5:21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
- Col 1:23–27if indeed you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope of the gospel you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
- Acts 9:31Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria experienced a time of peace. It grew in strength and numbers, living in the fear of the Lord and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.
- Ps 111:10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding. His praise endures forever!
- Gal 3:28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
- Rom 3:29–30Is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,
- Col 1:6that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood the grace of God.
- Eph 3:6–8This 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.
- Eph 2:13–18But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
- Prov 3:7Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
- Rom 3:22And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction,
- Luke 1:28The angel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
- Rom 2:25–29Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.
- Rom 2:13For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.
- Job 28:28And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
- Hos 8:13Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to Me, and though they eat the meat, the LORD does not accept them. Now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins: They will return to Egypt.
- 1 Cor 12:13For 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.
- Eph 1:6to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.
- Prov 2:5then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God.
- Phil 3:3For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—
- Ps 19:9The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true, being altogether righteous.
- Gen 4:5–7but He had no regard for Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell.
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Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 10:35 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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