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But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
Acts 10:35 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB but in every nation he who fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.
  • BSB but welcomes those from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.
  • 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 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 ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
  • Acts 10:2A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
  • Rom 10:12–13For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
  • Acts 15:9And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
  • Col 3:11Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
  • Eccl 12:13Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
  • Isa 56:3–8Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.
  • 2 Cor 7:1Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh 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 instruction.
  • Prov 16:6By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.
  • Ps 85:9Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.
  • Heb 11:4–6By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
  • Eph 5:21Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
  • Col 1:23–27If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
  • Acts 9:31Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
  • Ps 111:10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
  • Gal 3:28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
  • Rom 3:29–30Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
  • Col 1:6Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:
  • Eph 3:6–8That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
  • Eph 2:13–18But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
  • Prov 3:7Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
  • Rom 3:22Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
  • Luke 1:28And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
  • Rom 2:25–29For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
  • Rom 2:13(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
  • Job 28:28And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
  • Hos 8:13They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; but the LORD accepteth them not; now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt.
  • 1 Cor 12:13For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
  • Eph 1:6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
  • Prov 2:5Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
  • Phil 3:3For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
  • Ps 19:9The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
  • Gen 4:5–7But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Acts videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Acts 10:35YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ActsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.