In every nation he accepts those 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.
- 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.
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 know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
- Acts 10:2a devout man, and one who feared God with all his house, who gave gifts for the needy generously to the people, and always prayed to God.
- Rom 10:12–13For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich to all who call on him.
- Acts 15:9He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
- Col 3:11where there can’t be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondservant, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all.
- Eccl 12:13This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.
- Isa 56:3–8Let no foreigner, who has joined himself to Yahweh, speak, saying, “Yahweh will surely separate me from his people.” Do not let the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.”
- 2 Cor 7:1Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
- Prov 1:7The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.
- Prov 16:6By mercy and truth iniquity is atoned for. By the fear of Yahweh men depart from evil.
- Ps 85:9Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.
- Heb 11:4–6By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had testimony given to him that he was righteous, God testifying with respect to his gifts; and through it he, being dead, still speaks.
- Eph 5:21subjecting yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.
- Col 1:23–27if it is so that you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which is being proclaimed in all creation under heaven; of which I, Paul, was made a servant.
- Acts 9:31So the assemblies throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, and were built up. They were multiplied, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
- Ps 111:10The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. All those who do his work have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!
- Gal 3:28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
- Rom 3:29–30Or is God the God of Jews only? Isn’t he the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,
- Col 1:6which has come to you; even as it is in all the world and is bearing fruit and growing, as it does in you also, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth;
- Eph 3:6–8that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of his promise in Christ Jesus through the Good News,
- Eph 2:13–18But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.
- Prov 3:7Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear Yahweh, and depart from evil.
- Rom 3:22even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction,
- Luke 1:28Having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!”
- Rom 2:25–29For circumcision indeed profits, if you are a doer of the law, but if you are a transgressor of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.
- Rom 2:13For it isn’t the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified
- Job 28:28To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’”
- Hos 8:13As for the sacrifices of my offerings, they sacrifice meat and eat it; But Yahweh doesn’t 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, whether bond or free; and were all given to drink into one Spirit.
- Eph 1:6to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely gave us favor in the Beloved,
- Prov 2:5then you will understand the fear of Yahweh, and find the knowledge of God.
- Phil 3:3For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh;
- Ps 19:9The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever. Yahweh’s ordinances are true, and righteous altogether.
- Gen 4:5–7but he didn’t respect Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and the expression on his face 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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