Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?
Parallel translations
- WEB If then God gave to them the same gift as us, when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could withstand God?”
- BSB So if God gave them the same gift He gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to hinder the work of God?”
- NKJV If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?”
- NASB Therefore, if God gave them the same gift as He also gave to us after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?”
- NLT And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God’s way?”
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
Since God gave Gentiles the same gift He gave believing Jews, Peter asks who he was to stand in God's way. To resist Gentile inclusion would be to oppose God.
Overview
Peter's clinching argument is that God Himself granted the Gentiles the identical gift, given to those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. For Peter to refuse them would be to resist God's clear action. The verse places the final authority for Gentile inclusion where it belongs, in God's sovereign grace.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Acts 10:47Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
- Rom 9:20–26Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
- Acts 15:8–9And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
- Rom 11:34–36For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
- Dan 4:35And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
- Rom 9:15–16For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
- Job 33:13Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters.
- Job 9:12–14Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?
- Matt 20:14–15Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
- Acts 10:45And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
- Job 40:2Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.
- Acts 5:39But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.
- Job 40:8–9Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?
- Acts 11:15And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
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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.
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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.