And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Parallel translations
- WEB He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
- BSB He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts by faith.
- NKJV and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
- NASB and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
- NLT He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith.
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
God made no distinction between Jew and Gentile, cleansing their hearts by faith. Salvation purifies the heart through faith, the same for all people.
Overview
Peter declares that the same God who saved Jews saved Gentiles on identical terms, with no second-class status. Crucially, hearts are cleansed 'by faith,' not by circumcision or ritual. This statement anchors the doctrine of justification by faith and the unity of all believers in Christ, regardless of background.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 22
- Eph 3:6That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
- 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:
- Gal 5:6For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
- Acts 10:28And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
- Acts 11:12And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s house:
- Col 3:11Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
- 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.
- 1 Cor 1:2Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
- Acts 10:34Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
- Acts 10:15And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
- Acts 10:43–44To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
- 1 Pet 1:22Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
- Rom 4:11–12And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
- Rom 3:29–30Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
- Rom 9:24Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
- Acts 14:27And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.
- Rom 10:11–13For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
- 1 Cor 7:18Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.
- Acts 14:1And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed.
- Heb 9:13–14For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
- Rom 3:9What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
- Eph 2:14–22For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
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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 15:9 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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