Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 11:17
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?
17. who believed ] The words refer alike to “them” and to “us,” and so the two cases are made parallel, as in Act 11:15. For just as in the case of Peter and the Apostles, their faith was existing before the gift of the Spirit, so in Cornelius and in his companions there existed a degree of faith, or there could have been no sincere prayer offered by them.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
What was I – What power or right had I to oppose the manifest will of God that the Gentiles should be received into the Christian church.
Withstand God – Oppose or resist God. He had indicated his will; he had showed his intention to save the Gentiles; and the prejudices of Peter were all overcome. One of the best means of destroying prejudice and false opinions is a powerful revival of religion. More erroneous doctrines and unholy feelings are overcome in such scenes than in all the bigoted and fierce contentions that have ever taken place. If people wish to root error out of the church, they should strive by all means to promote everywhere revivals of pure and undefiled religion. The Holy Spirit more easily and effectually silences false doctrine, and destroys heresy, than all the denunciations of fierce theologians; all the alarms of heated zealots for orthodoxy; and all the anathemas which professed love for the purity of the church ever utters from the icebergs on which such champions usually seek their repose and their home.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 17. God gave them the like gift, c.] Viz. the Holy Spirit, and its various gifts and graces, in the same way and in the same measure in which he gave them to us Jews. What was I, that I could withstand God? It was not I who called them to salvation: it was God and the thing is proved to be from God alone, for none other could dispense the Holy Spirit.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The apostles argument is cogent: They who have the grace signified by baptism, ought to have the seal of that grace; but the Gentiles had the grace signified by baptism. Or, they who have the inward baptism, may not be denied the outward. As he that hath a right to an inheritance, cannot without injustice be denied the writings and seals thereunto belonging. To deny baptism unto any unto whom it doth belong, is to
withstand God, and to keep back the token of Gods love from such unto whom it is sent.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift,…. Of the Spirit, of speaking with divers tongues:
as he did unto us; the apostles: who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ: which clause stands either connected with “us” the apostles, and so is descriptive of them who first believed in Christ, and became followers of him; or with “them” the Gentiles, as the Syriac version renders it, “if therefore God gave that gift equally to these Gentiles which believed on our Lord Jesus Christ, as unto us”; for it seems most likely, that faith in Christ came by hearing Peter’s discourse, before the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit fell upon them:
what was I that I could withstand God? or hinder the baptism of these persons in water, whom God baptized with the Holy Ghost, and who believed in Christ Jesus: from whence it appears that the Spirit of God is a gift, which he bestows on whomsoever he pleases, without any desert of man’s, and that both in his extraordinary operations, and in the common influences of his grace; for it is equally the gift of God to believe in Christ, which is a grace of the Spirit, as it was to speak with divers tongues; and these, though they did not always go together, yet here they did, as on the apostles, so on Cornelius and his house: and hence they became qualified for the ordinance of baptism; not by the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, but by his special grace; the extraordinary gifts were partly to confirm the Gospel preached unto them by Peter; and partly to assure him that he was right in going in to the Gentiles, and preaching to them; and to encourage him to baptize these persons who appeared to have also the grace of the Spirit, and to have believed in Christ; as well as to fit them, at least some of them, for public work and service: and now faith in Christ being a pre-requisite to baptism, and it being the will of Christ, and what he gave in commission to his disciples to baptize such as believed in him, and these being apparently such; to have refused to administer baptism to them, would have been acting contrary to the commission of Christ, a withstanding the will of God, and opposing the grace of the Spirit of God.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The like gift ( ). The equal gift, equal in quality, rank, or measure. Common word.
When we believed (). First aorist active participle of in the dative case. It agrees both with (unto us) and with (unto them), “having believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.” Both classes (Gentiles and Jews) trusted in Christ, and both received the Holy Spirit.
Who was I ( ). Note order, “I, who was I.” “That I could withstand God ” ( ). Literally, “able to withstand or hinder God.” It is a rhetorical question, really two questions. Who was I ? Was I able to hinder God? Peter’s statement of the facts made an unanswerable defence. And yet Peter (Ga 2:11) will later in Antioch play the coward before emissaries from Jerusalem on this very point of eating with Gentile Christians.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Forasmuch as [] . Better, as Rev., if.
The like [] . Lit., equal; making them, equally with us, recipients of the Holy Spirit.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift,” (ei oun ten isen dorean edoken autois ho theos) “Since therefore God doled out to (gave to) them the same, equal, or like-gift,” of both the spirit in regeneration and succeeding Holy Spirit manifestation gift to speak in tongues, languages, to glorify God, as the one hundred and twenty church brethren had done on the recent Pentecost, Act 1:15; Act 2:4-12; Act 10:44-46.
2) “As he did unto us,” (hos kai hemin) “As also he had to us,” without distinction at Pentecost, Act 2:4-17. The Holy Spirit manifestation gift was bestowed because of and after their trust in Jesus Christ in each instance, not because of circumcision, Act 10:43.
3) “Who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ,” (pisteusasin epi ton kurion lesoun Christon) “Who trusted on the Lord Jesus Christ;” To none was the Holy Spirit manifestation given on Pentecost or later in Cornelius’ house, except to those who had first believed, or first been saved, Act 1:8; Act 2:4-17; Act 10:43-44.
4) “What was I that I should withstand God?” (ego tis hemen dunatos kolusai ton theon) “Who was I to be able to hinder, obstruct, or to act in opposition to God?” in refusing, declining, or hesitating to baptizethem who had believed in Jesus Christ and accepted Him thru the message I had preached and which the six Joppa church brethren with me had observed, and to which baptism they consented, when I publicly asked “can any man forbid water that these should be baptized?” Act 10:34; Act 10:38. Who was I to disobey God? Joh 14:15; Joh 15:14.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
17. Who was I? Now do we see to what end Peter made that narration; to wit, that he might declare that God was the author and governor of all the whole matter; therefore, the state of the question consisteth in [turneth upon] the authority of God, whether meat be not of more weight than men’s counsels. (732) Peter affirmeth that he did nothing but that which was rightly and orderly done, because he obeyed God; he showeth that he preached the doctrine of the gospel, neither amiss, neither rashly, where Christ bestowed the graces of his Spirit. The approbation of our doctrine, and also our deeds, must be brought to this rule so often as men call us to an account; for whosoever stayeth himself upon the commandment of God, he hath defense enough. If men be not content, there is no cause why he should pass for their judgments any more. (733) And hereby we gather that the faithful ministers of God’s word may in such sort give an account of their doctrine, that they may no whit impair the credit and certainty thereof; to wit, if they show that it was given them by God: but if they shall deal with unjust men, who will not be enforced with the reverence of God to yield, let us let them alone with their obstinacy, appealing unto the day of the Lord.
And we must also note, that we do not only resist God by striving against him, but also by lingering, if we do not that which our calling requireth, and which is proper to it. For Peter saith that he cannot deny baptism and brotherly fellowship to the Gentiles, but that he should be [without being] an enemy to God. But he should have essayed nothing which was manifestly contrary to the grace of God. That is true indeed; but he which doth not receive those whom God offereth, and shutteth the gate which God openeth, he hindereth the work of God so much as in him lieth; as we say at this day, that those men make war against God who are set against the baptizing of infants; because they most cruelly exclude those out of the Church whom God hath adopted into the Church, and they deprive those of the outward sign whom God vouchsafeth to call his children. Like unto this is that kind of resisting, in that many dissemblers, who, whilst they be magistrates, ought to assist, according to their office, the martyrs of Christ, go about to stop their mouths, and to take from them their liberty. For because they hate the truth, they would have it suppressed.
(732) “ Annon praeponderet cibus humanis consiliis,” whether meat do not preponderate in man’s counsels.
(733) “ Non est quod perversa eorum judicia amplius moretur,” there is no reason why he should any longer regard their perverse judgments.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(17) Forasmuch then . . .More accurately, If then.
Unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.The Greek construction gives a somewhat different meaning: If then God gave to them an equal gift as to us, upon their believing . . . That condition was sufficient in their case for the greater gifts, and their admissibility to baptism and to general fellowship followed naturally as a thing of course.
What was I, that I could withstand God?The Greek gives a complex question, Who was I? Able to withstand God?i.e., How was I, being such a one as I am, able to withstand?
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
17. I could withstand God? By this question, in the first person, Peter involves the disputants in the predicament of withstanding God, and by that they are for the time being silenced. (See note on Rom 9:20.)
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“If then God gave to them the like gift as he did also to us, when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could withstand God?”
Thus, he asked, what should he have done? If God gave to the Gentiles the same gift as He had given at Pentecost to all who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was he to withstand God? God had thereby made it clear that He had cleansed these unclean Gentiles so that they were acceptable to Him. Thus they were no longer common or unclean. They were precious to God and acceptable to Him, and they were that just as they were, in their uncircumcised state. And just as they were they were a part of God’s holy nation.
So Peter has made clear that the initiative was God’s each step of the way. It was God Who had put him into a trance and given him his vision. It was His Spirit Who had bid him go to Cornelius. It was the Angel who had told Cornelius what to do. The coming of the Holy Spirit on them had been as a result of God’s direct and unexpected action. Nothing therefore had been of Peter’s doing.
It should be noted that it was not Peter’s authority that was being accepted here, it was his logic combined with the facts. Thus the other Apostles were willing in the end to put their authority behind his actions. They too knew what it meant for God to direct them, so that not to do so would have been to go against God.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Act 11:17. Forasmuch then as God gave them, &c. Since therefore God has granted the same gift to them as to us, &c.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
17 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?
Ver. 17. What was I that I could withstand God? ] Whose power is irresistible, whose will is a law, yea, Voluntas Dei, necessitas rei: and God hath put a secret instinct (as into the bee, the stork, and other creatures to do their kind, so) into all his children to submit to his will, to say Amen to God’s Amen, and to put their fiat let it be done, and placet it is pleasing, to his, Act 21:14 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
17. ] belongs to both and ; setting forth the strict analogy between the cases, and the community of the faith to both.
[ (omitted in some MSS., the transcribers perhaps not being aware of the construction) brings out the contrast after , as frequently after , e.g. Od. . 178, , : Herod. iii. 68, . , . See more examples in Hartung, Partikellehre, i. p. 184.]
. ] A junction of two questions: (1) Who was I that I should ., as ref. Exod., and (2) Was I able to . We have a similar instance in , Mar 15:24 . See Winer, edn. 6, 66. 5. 3.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Act 11:17 . , see R.V., best to take participle as referring both to and to ; in each case the Holy Spirit was bestowed, and in each case as a result of the preceding belief, not as a result of circumcision, or of uncircumcision; sometimes referred to , so Bengel, Nsgen, Wendt, sometimes to , so Weiss, Blass. ., cf. Exo 3:11 , 2Ki 8:13 , Blass, Gram. , p. 173; in reality two questions: Who was I? Was I able to withstand God? Winer-Moulton, lxvi., 5. , emphatic, “merum organon,” Bengel.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Forasmuch then = If (App-118) therefore.
gift. Greek. dorea. Compare Act 2:38 and Joh 4:10.
us = us also.
who = when we.
believed. App-150.
Jesus Christ. App-98.
could = was able to.
withstand = hinder.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
17.] belongs to both and ; setting forth the strict analogy between the cases, and the community of the faith to both.
[ (omitted in some MSS., the transcribers perhaps not being aware of the construction) brings out the contrast after , as frequently after , e.g. Od. . 178, , : Herod. iii. 68, . , . See more examples in Hartung, Partikellehre, i. p. 184.]
.] A junction of two questions: (1) Who was I that I should., as ref. Exod.,-and (2) Was I able to. We have a similar instance in , Mar 15:24. See Winer, edn. 6, 66. 5. 3.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Act 11:17. , the like) So 2Pe 1:1. They are alike blessed, who have received the Holy Spirit immediately (without the mediation of ordinances) or mediately.-, , unto us who believed, i.e. when we believed) It was not, saith he, because we had circumcision, but because we had faith, that the Holy Spirit was given to us.-, I) I, a mere instrument. The brethren had asked only concerning his having taken food with the Gentiles: Peter gives them also a satisfactory account concerning his having conferred baptism on them; and establishes the certainty that he had acted rightly, not only from the Divine command, but also from the event, which had been crowned by the Divine blessing.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
as God: Act 11:15, Act 15:8, Act 15:9, Mat 20:14, Mat 20:15, Rom 9:15, Rom 9:16, Rom 9:23, Rom 9:24, Rom 11:34-36
what: Act 10:47, Job 9:12-14, Job 33:13, Job 40:2, Job 40:8, Job 40:9, Dan 4:35, Rom 9:20-26
Reciprocal: Gen 24:50 – we 2Ch 20:6 – none is able Isa 60:5 – thou shalt see Mar 7:28 – yet Act 8:20 – the gift Act 23:9 – let Rom 14:4 – Who 1Co 1:6 – was 1Th 2:16 – Forbidding Heb 6:4 – and have
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
7
Act 11:17. Peter again calls the gift received by them and the Gentiles a like gift. Had he even hesitated about baptizing these Gentiles he would have been resisting God, for the bestowal of the Holy Ghost on them was to show that they were acceptable to God upon obedience to the Gospel ordinance.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Act 11:17. The like gift as he gave unto us. See note on Act 11:15.
Who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, rather as having believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. It was in virtue of faith, as Bengel says, and not because of circumcision, that they themselves had received the Holy Ghost. Hence the like faith among Gentiles was entitled to the like blessing. We should mark the stress laid upon faith in the narrative above. See Act 10:43, comp. Act 15:9.
What was I, that I could withstand God? The Authorised Version is hardly adequate. It would be better thus, Who was I, that I should be able to hinder God? The whole had been so evidently Gods doing, that Peter felt as nothing in the presence of these great facts.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
See notes one verse 4
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
17. If therefore God gave unto them the like gift as even unto us. . . This declaration of Peter, with many other parallels, settles the question beyond the possibility of cavil that the Gentiles at the house of Cornelius received precisely what the apostles did on the day of Pentecost. They were Gentiles, representative of the whole Gentile world down to the end of time. Hence you see that the above mentioned heresy flatly contradicts Peter and the Holy Ghost. It is a subtle trick of the devil to keep people from receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost, so he will get them.