Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
Can {G3385}{G1410} any man {G5100} forbid {G2967} water {G5204}, that these {G5128} should {G907} not {G3361} be baptized {G907}, which {G3748} have received {G2983} the Holy {G40} Ghost {G4151} as {G2532} well as {G2531} we {G2249}?
“Is anyone prepared to prohibit these people from being immersed in water? After all, they have received the Ruach HaKodesh, just as we did.”
“Can anyone withhold the water to baptize these people? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have!”
Can any man forbid the water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?
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Acts 8:36
And as they went on [their] way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, [here is] water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? -
Romans 10:12
¶ For 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 11:15
And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. -
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? -
Acts 15:8
And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as [he did] unto us; -
Acts 15:9
And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. -
Genesis 17:24
And Abraham [was] ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
Acts 10:47 captures a pivotal moment in the early Christian church, marking a significant step in the inclusion of Gentiles into the body of believers. Peter, observing the miraculous outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Cornelius's household, poses a rhetorical question that challenges the traditional Jewish understanding of salvation and membership in God's covenant people.
Context
This verse is the culmination of a dramatic narrative in Acts 10. Peter, a devout Jew, receives a vision from God instructing him not to call anything impure that God has made clean (Acts 10:15). Simultaneously, Cornelius, a Roman centurion and a devout Gentile, receives a vision telling him to send for Peter (Acts 10:3). When Peter arrives at Cornelius's house and begins to preach the Gospel, the Holy Spirit falls upon all who are listening, evidenced by them speaking in tongues and glorifying God (Acts 10:44-46). This event astonished the Jewish believers who accompanied Peter, as it mirrored the experience of Pentecost (Acts 2:4) but occurred among uncircumcised Gentiles. Peter's question in verse 47 serves as an irrefutable argument for their water baptism, recognizing God's prior acceptance.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The phrase "Holy Ghost" (Greek: Pneuma Hagion) refers to the third person of the Trinity, emphasizing the divine and supernatural nature of the experience Cornelius's household had. Peter's argument hinges on the fact that these Gentiles received the same Spirit, with the same powerful manifestations, "as well as we" (referring to the Jewish believers at Pentecost), highlighting the identical nature of their spiritual experience regardless of their background.
Practical Application
Acts 10:47 reminds believers today of several important truths: