Acts 10:47
New International Version
“Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”

New Living Translation
“Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?”

English Standard Version
“Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”

Berean Standard Bible
“Can anyone withhold the water to baptize these people? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have!”

Berean Literal Bible
"Is anyone able to withhold the water to baptize these who have received the Holy Spirit, just as we also have?"

King James Bible
Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?

New King James Version
“Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?

New American Standard Bible
“Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?”

NASB 1995
“Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?”

NASB 1977
“Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?”

Legacy Standard Bible
“Can anyone refuse water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?”

Amplified Bible
“Can anyone refuse water for these people to be baptized, since they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?”

Christian Standard Bible
“Can anyone withhold water and prevent these people from being baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Can anyone withhold water and prevent these people from being baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”

American Standard Version
Can any man forbid the water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?

Contemporary English Version
"These Gentiles have been given the Holy Spirit, just as we have! I am certain that no one would dare stop us from baptizing them."

English Revised Version
Can any man forbid the water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"No one can refuse to baptize these people with water. They have received the Holy Spirit in the same way that we did."

Good News Translation
"These people have received the Holy Spirit, just as we also did. Can anyone, then, stop them from being baptized with water?"

International Standard Version
"No one can stop us from using water to baptize these people who have received the Holy Spirit in the same way that we did, can they?"

Majority Standard Bible
“Can anyone withhold the water to baptize these people? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have!”

NET Bible
"No one can withhold the water for these people to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?"

New Heart English Bible
"Can anyone withhold the water, that these who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we should not be baptized?"

Webster's Bible Translation
Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?

Weymouth New Testament
"Can any one forbid the use of water, and object to these persons being baptized--men who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?"

World English Bible
“Can anyone forbid these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just like us.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Then Peter answered, “Is anyone able to forbid the water, that these may not be immersed, who received the Holy Spirit—even as us also?”

Berean Literal Bible
"Is anyone able to withhold the water to baptize these who have received the Holy Spirit, just as we also have?"

Young's Literal Translation
Then answered Peter, 'The water is any one able to forbid, that these may not be baptized, who the Holy Spirit did receive -- even as also we?'

Smith's Literal Translation
Much less can any hinder water, for these not to be immersed, who received the Holy Spirit as also we?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Then Peter answered: Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Ghost, as well as we?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then Peter responded, “How could anyone prohibit water, so that those who have received the Holy Spirit would not be baptized, just as we also have been?”

New American Bible
“Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people, who have received the holy Spirit even as we have?”

New Revised Standard Version
“Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then Simon Peter said to them, Can any man forbid water, that these people who have received the Holy Spirit, just as we have, should not be baptized?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“Can anyone refuse water that they should not be baptized? For, behold, they have received The Spirit of Holiness, as when we did.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
Can any one for bid the water, that these should not be immersed, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?

Godbey New Testament
Then Peter responded, Whether is any one able to forbid the water, that these shall not be baptized, whosoever received the Holy Ghost as we indeed?

Haweis New Testament
Can any one forbid the water for baptising these persons, who have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?

Mace New Testament
then Peter said, can we refuse the water of baptism to such as have received the holy spirit as well as we?

Weymouth New Testament
"Can any one forbid the use of water, and object to these persons being baptized--men who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?"

Worrell New Testament
"Can any one forbid the water, that these should not be immersed, who, indeed, received the Holy Spirit as well as we?"

Worsley New Testament
Then said Peter, Can any one forbid water, that these persons should not be baptized, who have received the holy Spirit, as well as we?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Gentiles Receive the Holy Spirit
46For they heard them speaking in tongues and exalting God. Then Peter said, 47“Can anyone withhold the water to baptize these people? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have!” 48So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay for a few days.…

Cross References
Acts 11:17
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?”

Acts 15:8-9
And God, who knows the heart, showed His approval by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us. / He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts by faith.

Acts 2:4
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Acts 8:36-38
As they traveled along the road and came to some water, the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is there to prevent me from being baptized?” / And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may be baptized.” The eunuch replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” / And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

Acts 19:6
And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

Acts 2:17-18
‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. / Even on My menservants and maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

Acts 2:38
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 11:15-16
As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as He had fallen upon us at the beginning. / Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’

Acts 15:14
Simon has told us how God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people to be His own.

Acts 19:2
and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” “No,” they answered, “we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

Acts 8:14-17
When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. / On their arrival, they prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit. / For the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. ...

Acts 2:41
Those who embraced his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to the believers that day.

Acts 2:33
Exalted, then, to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.

Acts 5:32
We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

Acts 8:12
But when they believed Philip as he preached the gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.


Treasury of Scripture

Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?

Acts 8:12,36
But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women…

Acts 11:15-17
And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning…

Acts 15:8,9
And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; …

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Acts 10
1. Cornelius, a devout man, being commanded by an angel, sends for Peter,
11. who by a vision is taught not to despise the Gentiles;
17. and is commanded by the Spirit to go with the messenger to Caesarea.
25. Cornelius shows the occasion of his sending for him.
34. As he preaches Christ to Cornelius and his company,
44. the Holy Spirit falls on them, and they are baptized.














Can anyone withhold the water
This phrase marks a pivotal moment in the early Church, highlighting the universality of the Gospel. The Greek word for "withhold" is "κωλύσαι" (kōlysai), which implies preventing or hindering. In the context of Acts 10, Peter is addressing the Jewish believers who might have reservations about Gentiles receiving baptism. The act of withholding water for baptism would symbolize a barrier to full inclusion in the Christian community. Historically, water has been a symbol of purification and new life, and in the Jewish tradition, it was used in various rites of cleansing. Here, Peter is challenging any notion of exclusivity, emphasizing that the gift of the Holy Spirit transcends ethnic and cultural boundaries.

for baptizing these people
Baptism, from the Greek "βάπτισμα" (baptisma), signifies immersion and is a public declaration of faith and repentance. In the early Church, baptism was the rite of initiation into the Christian community. The phrase "these people" refers to the Gentiles who had received the Holy Spirit, indicating that they are now part of God's covenant community. This moment is revolutionary, as it signifies the breaking down of the wall between Jews and Gentiles, fulfilling the prophecy that all nations would be blessed through Abraham's seed (Genesis 22:18).

who have received the Holy Spirit
The reception of the Holy Spirit is a divine endorsement of the Gentiles' inclusion. The Greek word for "received" is "ἔλαβον" (elabon), meaning to take or accept. This indicates an active participation in receiving God's gift. The Holy Spirit's presence is the ultimate confirmation of God's acceptance, as it was previously given to the Jewish believers at Pentecost (Acts 2). This event echoes the promise of Joel 2:28, where God declares He will pour out His Spirit on all people, signifying a new era of God's redemptive plan.

just as we have?
This phrase underscores the equality between Jewish and Gentile believers. The Greek "καθὼς καὶ ἡμεῖς" (kathōs kai hēmeis) translates to "just as we," emphasizing that there is no distinction in the way the Holy Spirit is given. Peter is drawing a parallel between the Gentiles' experience and that of the Jewish believers, reinforcing the message that in Christ, there is neither Jew nor Gentile (Galatians 3:28). This rhetorical question challenges any lingering prejudices and affirms the unity and universality of the Christian faith.

(47) Can any man forbid water . . .--The question was an appeal to the voice of reason. Could the outward sign be refused, when thus the inward and spiritual grace had been so manifestly bestowed? Ordinarily, as in the case of the Samaritans (Acts 8:15-17), the gift of spiritual powers followed, by the subsequent act of laying on of hands, on the grace given in baptism. Now even that gift had been anticipated, and all that remained was the outward act of incorporation with the society which owned Christ as its Head. While the history thus bore its witness that the gifts of God may flow through other channels than the outward forms which Christ had appointed, it testified no less clearly that no spiritual gifts, however marvellous, superseded the necessity of obedience to the law of Christ which had appointed those outward forms. The exceptional gift was bestowed, in this instance, to remove the scruples which "those of the circumcision" might otherwise have felt as to admitting Gentiles, as such, to baptism; and having served that purpose, as a crucial instance, was never afterwards, so far as we know, repeated under like conditions.

Verse 47. - The water for water, A.V. They actually had the Spirit, which God himself supplied; could any one object to their having the water also, which was the part of the sacrament which it rested with man to supply, in order to complete the new birth (John 3:5)?

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
“Can
δύναται (dynatai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1410: (a) I am powerful, have (the) power, (b) I am able, I can. Of uncertain affinity; to be able or possible.

anyone
τις (tis)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5100: Any one, some one, a certain one or thing. An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object.

withhold
κωλῦσαί (kōlysai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 2967: To prevent, debar, hinder; with infin: from doing so and so. From the base of kolazo; to estop, i.e. Prevent.

the
τὸ (to)
Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

water
ὕδωρ (hydōr)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5204: Water. And genitive case, hudatos, etc. From the base of huetos; water literally or figuratively.

to baptize
βαπτισθῆναι (baptisthēnai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Passive
Strong's 907: Lit: I dip, submerge, but specifically of ceremonial dipping; I baptize.

these [people]?
τούτους (toutous)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

[They]
οἵτινες (hoitines)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3748: Whosoever, whichsoever, whatsoever.

have received
ἔλαβον (elabon)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2983: (a) I receive, get, (b) I take, lay hold of.

the
τὸ (to)
Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Holy
Ἅγιον (Hagion)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 40: Set apart by (or for) God, holy, sacred. From hagos; sacred.

Spirit
Πνεῦμα (Pneuma)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4151: Wind, breath, spirit.

just as
ὡς (hōs)
Adverb
Strong's 5613: Probably adverb of comparative from hos; which how, i.e. In that manner.

we
ἡμεῖς (hēmeis)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

[have]!”
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.


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