Acts 4:12

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(12) Neither is there salvation in any other.—Here the pregnant force of “hath been made whole,” in Acts 4:9, comes out; and St. Peter rises to its highest meaning, and proclaims a salvation, not from disease and infirmity of body, but from the great disease of sin. The Greek has the article before “salvation.” That of which Peter spoke was the salvation which the rulers professed to be looking for.

Given among men.—Better, that has been given. The words must be taken in the sense which Peter had learnt to attach to the thought of the Name as the symbol of personality and power. To those to whom it had been made known, and who had taken in all that it embodied, the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth was the one true source of deliverance and salvation. Speaking for himself and the rulers, Peter rightly says that it is the Name “whereby we must be saved.” Where it is not so known, it rises to its higher significance as the symbol of a divine energy; and so we may rightly say that the heathen who obtain salvation are saved by the Name of the Lord of whom they have never heard. (Comp. 1Timothy 4:13.)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

4:5-14 Peter being filled with the Holy Ghost, would have all to understand, that the miracle had been wrought by the name, or power, of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, whom they had crucified; and this confirmed their testimony to his resurrection from the dead, which proved him to be the Messiah. These rulers must either be saved by that Jesus whom they had crucified, or they must perish for ever. The name of Jesus is given to men of every age and nation, as that whereby alone believers are saved from the wrath to come. But when covetousness, pride, or any corrupt passion, rules within, men shut their eyes, and close their hearts, in enmity against the light; considering all as ignorant and unlearned, who desire to know nothing in comparison with Christ crucified. And the followers of Christ should act so that all who converse with them, may take knowledge that they have been with Jesus. That makes them holy, heavenly, spiritual, and cheerful, and raises them above this world.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Neither is there salvation - The word "salvation" properly denotes any "preservation," or keeping anything in a "safe" state; a preserving from harm. It I signifies, also, deliverance from any evil of body or mind; from pain, sickness, danger, etc., Acts 7:25. But it is in the New Testament applied particularly to the work which the Messiah came to do, "to seek and to save that which was lost," Luke 19:10. This work refers primarily to a deliverance of the soul from sin Matthew 1:21; Acts 5:31; Luke 4:18; Romans 8:21; Galatians 5:1. It then denotes, as a consequence of freedom from sin, freedom from all the ills to which sin exposes man, and the attainment of that perfect peace and joy which will be bestowed on the children of God in the heavens. The reasons why Peter introduces this subject here seem to be these:

(1) He was discoursing on the deliverance of the man that was healed - his salvation from a long and painful calamity. This deliverance had been accomplished by the power of Jesus. The mention of this suggested that greater and more important salvation from sin and death which it was the object of the Lord Jesus to effect. As it was by his power that this man had been healed, so it was by his power only that people could be saved from death and hell. Deliverance from any temporal calamity should lead the thoughts to that higher redemption which the Lord Jesus contemplates in regard to the soul.

(2) this was a favorable opportunity to introduce the doctrines of the gospel to the notice of the Great Council of the nation. The occasion invited to it; the mention of a part of the work of Jesus invited to a contemplation of his whole work. Peter would not have done justice to the character and work of Christ if he had not introduced that great design which he had in view to save people from death and hell. It is probable, also, that he advanced a sentiment in which he expected they would immediately concur, and which accorded with their wellknown opinions, that salvation was to be obtained only by the Messiah. Thus, Paul Acts 26:22-23 says that he taught nothing else than what was delivered by Moses and the prophets, etc. Compare Acts 23:6; Acts 26:6. The apostles did not pretend to proclaim any doctrine which was not delivered by Moses and the prophets, and which did not, in fact, constitute a part of the creed of the Jewish nation.

In any other - Any other person. He does not mean to say that God is not able to save, but that the salvation of the human family is entrusted to the hands of Jesus the Messiah.

For there is none other name - This is an explanation of what he had said in the previous part of the verse. The word "name" here is used to denote "the person himself" (i. e., There is no other being or person.) As we would say, there is no one who can save but Jesus Christ. The word "name" is often used in this sense. See the notes on Acts 3:6, Acts 3:16. That there is no other Saviour, or mediator between God and man, is abundantly taught in the New Testament; and it is, indeed, the main design of revelation to prove this. See 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Acts 10:43.

Under heaven - This expression does not materially differ from the one immediately following, "among men." They are designed to express with emphasis the sentiment that salvation is to be obtained in "Christ alone," and not in any patriarch, or prophet, or teacher, or king, or in any false Messiah.

Given - In this word it is implied that "salvation" has its origin in God; that a Saviour for people must be given by him; and that salvation cannot be originated by any power among people. The Lord Jesus is thus uniformly represented as given or appointed by God for this great purpose John 3:16; John 17:4; 1 Corinthians 3:5; Galatians 1:4; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 1:22; Ephesians 5:25; 1 Timothy 2:6; Romans 5:15-18, Romans 5:21; and hence, Christ is called the "unspeakable gift" of God, 2 Corinthians 9:15.

Whereby we must be saved - By which it is fit, or proper δεῖ dei, that we should be saved. There is no other way of salvation that is adapted to the great object contemplated, and therefore, if saved, it must be in this way and by this plan. The schemes of people's own devices are not adapted to the purpose, and therefore cannot save. The doctrine that people can be saved only by Jesus Christ is abundantly taught in the Scriptures. To show the failure of all other schemes of religion was the great design of the first part of the Epistle to the Romans. By a labored argument Paul there shows Romans 1 that the Gentiles had failed in their attempt to justify themselves; and in Romans 2-3 that the same thing was true also of the Jews. If both these schemes failed, then there was need of some other plan, and that plan was that by Jesus Christ. If it be asked, then, whether this affirmation of Peter is to be understood as having respect to infants and the pagan, we may remark:

(1) That his design was primarily to address the Jews, "Whereby we must be saved." But,

(2) The same thing is doubtless true of others. If, as Christians generally believe, infants are saved, there is no absurdity in supposing that it is by the merits of the atonement. But for that there would have been no promise of salvation to any of the human race. No offer has been made except by the Mediator; and to him, doubtless, is to be ascribed all the glory of raising up even those in infancy to eternal life. If any of the pagan are to be saved, as most Christians suppose, and as seems in accordance with the mercy of God, it is no less certain that it will be in consequence of the intervention of Christ. Those who will be brought to heaven will sing one song Revelation 5:9, and will be prepared for eternal union in the service of God in the skies. Still, the Scriptures have not declared that great numbers of the pagan will be saved who have not the gospel. The contrary is more than implied in the New Testament, Romans 2:12.

Neither has the Scripture affirmed that all the pagan will certainly be cut off. It has been discovered by missionaries among the pagan that individuals have, in a remarkable way; been convinced of the folly of idolatry, and were seeking a better religion; that their minds were in a serious, thoughtful, inquiring state; and that they at once embraced the gospel when it was offered to them as exactly adapted to their state of mind, and as meeting their inquiries. Such was extensively the case in the Sandwich Islands; and the following instance recently occurred in this country: "The Flathead Indians, living west of the Rocky Mountains, recently sent a deputation to the white settlements to inquire after the Bible. The circumstance that led to this singular movement is as follows: It appears that a white man (Mr. Catlin) had penetrated into their country, and happened to be a spectator at one of their religious ceremonies. He informed them that their mode of worshipping the Supreme Being was radically wrong, and that the people away toward the rising of the sun had been put in possession of the true mode of worshipping the Great Spirit. On receiving this information, they called a national council to take this subject into consideration. Some said, if this be true, it is certainly high time we were put in possession of this mode. They accordingly deputed four of the chiefs to proceed to Louis to see their great father, General Clark, to inquire of him the truth of this matter.

They were cordially received by the general, who gave them a succinct history of revelation, and the necessary instruction relative to their important mission. Two of them sunk under the severe toils attending a journey of 3,000 miles. The remaining two, after acquiring what knowledge they could of the Bible, its institutions and precepts, returned, to carry back those few rays of divine light to their benighted countrymen." In what way their minds were led to this State we cannot say, or how this preparation for the gospel was connected with the agency and merits of Christ we perhaps cannot understand; but we know that the affairs of this entire world are placed under the control of Christ John 17:2; Ephesians 1:21-22, and that the arrangements of events by which such people were brought to this state of mind are in his hands. Another remark may here be made. It is, that it often occurs that blessings come upon us from benefactors whom we do not see, and from sources which we cannot trace.

On this principle we receive many of the mercies of life; and from anything that appears, in this way many blessings of salvation may be conferred on the world, and possibly many of the pagan be saved. Still, this view does not interfere with the command of Christ to preach the gospel, Mark 16:15. The great mass of the pagan are not in this state; but the fact here adverted to, so far as it goes, is an encouragement to preach the gospel to the entire world. If Christ thus prepares the way; if he extensively fits the minds of the pagan for the reception of the gospel; if he shows them the evil and folly of their own system, and leads them to desire a better, then this should operate not to produce indolence, but activity, and zeal, and encouragement to enter into the field white for the harvest, and to toil that all who seek the truth, and are prepared to embrace the gospel, may be brought to the light of the Sun of righteousness.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

12. Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved—How sublimely does the apostle, in these closing words, shut up these rulers of Israel to Jesus for salvation, and in what universal and emphatic terms does he hold up his Lord as the one Hope of men!

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Neither is there salvation, for soul or body, in any other person or thing.

For there is none other name; because in distress men did usually call upon their false gods by name, as, O Baal, hear us, 1 Kings 18:26.

Under heaven; whether patriarch or prophet, priest or king; especially referring unto Moses, in whom they did trust; and therefore under the gospel especially we must lift up our hearts.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Neither is there salvation in any other,.... Meaning not corporeal healing, but spiritual and eternal salvation; the Syriac version renders it, neither is there "redemption in any other": Christ is the only Saviour and Redeemer, who was promised and prophesied of as such; who has saved and redeemed his people from the law, sin, and Satan; nor is salvation to be sought and hoped for from any other; not in a man's self, nor in any other creature, angels or men; not in and by his own works, and legal righteousness; not by obedience to the law of Moses, moral or ceremonial; nor by the light of nature, much less by an observance of the traditions of the elders:

for there is none other name; thing or person, be it ever so great, or whatever show of power and strength, of holiness and religion, it makes; as the name of kings, princes, and the great men in the world; or of ministers and preachers in the church; or even of Christians and believers, which may be only a name to live; none but the name of Jesus, his person, blood, and righteousness:

under heaven: throughout the whole earth, in all the nations and kingdoms of it; nor even in heaven itself, among all the mighty angels there, thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers; none but the Father and the Spirit, who are one with Christ: there is none but he

given among men; and he has been freely given by his Father, as an instance of his matchless love to the world; and also freely given by himself, to be a sacrifice for the sins of his people; and is freely preached among men, as the only Saviour of them; for there is no other,

whereby we must be saved: God resolved in his purposes and decrees, in his council and covenant, upon the salvation of his chosen people; and he appointed his Son to be the salvation of them, and determined he would save them by him, and by no other, and in no other way; wherefore, whoever are saved, must be saved by him, see Hosea 1:7 the Arabic version adds, "unless by him only".

Geneva Study Bible

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other {f} name {g} under heaven {h} given among men, whereby we must be saved.

(f) There is no other man, or no other power and authority at all; and this kind of speech was common among the Jews, and arose from this, that when we are in danger we call upon those at whose hands we look for help.

(g) Anywhere: and this shows us the largeness of Christ's kingdom.

(h) Of God.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Acts 4:12. To the foregoing figurative assurance, that Jesus is the Messiah, Peter now annexes the solemn declaration that no other is so, and that without figure.

And there is not in another the salvation, i.e. κατʼ ἐξοχήν the Messianic deliverance (Acts 2:21). Comp. Acts 5:31, Acts 15:11. This mode of taking ἡ σωτηρία is imperatively demanded, both by the absolute position of the word with the force of the article, and by the connection with the preceding, wherein Jesus was designated as Messiah, as well as by the completely parallel second member of the verse. Therefore Michaelis, Bolten, and Hildebrand err in holding that it is to be understood of the cure of a man so infirm. Nor is the idea of deliverance from diseases generally to be at all blended with that of the Messianic salvation (in opposition to Kypke, Moldenhauer, Heinrichs), as Peter had already, at Acts 4:11, quite departed from the theme of the infirm man’s cure, and passed over to the assertion of the Messianic character of Jesus quite generally, without retaining any special reference to bodily deliverance.

ἐν ἄλλῳ οὐδενί] no other is the ground, on which salvation is causally dependent. Soph. Aj. 515: ἐν σοὶ πᾶσʼ ἔγωγε σώζομαι. Eur. Alc. 279: ἐν σοὶ ἐσμὲν καὶ ζῆν καὶ μή. Herod. viii. 118: ἐν ὑμῖν ἔοικεν ἐμοὶ εἶναι ἡ σωτηρίη.

γάρ] annexes a more precise explanation, which is meant to serve as a proof of the preceding. For also there is no other name under the heaven given among men, in which we must obtain salvation.

οὐδὲ γάρ (see the critical remarks): for also not. The reading οὔτε γάρ would not signify namque non (so Hermann, Opusc. III. p. 158), but would indicate that a further clause corresponding to the τέ was meant to follow it up (Klotz, ad Devar. p. 716; Kühner, ad Xen. Mem. i. 2. 31; Ellendt, Lex. Soph. II. p. 444 f.), which, however, does not suit here, where the address is brought to a weighty close. The use generally doubtful, at least with prose writers, of οὐκ … οὔτε instead of οὔτε … οὔτε (Baeumlein, Partik. p. 222), is here excluded by γάρ, which makes the notion of neither—nor inapplicable.

ἕτερον] a name different from that name. On the other hand previously: ἐν ἄλλῳ οὐδ., in no one but in Him. Comp. on Galatians 1:7.

τὸ δεδομ. ἐν ἀνθρ] which is granted by God—given for good—among men, in human society. The view adopted by Wolf and Kuinoel, that ἐν ἀνθρ. stands for the simple dative, is erroneous. Winer, p. 204 [E. T. 273].

ἀνθρώποις] in this generic reference did not require the article. See Ast, Lex. Plat. I. p. 177 f.; Kühner, ad Xen. Mem. i. 4. 14; Stallb. ad Plat. Crit. p. 51 A; Prot. p. 355 A. ὑπὸ τ. οὐραν., which might in itself be dispensed with, has solemn emphasis. Comp. Acts 2:5.

ἐν ᾧ] as formerly ἐν ἄλλῳ. The name is to be conceived as the contents of the believing confession. Fides implicita (in opposition to the Catholics) cannot here be meant; Acts 3:19; Acts 3:26.

δεῖ] namely, according to God’s unalterable destination.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Acts 4:12. ἡ σωτηρία, cf. Acts 5:31, Acts 17:11, i.e., κατʼ ἐξοχήν, the Messianic salvation. The interpretation which would limit ἡ σωτ. to bodily healing is less satisfactory; infinitely higher than the healing of one man, Acts 4:9, stands the Messianic salvation, for which even the Sanhedrists were hoping and longing, but see also Rendall’s note, in loco. A parallel to the expression is found in Jos., Ant., iii., 1, 5, but there are many passages in the O.T. which might have suggested the words to St. Peter, cf. Isaiah 12:2; Isaiah 49:6-8; Isaiah 52:10.—οὔτε γὰρ ὄνομα, see on Acts 1:15, Acts 2:21. οὐδὲ is the best reading, Winer-Moulton, liii. 10, “for not even is there a second name”—the claim develops more precisely and consequently from the statement ἐν ἄλλῳ οὐδενὶ· ἕτερος μὲν, ἐπὶ δυοῖν· ἄλλος δὲ, ἐπὶ πλειόνων (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:8, 2 Corinthians 11:1, Galatians 1:6-7), Ammonius, quoted by Bengel.—τὸ δεδομένον: on the force of the article with the participle, see Viteau, Le Grec du N. T., pp. 183, 184 (1893) = τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ ὄνομα, τὸ δεδομ. ἐν ἀνθρώποις, μόνον ἐστὶν ἐν ᾧ δεῖ … and Blass, Grammatik des N. G., p. 238; cf. Luke 18:9, Galatians 1:7, Colossians 2:8.—ᾧ δεῖ σωθῆναι: “Jesus when He spoke of the rejection as future, predicted that the stone would be a judgment-stone to destroy the wicked builders. But Peter takes up the other side, and presents the stone as the stone of Messianic salvation; this name is the only name under heaven that is a saving name. Here Peter apprehends the spiritual significance of the reign of the Messiah,” Briggs, Messiah of the Apostles, p. 34, and the whole passage.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

12. Neither is there salvation in any other] Rather, And our salvation is not in any other. The article with the noun (ἡ σωτηρία) seems thus better expressed. St Peter thus intimates that the cure of the lame man is only a sign of the power of salvation for the soul which was in Jesus. The people were to draw from the effect produced by “Arise and walk,” the conclusion that the same power could as surely give the greater blessing, “thy sins be forgiven thee” (Matthew 9:5).

given among men] Communicated to men by God, as a means of salvation.

whereby we must be saved] Through whom we must of necessity seek our salvation if we would be saved.

Bengel's Gnomen

Acts 4:12. Ἐν ἄλλῳ οὐδενὶ, in none other) i.e. it is wholly in Him alone that salvation is. Hereby the question, Acts 4:9, by what means, is clearly set at rest (is a fixed point).—ἡ σωτηρία, the salvation) which was promised, and long wished for, whereby we escape every misery: the salvation (health) of body and soul: with which comp. Acts 4:9. There is great force in the article.—γὰρ, for) It is necessary that there should be divinely given and proclaimed a name, wherein there is salvation. It belongs not to us to mark out, or devise, a name whereby to obtain salvation: it belongs not to Rome to canonise the departed.—ἓτερον, other such [‘alterum,’ second]) This has the force of Epitasis (augmentation of the force of what precedes, by addition), in relation to the ἄλλῳ [‘alio’] preceding. Ammonius observes: “ἕτερος is used in the case of two; ἄλλος, in the case of more than two.[35] Comp. 1 Corinthians 12:8-9, ἄλλῳ δὲ—ἑτέρῳ δὲ; 2 Corinthians 11:4; Galatians 1:6-7, notes.—τὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν, under heaven) i.e. in all the earth: ch. Acts 2:5. The dwellers on the earth had need of salvation; and it behoved the Saviour to establish (plant) salvation on the earth. Matthew 9:6, “The Son of man hath power on earth to forgive.”—τὸ δεδομένον, given) Which has been given, viz. from heaven.—ἐν ἀνθρώποις, among men) There is one Mediator: there is no second one in the whole human race. 1 Timothy 2:5.—ἡμᾶς, us) viz. all men.

[35] Not merely is there the wished for salvation in none other (of many), but there is no second name, besides that of Jesus, whereby we must be saved. Ἕτερος has more the sense, different, than ἄλλος.—E. and T.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 12. - And in none other is there salvation for neither is there salvation in any other, A.V.; neither is there any other, etc., for there is none other, A.V.; that is given for given, A.V.; wherein for whereby, A.V. The eighteenth Article of Religion refers directly to this verse as proving that eternal salvation can be obtained only by the Name of Christ. Acts 4:12

Vincent's Word Studies

Salvation (ἡ σωτηρία)

Note the article: the salvation; the Messianic deliverance.