Acts 15:18

Mace New Testament

he that does all these things, is the Lord himself that has said it." for the works of God are all known to him from the beginning of the world.

Parallel Translations

Simplified Cowboy Version
things like he knew he would."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
SAYS THE LORD, WHO MAKES THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM LONG AGO.

Legacy Standard Bible
Says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago.

Bible in Basic English
Says the Lord, who has made these things clear from the earliest times.

Darby Translation
known from eternity.

New King James Version
"Known to God from eternity are all His works. [fn]

Christian Standard Bible®
known from long ago.

World English Bible
All his works are known to God from eternity.'

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Known unto God are all his works from eternity.

Weymouth's New Testament
Says the Lord, who has been making these things known from ages long past.'

King James Version (1611)
Knowen vnto God are all his workes fro the beginning of the world.

Literal Translation
All His works are known to God from eternity.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Knowne vnto God are all his workes from the begynnynge of ye worlde.

THE MESSAGE
To Let Outsiders Inside It wasn't long before some Jews showed up from Judea insisting that everyone be circumcised: "If you're not circumcised in the Mosaic fashion, you can't be saved." Paul and Barnabas were up on their feet at once in fierce protest. The church decided to resolve the matter by sending Paul, Barnabas, and a few others to put it before the apostles and leaders in Jerusalem. After they were sent off and on their way, they told everyone they met as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria about the breakthrough to the non-Jewish outsiders. Everyone who heard the news cheered—it was terrific news! When they got to Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas were graciously received by the whole church, including the apostles and leaders. They reported on their recent journey and how God had used them to open things up to the outsiders. Some Pharisees stood up to say their piece. They had become believers, but continued to hold to the hard party line of the Pharisees. "You have to circumcise the pagan converts," they said. "You must make them keep the Law of Moses." The apostles and leaders called a special meeting to consider the matter. The arguments went on and on, back and forth, getting more and more heated. Then Peter took the floor: "Friends, you well know that from early on God made it quite plain that he wanted the pagans to hear the Message of this good news and embrace it—and not in any secondhand or roundabout way, but firsthand, straight from my mouth. And God, who can't be fooled by any pretense on our part but always knows a person's thoughts, gave them the Holy Spirit exactly as he gave him to us. He treated the outsiders exactly as he treated us, beginning at the very center of who they were and working from that center outward, cleaning up their lives as they trusted and believed him. "So why are you now trying to out-god God, loading these new believers down with rules that crushed our ancestors and crushed us, too? Don't we believe that we are saved because the Master Jesus amazingly and out of sheer generosity moved to save us just as he did those from beyond our nation? So what are we arguing about?" There was dead silence. No one said a word. With the room quiet, Barnabas and Paul reported matter-of-factly on the miracles and wonders God had done among the other nations through their ministry. The silence deepened; you could hear a pin drop. James broke the silence. "Friends, listen. Simeon has told us the story of how God at the very outset made sure that racial outsiders were included. This is in perfect agreement with the words of the prophets: After this, I'm coming back; I'll rebuild David's ruined house; I'll put all the pieces together again; I'll make it look like new So outsiders who seek will find, so they'll have a place to come to, All the pagan peoples included in what I'm doing. "God said it and now he's doing it. It's no afterthought; he's always known he would do this.

Amplified Bible
SAYS THE LORD, WHO HAS BEEN MAKING THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM LONG AGO.

American Standard Version
Saith the Lord, who maketh these things known from of old.

Revised Standard Version
says the Lord, who has made these things known from of old.'

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
knowne vnto God are all his workes from the begynninge of the worlde.

Update Bible Version
known from of old."

Webster's Bible Translation
Known to God are all his works from the beginning of the world.

Young's Literal Translation
`Known from the ages to God are all His works;

New Century Version
And these things have been known for a long time.' Amos 9:11–12

New English Translation
known from long ago.

Berean Standard Bible
that have been known for ages.'

Contemporary English Version
I promised it long ago."

Complete Jewish Bible
says Adonai , who is doing these things.' All this has been known for ages.

English Standard Version
known from of old.'

Geneva Bible (1587)
From the beginning of the worlde, God knoweth all his workes.

George Lamsa Translation
The works of God are known from the very beginning.

Hebrew Names Version
All his works are known to God from eternity.'

International Standard Version
that have always been known.'Amos 9:11-12; Isaiah 45:21">[fn]

Etheridge Translation
Saith the Lord, who doeth all these. Known from eternity are the works of Aloha.

Murdock Translation
Known, from of old, are the works of God.

New Living Translation
he who made these things known so long ago.'

New Life Bible
God has made all His works known from the beginning of time.'

English Revised Version
Saith the Lord, who maketh these things known from the beginning of the world.

New Revised Standard
known from long ago.'

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Known from age-past times.

Douay-Rheims Bible
To the Lord was his own work known from the beginning of the world.

King James Version
Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.

Lexham English Bible
known from of old.'

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Knowen vnto God are all his workes from the begynnyng of the worlde.

Easy-to-Read Version
‘All this has been known from the beginning of time.'

New American Standard Bible
SAYS THE LORD, WHO MAKES THESE THINGS known from long ago.

Good News Translation
So says the Lord, who made this known long ago.'

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Fro the world, the werk of the Lord is knowun to the Lord.

Contextual Overview

⁶ The apostles therefore, and the presbyters assembled to deliberate upon this affair. ⁷ and after the question had been much canvass'd, Peter rose up, and said, my brethren, you know that a considerable time since God chose me from among you to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, and bring them to the faith. ⁸ God who knows their hearts has granted them a testimonial, by giving them the holy spirit, even as he did to us: ⁹ making no difference between us and them, having purified their hearts by the faith. ¹⁰ why therefore do you tempt God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither we nor our forefathers were able to bear? ¹¹ but we believe that it is by the favour of the Lord Jesus Christ, that we are to be sav'd, as well as they. ¹² The whole assembly were very silent, whilst Barnabas and Paul related what miracles and prodigies God had wrought among the Gentiles by their ministry. ¹³ After they had done speaking, James assum'd the discourse, and said, my brethren, give me your attention. ¹⁴ Simon has related how God began to visit the Gentiles, to chuse from among them a people consecrated to his name. ¹⁵ and this is agreeable to the oracles of the prophets: as it is written,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Acts 17:26, Numbers 23:19, Isaiah 41:22, Isaiah 41:23, Isaiah 44:7, Isaiah 46:9, Isaiah 46:10, Matthew 13:35, Matthew 25:34, Ephesians 1:4, Ephesians 1:11, Ephesians 3:9, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 1 Peter 1:20, Revelation 13:8, Revelation 17:8

Reciprocal: Job 28:23 - General Psalms 33:11 - all generations Isaiah 41:4 - calling Isaiah 42:9 - new things Isaiah 48:5 - even Jeremiah 32:17 - there Daniel 5:26 - God Daniel 10:21 - I will Zechariah 8:20 - there Zechariah 14:7 - which Malachi 1:11 - my name John 6:64 - For Acts 2:23 - being Acts 18:10 - for Romans 3:25 - set forth Romans 4:17 - calleth Romans 11:2 - which he foreknew 2 Timothy 1:9 - before Titus 1:2 - before

Cross-References

Hebrews 13:20
May the God of peace, who has raised from the dead our Lord Jesus (who by the blood of the eternal covenant is become the grand pastor of

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Known unto God are all his works,.... These are the words of James, and not of Amos; all the things which God does in the church and in the world, they were all foreknown and predetermined by him: from the beginning of the world; or from eternity; even all his works of creation, providence and grace: the Alexandrian copy, and Beza's most ancient copy, and the Vulgate Latin version, read in the singular number, "his work"; the work of the conversion of the Gentiles; this was fixed and resolved on by God in eternity; he knew it would be, because he had determined it should be; and accordingly he foretold it, and spoke of it in various periods of time before it came to pass; and therefore it should not be looked upon as some new and strange thing, that was never known, spoken or heard of: and this holds true of every other work of God, and agrees with what the Jews sometimes say z, that

"every work which is renewed in the world, the holy blessed God has commanded (or ordered) it from the day the world was created.''

z Zohar in Exod. fol. 78. 2. Vid. ib. in Lev. fol. 25. 4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Known unto God ... - See the notes on Acts 1:24. The meaning of this verse, in this connection, is this. God sees everything future; he knows what he will accomplish; he has a plan; all his works are so arranged in his mind that he sees everything distinctly and clearly. As he foretold these, it was a part of his plan; and as it was a part of his plan long since foretold, it should not be opposed and resisted by us.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 15:18. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning — As if he had said, This is not a new counsel of God: he had purposed, from the time he called the Israelites, to make the Gentiles partakers of the same grace and mercy; and ultimately to destroy those rites and ceremonies which separated them from each other. He therefore has sent the Gospel of his Son, proclaiming equally peace to him that is afar off, the Gentiles, and to him that is nigh, the Jews.

The whole of this verse is very dubious: the principal part of it is omitted by the most ancient MSS., and Griesbach has left γνωϚα απ' αιωνος doubtful, and has thrown εϚι τῳ Θεῳ παντα τα εργα αὑτου out of the text. Of the former clause, Professor White, in his Crisews, says, "forsitan delenda," "probably these words should be blotted out." And of the latter clause he says, "certissime delenda," "most assuredly these should be blotted out." Supposing the whole to be genuine, critics have laboured to find out the sense. Some very learned men, and particularly Schleusner, contend that the word γνωϚα, from γινωσκειν, to know, should be understood here in the same sense in which ידא yada is in many parts of the Old Testament, which not only signifies to know, but to approve, love, c. They therefore would translate the passage thus: All the works of God are ever dear unto him. And, if so, consequently we might naturally expect him to be merciful to the Gentiles, as well as to the Jews and the evidence now afforded of the conversion of the Gentiles is an additional proof that all God's works are equally dear to him.