Acts 10:47

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

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Peter addresses his Jewish companions after they hear the Gentile converts speaking in tongues and exalting God. He poses a rhetorical question to justify administering baptism to them immediately.

The words — κωλῦσαι (kōlysaí) literally means to forbid or withhold. Peter uses the term to ask whether anyone is able to prevent the water from being given to those who have visibly received the Holy Spirit.

The thread — Acts 11:15 records Peter recalling that the Spirit fell on the Gentiles just as it had fallen on the Jewish believers at the beginning. Romans 10:12 states there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, noting that the same Lord gives richly to all who call on Him.

Why it lands — The text states that Spirit reception precedes and validates the baptismal act. It requires the reader to accept divine initiative as the necessary condition for inclusion in the community rather than human protocol.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

μήτιmētisurely not ever τὸtothe ὕδωρhudōrwater δύναταιdunataiis able κωλῦσαίkōlusaito withhold τιςtisanyone τοῦtou<the>μὴmēnot βαπτισθῆναιbaptisthēnaito baptize τούτους,toutousthese οἵτινεςoitineswho τὸtothe πνεῦμαpneumaSpirit τὸto<the>ἅγιονhagionHoly ἔλαβονelabonhave received ὡςhōsas καὶkaialso [have]ἡμεῖς;hēmeiswe ourselves?

King James Version

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

Cross-references

Acts 8:36 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?”
Acts 11:15 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as He had fallen upon us at the beginning.
Romans 10:12 For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him,
Acts 15:8 And God, who knows the heart, showed His approval by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us.
Genesis 17:24 So Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised,
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 8:12 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.
Romans 4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.