Acts 10:47 Meaning and Explanation
“Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Peter asks whether anyone can withhold the water of baptism from people who have received the Holy Spirit just as the apostles did.
What Does Acts 10:47 Mean?
Peter's question expects no objection — can any man forbid water? It echoes an earlier question on a desert road: what doth hinder me to be baptized? (Acts 8:36). God has given these hearers the Spirit as well as we; what barrier could remain?
What God has begun, the church must not refuse to seal. Baptism now welcomes, in water and in public, those whom God has already welcomed — same gift, same Lord, full belonging. When God removes a barrier, his people must not rebuild it at the water's edge.
Acts 10:47 in the Original Language
kolyo (κωλύω), 'forbid' -- to hinder or withhold; no barrier remains.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 10:47
What does Acts 10:47 mean?
Peter asks whether anyone can withhold the water of baptism from people who have received the Holy Spirit just as the apostles did.