Acts 14:15 Meaning and Explanation
“And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →They protest that they are only men of like feelings with everyone else, and call the crowd to turn from worthless idols to the living God who made heaven, earth, and sea.
What Does Acts 14:15 Mean?
This is the first recorded sermon in Acts to a purely pagan audience. With no synagogue and no Scriptures the hearers know, Paul and Barnabas begin where the Bible itself begins: with the God who made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them.
'We also are men of like passions with you' — the healers insist on their ordinary humanity, then point past themselves. The call is to 'turn': away from 'vanities,' things empty and lifeless, toward the living God. The appeal is gentle and vast at once. Behind every astonishment stands not a crowded pantheon but one Maker, alive and generous, and turning to him is what the gospel is for.
Acts 14:15 in the Original Language
homoiopathes (ὁμοιοπαθής), 'of like passions' -- of the same nature and feelings as others, fully and ordinarily human.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 14:15
What does Acts 14:15 mean?
They protest that they are only men of like feelings with everyone else, and call the crowd to turn from worthless idols to the living God who made heaven, earth, and sea.