but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The text doesn't just say "anyone" can be accepted, but specifically highlights those who "fear him and do what is right." This points to a heart posture of reverence towards God and a life lived in accordance with His moral standard, not merely a passive acceptance of any religion. It emphasizes that genuine acceptance with God is rooted in a character that reflects His nature, regardless of a person's background.
but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Peter is explaining to Cornelius and his household that God is not limited by ethnicity or religion, but genuinely accepts anyone who sincerely fears Him and acts righteously. This declaration comes after Peter's vision, which prepared him to enter the home of a Gentile and share the Gospel, shattering his previous understanding of who God could accept. He is now moving from declaring God's impartiality to introducing Jesus as the central figure through whom this acceptance is fully realized.
Ever felt like you didn't quite fit the mold? Peter's words here shatter the idea that God only favors one group of people.
Peter, once hesitant about sharing the Gospel with Gentiles, has a profound realization: God isn't limited by nationality or ethnicity. He declares that 'in every nation' anyone who genuinely fears Him and acts righteously is accepted.
This is a massive shift! Before this, the Jewish understanding often centered on God's chosen people, Israel. But through Cornelius's experience, Peter sees that God's embrace is wider than he ever imagined. It's not about where you're from, but how you respond to God's light, whatever that light may be.
This isn't about a free pass for any behavior. It's about a heart that turns towards God and a life that seeks to do what's right, a principle that holds true universally.
What does it truly mean to 'fear God' and 'work righteousness'? It's more than just following rules; it's about the heart's posture and its outward expression.
Peter uses terms that would have been familiar from the Old Testament to describe a godly person. 'Fearing God' isn't about being terrified, but about a deep reverence, awe, and respect for God's character and authority. It's recognizing His greatness and His will.
'Working righteousness' flows from this reverence. It means actively pursuing what is right, abstaining from evil, and treating others justly. It’s not about earning God's favor through perfect deeds, but about living a life that reflects the character of the God you revere.
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Cornelius, a Gentile, exemplified this. He prayed, he gave generously, and he lived a morally upright life, all according to the understanding God had given him. His actions were the genuine outflow of a heart that feared God.
Could God accept someone who doesn't even know Jesus by name? This verse hints at a deeper reality of God's saving grace.
The commentators highlight a crucial point: Cornelius, though he didn't know Jesus personally, was 'acceptable' to God through Christ. This is because Christ's atoning work is the objective basis for all acceptance with God, whether people fully understand it or not.
Peter's message isn't that knowing Jesus isn't important – it absolutely is! But it is about God's incredible grace reaching those who respond in sincere faith and obedience to the light they have. Cornelius's sincere devotion, prayer, and acts of kindness were a response to the grace God had already given him.
For those who do hear the Gospel, the message is clear: there’s a higher, fuller knowledge and blessedness in consciously receiving Christ. But this verse assures us that God's love isn't confined to those who have heard the full story; His grace extends to all who seek Him sincerely.
Understand the original words
ethnos · Greek Noun
Refers to all non-Jewish peoples, but in the New Testament context, it signifies the reach of the Gospel beyond the covenant people of Israel to the entire world.
phoboumenos · Greek Verb (Participle)
A reverential fear and awe of God that leads to obedience and worship. It is a foundational posture for a relationship with God, characterized by deep respect for His holiness and authority.
dektos · Greek Adjective
Being in a right relationship with God or meeting His requirements for fellowship. In this context, it refers to the state of an individual being received or approved by God through faith and obedient action.
This verse, spoken by Peter, signifies a revolutionary shift in God's plan: acceptance is no longer tied to ethnicity or religious observance but to a sincere heart and righteous actions, a truth revealed to Peter through his encounter with Cornelius.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Cornelius' Vision and Peter's Vision
Roman centurion Cornelius, a devout Gentile, receives a vision instructing him to send for Peter. Simultaneously, the Apostle Peter has a vision of animals, which God uses to teach him not to call any person impure.
c. 30 AD
Peter visits Cornelius
Peter travels to Caesarea and preaches the Gospel to Cornelius and his household. This marks a pivotal moment where the good news of salvation explicitly extends beyond the Jewish people to the Gentiles.
c. 48-50 AD
Jerusalem Council
A major dispute arises regarding whether Gentile converts must follow Jewish law, particularly circumcision. The Council, including Peter and Paul, ultimately affirms that salvation comes through faith in Jesus, not adherence to the Mosaic Law.
c. 50-60 AD
Paul's Missionary Journeys
The Apostle Paul undertakes extensive missionary journeys throughout the Roman Empire, establishing churches among both Jews and Gentiles and consistently teaching that Christ's salvation is for all who believe.
c. 60-62 AD
Paul's Imprisonment and Letters
While imprisoned in Rome, Paul writes letters to churches like the Ephesians and Colossians, further elaborating on the theological implications of Christ's work, which has broken down barriers between Jew and Gentile.
This passage directly echoes the sentiment of Acts 10:35, stating that God grants glory, honor, and peace to 'everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek,' emphasizing His impartiality.
Galatians 3:28Paul's declaration that 'there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus' powerfully supports the idea that in God's sight, national or ethnic origin doesn't determine acceptance.
Deuteronomy 10:17This Old Testament passage is a foundational statement of God's impartiality, proclaiming that God 'shows no partiality nor takes any bribe,' which Peter is now seeing demonstrated in practice with Cornelius.
1 Peter 1:17Peter himself, in his letter, urges believers to live 'reverently throughout your time of exile, you were redeemed... not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ,' reinforcing that true acceptance comes through Christ, regardless of background.
James 2:9James warns against showing favoritism, stating that if people 'show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers,' which aligns with Peter's understanding that God does not play favorites based on outward status or ethnicity.
jfbActs 10:35: "But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him."
- But in every nation—not (observe), in every religion; according to a common distortion of these words.he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness—This being the well-known phraseology of the Old Testament in describing the truly godly man, within the pale of revealed religion, it cannot be alleged that Peter meant it to denote a merely virtuous character, in the heathen sense; and as P…
clarkeActs 10:35: "But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him."
But in every nation he that feared him, etc. - In every nation he who, according to his light and privileges, fears God, worships him alone, (for this is the true meaning of the word), and worketh righteousness, abstains from all evil, gives to all their due, injures neither the body, soul, nor reputation of his neighbor, is accepted with him. It is not therefore the nation, kindred, professi…
The text doesn't just say "anyone" can be accepted, but specifically highlights those who "fear him and do what is right." This points to a heart posture of reverence towards God and a life lived in accordance with His moral standard, not merely a passive acceptance of any religion. It emphasizes that genuine acceptance with God is rooted in a character that reflects His nature, regardless of a person's background.
Peter is explaining to Cornelius and his household that God is not limited by ethnicity or religion, but genuinely accepts anyone who sincerely fears Him and acts righteously. This declaration comes after Peter's vision, which prepared him to enter the home of a Gentile and share the Gospel, shattering his previous understanding of who God could accept. He is now moving from declaring God's impartiality to introducing Jesus as the central figure through whom this acceptance is fully realized.
Peter is explaining to Cornelius and his household that God is not limited by ethnicity or religion, but genuinely accepts anyone who sincerely fears Him and acts righteously. This declaration comes after Peter's vision, which prepared him to enter the home of a Gentile and share the Gospel, shattering his previous understanding of who God could accept. He is now moving from declaring God's impartiality to introducing Jesus as the central figure through whom this acceptance is fully realized.
"but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him." — The text doesn't just say "anyone" can be accepted, but specifically highlights those who "fear him and do what is right." This points to a heart posture of reverence towards God and a life lived in…
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Last reviewed October 2026