What Does Acts 15:7 Mean in the King James?
And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The verse binds believing to hearing: trust takes shape as the message crosses a boundary.
THE MEANING
A spoken word reaches the ear, and trust takes shape in the hearing. God’s choice reaches people beyond the circle expected to receive the message. Access begins with being addressed, not with already belonging.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that a person must already belong to the recognized circle before God’s message can reach them: here, the Gentiles hear and believe through Peter’s voice.
THE ROOT
πιστεῦσαι
pisteusai
GROWS FROM
πείθω
peithō
To persuade or win over; in this word family, to trust or be persuaded.
English “believe” can sound like agreement with a claim, while this Greek word family carries the sense of being persuaded and trusting. The verse joins that trust directly to hearing the message, presenting it as a response to what reaches the ear.
ALSO GROWS
peithō: Persuade, convince, or trust.
πείθω
The root holds both persuasion and trust, showing belief as a response to what persuades.
pistis: Trust, confidence, faith.
πίστις
This noun names the trust that the verse describes as arising after the message is heard.
pistos: Trustworthy, reliable, faithful.
πιστός
This branch connects trusting with the quality of being reliable, giving belief the texture of reliance rather than bare agreement.
THE PATTERN
Trust takes shape through hearing the message, and its reach crosses the boundary of expected belonging.
Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?THE THREAD
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.The verb πιστεῦσαι (pisteusai, to believe or trust) here and the noun πίστις (pistis, trust) there belong to the same Greek word family. Romans makes the link visible: hearing and trust emerge together through the word.
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