Acts 4:12: Edit history

Revision #10515

Acts 4:12

Localized for English-speaking readers

Status: approved

Changes from the previous English revision

= ## Context

- Peter and John had healed a man lame from birth at the Beautiful Gate of the temple "in the name of Jesus Christ" (chapter 3). They were arrested for this and brought the next day before the high priest and the rulers. When asked by what power and in whose name they had done this (v. 7), Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered that the man had been healed in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, whom they had crucified. He cited Psalm 118:22, "the stone which the builders refused" (v. 11), and concluded his defense with verse 12.

+ Peter and John had healed a man lame from birth at the Beautiful Gate of the temple "in the name of Jesus Christ" (chapter 3). They were arrested for this and brought the next day before the high priest and the rulers. When asked by what power and in whose name they had done this (v. 7), Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered that the man had been healed in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, whom they had crucified. After citing Psalm 118:22, "the stone which the builders refused" (v. 11), he concluded his defense with verse 12.

= ## Interpretation

- The Greek word translated "salvation" is *sōtēria*. A verb from the same root appears in verse 9, where it describes how the sick man was "made whole." For this reason, many interpreters see the verse as moving from bodily healing to the complete salvation of the person. The "name" signifies the whole person and authority of the one named.

+ The Greek word translated "salvation" is *sōtēria*. A verb from the same root appears in verse 9, where it describes how the sick man was "made whole." For this reason, many interpreters see the verse as broadening the discussion from bodily healing to the complete salvation of the person. The "name" signifies the whole person and authority of the one named.

= - **Exclusivism**: Most Protestant denominations and evangelicalism read the verse to mean that there is no salvation apart from faith in Christ. Together with John 14:6 and 1 Timothy 2:5, it is a central text for this position.

…

Acts 4:12 records Peter's declaration before the Jewish supreme council, the Sanhedrin: "Neither is there salvation in any other." It is a leading text for the confession that Jesus Christ alone is the way of salvation and is often cited in discussions of the salvation of adherents of other religions and of those who have never heard the gospel.
Acts 4:12 records Peter's declaration before the Jewish supreme council: "Neither is there salvation in any other." It is a leading text for the confession that Jesus Christ alone is the way of salvation, and it is frequently cited in discussions of the salvation of adherents of other religions and of those who have never heard the gospel.

Full revision

Acts 4:12 records Peter's declaration before the Jewish supreme council: "Neither is there salvation in any other." It is a leading text for the confession that Jesus Christ alone is the way of salvation, and it is frequently cited in discussions of the salvation of adherents of other religions and of those who have never heard the gospel.

Context

Peter and John had healed a man lame from birth at the Beautiful Gate of the temple "in the name of Jesus Christ" (chapter 3). They were arrested for this and brought the next day before the high priest and the rulers. When asked by what power and in whose name they had done this (v. 7), Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered that the man had been healed in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, whom they had crucified. After citing Psalm 118:22, "the stone which the builders refused" (v. 11), he concluded his defense with verse 12.

Interpretation

The Greek word translated "salvation" is sōtēria. A verb from the same root appears in verse 9, where it describes how the sick man was "made whole." For this reason, many interpreters see the verse as broadening the discussion from bodily healing to the complete salvation of the person. The "name" signifies the whole person and authority of the one named.

Exclusivism: Most Protestant denominations and evangelicalism read the verse to mean that there is no salvation apart from faith in Christ. Together with John 14:6 and 1 Timothy 2:5, it is a central text for this position.
Inclusivism: This view holds that salvation comes only through Christ but that its grace may reach even those who have not explicitly known him. The Roman Catholic theologian Karl Rahner's concept of the "anonymous Christian" is a representative example. The view distinguishes the ground of salvation from the conscious knowledge of faith.
Pluralism: This view treats the verse as the confessional language of the early church and acknowledges the possibility of salvation in other religions. Major denominations regard this view as incompatible with Scripture.

Debates and Issues

Even within exclusivism, views differ on particular cases, such as those who have never heard the gospel or children who die young. In addition, where the verse is used as aggressive language against adherents of other religions, some point out that its context should be remembered: Peter's words were the confession of a persecuted minority standing before those in power. For further discussion, see Religious pluralism.

Related Passages

John 14:6
1 Timothy 2:5-6
Psalm 118:22
Romans 10:13-14

Revision	Time (UTC)	Contributor	Summary	Status
#10515	2026-11-05 01:48:32	AI localization	Localized for English-speaking readers	approved
#10514	2026-11-05 01:48:32	AI localization	English baseline before localization	approved