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NASB | Acts 8:20 But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Acts 8:20 But Peter said to him, "May your money be destroyed along with you, because you thought you could buy the [free] gift of God with money! |
Bible Question:
Consider with me "the gift of God". I am comparing Acts 8:20 with John 4:10. What is the gift of God? An ability to lay on hands or receive living water? Or is the gift Himself? |
Bible Answer: Ray, The gifts spoken of in these passages are not the same, and yet they are the same. Let me explain. In John 4:8 Jesus says to woman, "if you knew the gift of God..". The Greek word for know here is simply the word oida, which is the common word meaning see with the eyes. It does not imply some deep or spiritual knowledge or perception. There are other words for that. He is simply saying that if you could see that I am the gift from God, you would be asking Me for things, which only I can give, i.e. living water which is eternal life. As to the passage in Acts it is different in that Simon believed the gift was the ability to cause people to receive the Holy Spirit. While it is true that this is a gift, it only flows from the bigger gift which is "eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom 6:23). Since eternal life is knowing "the only true God, and Jesus Christ" (John 17:3), in another sense, once again, the gift of God is Jesus Christ, and this is how it is the same as in John. Apart from salvation, which is in Christ, there are no other true gifts, since "Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow." (James 1:17) |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Acts 8:20 | Author | ||
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Ray | ||
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GeneralWAS | ||
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popdzl | ||
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edavis |