An Exegetical Study of Acts 15:11: The Nature of Salvation through Grace
This exegetical study of Acts 15:11 is based on a b-greek discussion from March 23rd, 2017. The initial inquiry focused on the various English renderings of the Greek phrase πιστεύομεν σωθῆναι (Acts 15:11), which show significant ambiguity regarding the timing of salvation (e.g., “we shall/will be saved,” “to be saved,” “we are saved,” “have been saved”). The question probes the reason for this ambiguity, specifically concerning tenses, and whether the aorist infinitive passive (`σωθῆναι`) is grammatically complex or related to an accusativus cum infinitivo construction.
The main exegetical issue at stake is the precise temporal and aspectual understanding of the aorist infinitive σωθῆναι when it functions as the object or complement of the present indicative verb πιστεύομεν. The non-temporal nature of the Greek infinitive means its time reference is often derived from the main verb or the surrounding context. This inherent flexibility in Greek grammar allows for diverse theological interpretations regarding the timing of salvation – whether it is a future event, a present reality, a past completed act with ongoing results, or a general truth. The discussion highlights that the core of Peter’s argument in Acts 15, particularly in this verse, is not *when* salvation occurs, but *how* it occurs: through the grace of Jesus Christ, apart from Mosaic circumcision, for both Jews and Greeks. This theological context is crucial for interpreting the semantic range of the infinitive, preventing a narrow temporal fixation that might misrepresent the biblical author’s primary emphasis on the means of salvation.
Greek text (Nestle 1904)
ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ πιστεύομεν σωθῆναι καθ’ ὃν τρόπον κἀκεῖνοι.
Key differences with SBLGNT (2010):
* There are no significant textual differences between the Nestle 1904 text (as reflected in standard critical editions) and SBLGNT 2010 for Acts 15:11. The wording of ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ πιστεύομεν σωθῆναι καθ’ ὃν τρόπον κἀκεῖνοι is identical.
Textual Criticism (NA28) and Lexical Notes (KITTEL, BDAG):
From a textual critical perspective (e.g., NA28), Acts 15:11 is remarkably stable. The key phrase πιστεύομεν σωθῆναι is unanimously attested across major manuscripts and textual traditions. Minor variants exist elsewhere in the verse (e.g., some manuscripts have `Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ` instead of `Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ`), but these do not impact the grammatical or semantic understanding of the infinitive phrase under examination.
Lexically, the verb σῴζω (from which σωθῆναι derives) is central to biblical theology. KITTEL’s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (TDNT) traces σῴζω and its cognates (σωτηρία, σωτήρ) through the Old Testament (Septuagint) where it denotes deliverance from various forms of danger, oppression, or sickness. In the New Testament, while retaining these broader meanings, it acquires a profound theological significance, primarily referring to God’s act of delivering humanity from sin, death, and divine judgment, and bringing them into eternal life through Jesus Christ. The passive voice of σωθῆναι (to be saved) underscores that salvation is a divine initiative and work performed *on* the believer, rather than an achievement by human effort.
BDAG (Bauer, Danker, Arndt, Gingrich Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature) defines σῴζω, in the passive, as “to be saved, to be delivered.” For σωθῆναι, specifically the aorist infinitive passive, BDAG would highlight its function in expressing the *fact* or *occurrence* of salvation without inherent temporal specification. The timing of this “saving” action, therefore, becomes highly context-dependent, encompassing past (initial conversion), present (ongoing spiritual experience), and future (eschatological consummation) dimensions of salvation. The debate in Acts 15 is precisely about the *means* and *conditions* of this divine saving act, rather than its precise chronological placement.
Translation Variants
The ambiguity in English translations of πιστεύομεν σωθῆναι stems primarily from the grammatical properties of the Greek infinitive and the theological context.
- Grammatical Analysis:
- πιστεύομεν is a present indicative active verb, first person plural, meaning “we believe.” It denotes a present, ongoing state of belief.
- σωθῆναι is an aorist infinitive passive.
- The aorist aspect in infinitives focuses on the simple occurrence of the action without specifying its duration or completion relative to the main verb. It expresses the content of belief as a simple event.
- The passive voice indicates that the subject (“we,” implied from πιστεύομεν) *receives* the action of “saving.” God is the implied agent of this salvation.
- As an infinitive, σωθῆναι inherently lacks tense. Its temporal relationship to the main verb πιστεύομεν is not fixed. In contexts where an infinitive expresses the object or content of a verb of believing, hoping, or knowing, its time is often contemporaneous with, or subsequent to, the main verb, or it expresses a general truth.
- The construction here is a complementary infinitive, where the implied subject of the infinitive (`we`) is the same as the subject of the main verb (`we believe`). While πιστεύω can take an accusativus cum infinitivo (ACI) construction (e.g., “we believe *them* to be saved”), that is not the case here, as the subject is shared.
- Rhetorical and Contextual Analysis:
- The broader context of Acts 15:1-11 is the Jerusalem Council’s debate over whether Gentile converts need to be circumcised to be saved. Acts 15:1 states the opposing view: “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
- Peter’s statement in verse 11 is a direct counter-argument. The phrase καθ’ ὃν τρόπον κἀκεῖνοι (“in the same way as they also”) refers to the Gentiles who were explicitly saved without circumcision.
- The emphasis of Peter’s speech is on the *means* of salvation—”through the grace of the Lord Jesus”—and its universal applicability to both Jews and Gentiles. The question is not *when* salvation happens, but *how* it happens (by grace, not by works of law like circumcision).
- The non-temporal nature of the aorist infinitive serves this rhetorical purpose well. It allows the statement to refer to the general *fact* or *principle* of salvation by grace, encompassing its past initiation, present reality, and future consummation, without narrowing it to a single temporal point. This broad sense avoids the theological traps of specifying an exact moment that might contradict the ongoing nature of faith or the eschatological hope of salvation.
Conclusions and Translation Suggestions
The diversity in English translations of Acts 15:11 reflects the inherent non-temporal nature of the Greek aorist infinitive σωθῆναι. Peter’s statement focuses on the *manner* and *source* of salvation—God’s grace through Jesus—rather than its specific chronological timing. The infinitive allows for a comprehensive understanding of salvation as a reality initiated, sustained, and consummated by grace, applicable to both Jews and Gentiles without the prerequisite of circumcision. The debate in the early church was about the *conditions* of salvation, not its precise moment in time.
- “No, but we believe that we *are saved* through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are.”
This translation emphasizes salvation as a present reality or a state of being, aligning well with the idea of a current, grace-based identity. - “Instead, we believe that we *will be saved* through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same manner as they also.”
This option foregrounds the future and eschatological dimensions of salvation, reflecting the hope for ultimate deliverance, but potentially imposing a temporal specificity not strictly present in the Greek. - “But through the grace of the Lord Jesus we believe *to be saved*, in the same way as they also.”
This rendering closely mirrors the Greek structure by employing the bare infinitive. It best preserves the non-temporal, general, or factual aspect of salvation, highlighting the *means* (grace) rather than a specific time, and thus most accurately captures the primary point of Peter’s argument in its immediate context.