The Meaning of Acts 11:12 Explained

Acts 11:12

KJV: And the spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house:

YLT: and the Spirit said to me to go with them, nothing doubting, and these six brethren also went with me, and we did enter into the house of the man,

Darby: And the Spirit said to me to go with them, nothing doubting. And there went with me these six brethren also, and we entered into the house of the man,

ASV: And the Spirit bade me go with them, making no distinction. And these six brethren also accompanied me; and we entered into the man's house:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  the Spirit  bade  me  go with  them,  nothing  doubting.  Moreover  these  six  brethren  accompanied  me,  and  we entered  into  the man's  house: 

What does Acts 11:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Act 11:1-18 - Following A Plain Course
It is very interesting here to find Peter on the defensive. We have always thought of him as masterful and strong, the born leader of men, whose authority was absolutely indisputable. But here we see him taken seriously to task by the mother Church, and compelled to show the grounds of his unprecedented action. Here also appears the first clear indication of the rift which was, in due course, to develop in the Church, between the converted Jews, who insisted that Gentiles must become Jews before becoming Christians, and those of more liberal views, who began to understand that in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision availed anything, but a new creature, Galatians 6:15, and faith working by love, Galatians 5:6. This division was the cause of Paul's embittered and life-long persecution.
But the first decision of those in the church in Jerusalem was a perfectly just one, Acts 11:18. The facts compelled a favorable verdict upon Peter's action. They tacitly confessed that the seal of God's approval had been unmistakably affixed to his action, and that he had no alternative. When a man lives in union with the Spirit of God, crooked things become straight and rough places plain, Isaiah 40:4. [source]

Chapter Summary: Act 11

1  Peter, being accused for preaching to the Gentiles,
5  makes his defense;
18  which is accepted
19  The gospel being spread in Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch,
22  Barnabas is sent to confirm them
26  The disciples are first called Christians at Antioch
27  They send relief to the brothers in Judea in time of famine

Greek Commentary for Acts 11:12

Making no distinction [μηδεν διακριναντα]
So Westcott and Hort (first aorist active participle) instead of μηδεν διακρινομενον — mēden diakrinomenon “nothing doubting” (present middle participle) like Acts 10:20. The difference in voice shows the distinction in meaning. [source]
We entered into the man‘s house [εισηλτομεν εις τον οικον του ανδρος]
Peter confesses it, but shows that the other six went in also. He avoids mention of Cornelius‘s name and office. [source]
Nothing doubting [μηδὲν διακρινόμενον]
The Rev. renders making no distinction, taking the verb in its original sense, which is to separate or distinguish. The rendering seems rather strained, doubting being a common rendering in the New Testament and giving a perfectly good sense here. See Matthew 21:21; Mark 11:23, and note on James 1:6. It was natural that Peter should hesitate. [source]
The six brethren []
The men of Joppa who had gone with Peter to Cornelius, and had accompanied him also to Jerusalem, either as witnesses for him or for their own vindication, since they had committed the same offence. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 11:12

Acts 10:20 Get thee down [katabēthi)]
Second aorist active imperative, at once. Go (poreuou). Present middle imperative, go on. Nothing doubting Another compound of dia old and common verb for a divided mind Note usual negative of the present middle participle, the subjective mēden The notion of wavering (James 1:6) is common with this verb in the middle voice. In Acts 11:12 the aorist active For I (hoti egō). The Holy Spirit assumes responsibility for the messengers from Cornelius and thus connects their mission with the vision which was still troubling Peter. Peter had heard his name called by the man (Acts 10:19). [source]
Acts 10:20 Nothing doubting [mēden diakrinomenos)]
Another compound of dia old and common verb for a divided mind Note usual negative of the present middle participle, the subjective mēden The notion of wavering (James 1:6) is common with this verb in the middle voice. In Acts 11:12 the aorist active For I (hoti egō). The Holy Spirit assumes responsibility for the messengers from Cornelius and thus connects their mission with the vision which was still troubling Peter. Peter had heard his name called by the man (Acts 10:19). [source]
Acts 10:23 Accompanied him [sunēlthan autōi)]
Associative instrumental case after verb. The wisdom of having these half dozen Jewish Christians from Joppa with Peter in the house of Cornelius in Caesarea becomes manifest in Jerusalem (Acts 11:12). [source]
Acts 11:2 They that were of the circumcision [οι εκ περιτομης]
Literally, those of circumcision (on the side of circumcision, of the circumcision party). The phrase in Acts 10:46 is confined to the six brethren with Peter in Caesarea (Acts 11:12). That can hardly be the meaning here for it would mean that they were the ones who brought the charge against Peter though Hort takes this view. All the disciples in Jerusalem were Jews so that it can hardly mean the whole body. In Galatians 2:12 the phrase has the narrower sense of the Judaizing or Pharisaic wing of the disciples (Acts 15:5) who made circumcision necessary for all Gentile converts. Probably here by anticipation Luke so describes the beginning of that great controversy. The objectors probably did not know of Peter‘s vision at Joppa, but only of the revolutionary conduct of Peter in Caesarea. These extremists who spoke probably had abundant sympathy in their protest. The apostles are mentioned in Acts 11:1, but are not referred to in Acts 11:2. Apparently they are in contrast with the circumcision party in the church. [source]
Romans 4:20 Staggered [διεκρίθη]
Rev., better, wavered. See on Acts 11:12; see on James 1:6; see on James 2:4. The word implies a mental struggle. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 11:12 mean?

Told now the Spirit me to go with them not having discriminated Went with me also - six brothers these and we entered into the house of the man
εἶπεν δὲ τὸ Πνεῦμά μοι συνελθεῖν αὐτοῖς μηδὲν διακρίναντα ἦλθον σὺν ἐμοὶ καὶ οἱ ἓξ ἀδελφοὶ οὗτοι καὶ εἰσήλθομεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ ἀνδρός

εἶπεν  Told 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
δὲ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
Πνεῦμά  Spirit 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: πνεῦμα  
Sense: a movement of air (a gentle blast.
μοι  me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
συνελθεῖν  to  go  with 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: συνέρχομαι  
Sense: to come together.
διακρίναντα  having  discriminated 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: διακρίνω  
Sense: to separate, make a distinction, discriminate, to prefer.
ἦλθον  Went 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἔρχομαι  
Sense: to come.
ἐμοὶ  me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
καὶ  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
οἱ  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἓξ  six 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἕξ  
Sense: six.
ἀδελφοὶ  brothers 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀδελφός  
Sense: a brother, whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father or mother.
οὗτοι  these 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
εἰσήλθομεν  we  entered 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 1st Person Plural
Root: εἰσέρχομαι  
Sense: to go out or come in: to enter.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
οἶκον  house 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: οἶκος  
Sense: a house.
τοῦ  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀνδρός  man 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: ἀνήρ  
Sense: with reference to sex.