Acts 8:21

21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God.

Acts 8:21 in Other Translations

KJV
21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
ESV
21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.
NLT
21 You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God.
MSG
21 You'll never be part of what God is doing by striking bargains and offering bribes.
CSB
21 You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God.

Acts 8:21 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 8:21

Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter
Or business of the gift of the Holy Ghost; signifying, that as he had not the grace of the Spirit of God implanted in him, so he should not have any of the gifts of the Spirit bestowed on him; and much less a power of communicating them to others, through laying on of hands: or "in this word"; the word of the Gospel, preached by the apostles; and in any of the blessings published in it, as the forgiveness of sins, a justifying righteousness, and eternal life; and so the Syraic version renders it, "in this faith"; neither in the grace of faith, nor in the doctrine of faith: it seems to answer to a way of speaking frequently used among the Jews, that such and such persons, (qlh Mhl Nya) , "have no part or lot", in the world to come F9. The Ethiopic version reads, "because of this thy word"; because for his money, he had desired to have a power of bestowing the Holy Ghost on persons, through the imposition of his hands; which showed he had no share in the grace of God, and would have no part in eternal life, thus living and dying:

for thy heart is not right in the sight of God;
he had not a clean heart, nor a right spirit created in him; he had not true principles of grace wrought in him; his heart was full of covetousness, ambition, and hypocrisy; he had no good designs, ends, and aims, in what he said and did; in his profession of faith, in his baptism, in his attendance on Philip's ministry, and in his request for the above power, of conferring the Holy Ghost: his view was not the spread and confirmation of the Gospel, or the enlargement of the kingdom and interest of Christ, and the glory of God, but his own applause and worldly interest; and therefore, however he might be thought of by men, to be a good and disinterested man, he was otherwise in the sight of God, who is the searcher of the heart, and the trier of the reins of the children of men.


FOOTNOTES:

F9 Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 11. sect. 1.

Acts 8:21 In-Context

19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!
21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God.
22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.
23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

Cross References 2

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