Acts 15:8

8 And God, who knows all hearts, gave His testimony in their favour by bestowing the Holy Spirit on them just as He did on us;

Acts 15:8 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 15:8

And God which knoweth the hearts
Of all men; he being omniscient, the searcher of the hearts, and the trier of the reins of the children of men, knew with what sincerity Cornelius sent for Peter; and with what vehement desire and longing expectation he and his family and friends waited for his coming; and with what earnestness, diligence, and affection they attended to what he said:

bore them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto
us;
God bore a testimony, and showed his well pleasedness in the whole of this affair, by bestowing upon them not only the regenerating and sanctifying grace of the Spirit; but his extraordinary gifts, such as speaking with divers tongues, even in like manner as these were bestowed on the apostles themselves, on the day of Pentecost, though they were uncircumcised persons; for the drift of Peter's oration is to show, that circumcision was not necessary to salvation.

Acts 15:8 In-Context

6 Then the Apostles and Elders met to consider the matter;

7 and after there had been a long discussion Peter rose to his feet. "It is within your own knowledge," he said, "that God originally made choice among you that from my lips the Gentiles were to hear the Message of the Good News, and believe.

8 And God, who knows all hearts, gave His testimony in their favour by bestowing the Holy Spirit on them just as He did on us;

9 and He made no difference between us and them, in that He cleansed their hearts by their faith.

10 Now, therefore, why try an experiment upon God, by laying on the necks of these disciples a yoke which neither our forefathers nor we have been able to bear?