John Calvin Commentary Acts 15:9

"and he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith." — Acts 15:9 (ASV)

And he put no difference. There was indeed some difference, because the Gentiles who were uncircumcised were suddenly admitted to the covenant of eternal life, whereas the Jews were prepared by circumcision for faith. But Peter’s meaning is that they were both chosen together by God for the hope of the same inheritance, and that they were exalted to the same degree of honor, so that they might be the children of God and members of Christ, and, finally, the holy seed of Abraham, a priestly and royal generation.

From this it follows that they cannot without sacrilege be counted unclean, since God has chosen them to be a peculiar people and has consecrated them to be holy vessels of His temple. For the wall of separation being pulled down, by which the Gentiles and Jews were divided among themselves, He has joined the Gentiles to the Jews, so that they might grow together into one body (Ephesians 2:14). And, so to speak, He has mixed circumcision and uncircumcision together, so that both those of the household and strangers may be one in Christ, and may form one Church; and so that there may no longer be either Jew or Greek.

Seeing that by faith He has purified. This part corresponds to the former description that he applies to God, as if he were saying that God, who knows the hearts, inwardly purged the Gentiles when He graciously allowed them to share in His adoption, so that they might be endowed with spiritual cleanness. But he adds further that this purity consisted in faith. Therefore he teaches, first, that the Gentiles have true holiness without ceremonies, which can be sufficient before God’s judgment seat. Secondly, he teaches that this is attained by faith, and from it, it flows. Similarly, Paul gathers that uncircumcision does not prevent a man from being counted holy and just before God (Romans 4:10), because circumcision followed righteousness in the person of Abraham, and in order of time it was later [posterior].

But here a question arises, whether the purity which the fathers formerly had was unlike that which God now gave to the Gentiles. For it seems that Peter distinguishes the Gentiles from the Jews by this mark: because, being content with the cleanness of the heart alone, they need no help of the law.

I answer that the one differs from the other, not in substance, but in form [only]. For God always had regard for the inward cleanness of the heart; and the ceremonies were given to the ancient people only for this reason, that they might help their faith.

So cleanness, concerning figures and practices, was only for a time, until the coming of Christ, which has no place among us today; just as there remains from the very beginning of the world to the end the same true worship of God, namely, spiritual worship, yet there is a great difference in the visible form.

Now, we see that the fathers did not obtain righteousness by ceremonies, nor were they therefore pure before God, but by the cleanness of the heart. For the ceremonies in themselves were of no importance for justifying them; but they were only helps, which accidentally (if I may call it that) purged them, yet in such a way that the fathers and we had the same truth. Now, when Christ came, all that was accidental vanished; and, therefore, since the shadows are driven away, there remains the bare and plain purity of the heart.

Thus, the objection that the Jews think cannot possibly be answered is easily addressed. Circumcision is called the eternal covenant, or of the world (Genesis 17:13); therefore, they say, it was not to be abolished. If anyone says that this is not referred to the visible sign, but rather to the thing signified, it will be well answered; but there is another answer besides this.

Since the kingdom of Christ was a certain renewal of the world, no difficulty will follow if He ended all the shadows of the law, inasmuch as the perpetuity of the law is grounded in Christ. I come now to the second part, where Peter places the cleanness [purity] of the Gentiles in faith.

Why does he not say, "In perfection of virtues, or holiness of life," except because men have righteousness from another, and not from themselves? For, if men, by living well and justly, could purchase righteousness, or if they could be clean before God by nature, this statement of Peter would fall to the ground.

Therefore, the Spirit in these words plainly declares that all mankind is polluted and defiled with filthiness; secondly, that their stains can be wiped away by no other means than by the grace of Christ. For, since faith is the remedy by which the Lord freely helps us, it is set against both the common nature of all men and every man’s own merits.

When I say that all mankind is polluted, my meaning is that we bring nothing from our mother’s womb but mere filthiness, and that there is no righteousness in our nature which can reconcile us to God.

Man’s soul was indeed endowed with singular gifts at first, but all its parts are so corrupt with sin that there remains in it no drop of purity any longer; therefore, we must seek cleanness outside of ourselves.

For if anyone alleges that it may be recovered by merits of works, there is nothing more absurd than to imagine that a wicked and corrupt nature can deserve anything.

Therefore, it remains for men to seek elsewhere for that which they will never be able to find within themselves. And surely it is the office of faith to transfer to us that which belongs to Christ, and to make it ours by free participation.

So there is a mutual relation between faith and the grace of Christ. For faith does not make us clean, as a virtue or quality poured into our souls, but because it receives that cleanness which is offered in Christ. We must also note the phrase, that God purifies the hearts; by which Luke both makes God the author of faith, and he also teaches that cleanness is His benefit.

In short, he signifies to us that what is given to men by the grace of God is what they cannot give to themselves.

But since we said that faith takes from Christ that which it transfers [transferreth] to us, we must now see how the grace of Christ makes us clean, so that we may please God.

And there is a twofold manner of purging: first, because Christ offers and presents us clean and just in the sight of His Father, by putting away our sins daily, which He has once purged by His blood; secondly, because, by mortifying the lusts of the flesh by His Spirit, He reforms us to holiness of life.

I willingly include both kinds of purging under these words, because Luke does not touch upon only one kind of purging, but he teaches that its whole perfection consists apart from the ceremonies of the law.