John Gill Commentary Acts 15:18

"Saith the Lord, who maketh these things known from of old." — Acts 15:18 (ASV)

Known unto God are all his works
These are the words of James, and not of Amos; all the things which God does in the church and in the world, they were all foreknown and predetermined by him: from the beginning of the world; or from eternity; even all his works of creation, providence and grace:

The Alexandrian copy, and Beza's most ancient copy, and the Vulgate Latin version, read in the singular number, "his work"; the work of the conversion of the Gentiles; this was fixed and resolved on by God in eternity; he knew it would be, because he had determined it should be; and accordingly he foretold it, and spoke of it in various periods of time before it came to pass; and therefore it should not be looked upon as some new and strange thing, that was never known, spoken or heard of:

And this holds true of every other work of God, and agrees with what the Jews sometimes say ^F26 , that ``every work which is renewed in the world, the holy blessed God has commanded (or ordered) it from the day the world was created.''

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FOOTNOTES:

• F26: Zohar in Exod. fol. 78. 2. Vid. ib. in Lev. fol. 25. 4.