Acts 10:43 says that everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of their sins, and that this message is one the whole Hebrew Scripture points toward. The verse is spoken by the apostle Peter, who is standing in the home of a Roman centurion named Cornelius in Caesarea. Peter is addressing Cornelius and the gathered household, most of whom are Gentiles, meaning non-Jewish people who had never been part of Israel’s covenant before.
All the prophets testify about him, that through his name everyone who believes in him will receive remission of sins.”
Acts 10:43 (WEB)
What Acts 10:43 Means
Peter begins by pointing to the prophets. He is saying that the whole story of Israel’s Scriptures was building toward a figure like Jesus, and that the prophets were, in effect, witnesses to him. When Peter speaks of “his name,” he means the authority and identity of Jesus, the person God had raised from the dead, whom Peter and the others had personally seen.
The central promise is “remission of sins,” which means the release or cancellation of guilt before God. The verse is careful about who receives this: “everyone who believes in him.” Faith is the doorway, and the offer is open to all who trust Jesus, not reserved for a particular nation, family or group. The verse does not describe how a person earns forgiveness, nor does it list the steps a believer must complete first. It states that forgiveness comes through trust in Jesus and his name.
The Context of Acts 10:43
The book of Acts was written by Luke, the same author who wrote the Gospel bearing his name, and it traces how the good news moved from Jerusalem outward into the wider world. Luke addressed his work to a figure named Theophilus, and the book describes the early church’s growth through the power of the Holy Spirit. Chapter 10 is a turning point, because it records the first recorded case of Gentiles receiving the gospel and the Holy Spirit in the same way the first disciples had.
Just before verse 43, Peter describes Jesus being raised on the third day and commissioned to testify. Just after it, the Holy Spirit falls on everyone listening, and the Jewish believers with Peter are astonished that God has poured out the gift on Gentiles too. That surrounding scene shows that Peter’s statement about forgiveness is being confirmed in real time, which is why the verse carries such weight for understanding how God’s welcome widened.
Key Phrases in Acts 10:43
Romans 3:23-24
23 For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; 24 being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…
(WEB)
Paul explains that all people have fallen short, and that God gives right standing freely through the redemption found in Christ Jesus. It expands on the same idea of grace that Peter proclaims in Acts 10:43.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(WEB)
John describes how confessing sins brings forgiveness and cleansing because God is faithful and just. It shows how forgiveness continues to be received by believers who walk with Jesus over time.
A Short Prayer From Acts 10:43
Lord Jesus, I thank you that the prophets pointed toward you and that you were raised from the dead to be the one who forgives. I confess the things I have done that have separated me from you, and I ask that you receive me through your name rather than through my own effort. Help me to trust you each day, to rest in the forgiveness you give, and to share that same welcome with others who need it. Amen.
