Acts 10:47

“No one can withhold the water for these people to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, ¹  can he?” ² 

Ge 17:24-26; Ac 8:12,36; Ac 11:15-17; Ac 15:8,9; Ro 4:11; Ro 10:12

¹ tn Grk “just as also we.” The auxiliary verb in English must be supplied. This could be either “have” (NIV, NRSV) or “did” (NASB). “Did” is preferred here because the comparison Peter is making concerns not just the fact of the present possession of the Spirit (“they received the Spirit we now possess”), but the manner in which the Gentiles in Cornelius’ house received the Spirit (“they received the Spirit in the same manner we did [on the day of Pentecost]”).

² tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative reply which is indicated in the translation by the ‘tag’ question, “can he?” The question is rhetorical. Peter was saying these Gentiles should be baptized since God had confirmed they were his.