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The term indicates God’s sovereign act of designating individuals for a task before that task unfolds in history. It points to an appointment that precedes human initiative and guarantees the fulfillment of God’s redemptive purposes.

Scriptural Occurrence

Acts 10:41 stands alone in the Greek New Testament: “He was not seen by all the people, but by the witnesses God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.” Peter is speaking in Caesarea to the household of Cornelius, recounting the resurrection and the divine choice of specific eyewitnesses.

Historical Context

Peter’s sermon comes at a watershed moment when the gospel first penetrates the Gentile world without the prerequisite of becoming Jewish proselytes. By stressing that certain witnesses had been “pre-appointed,” Peter validates the authenticity of the resurrection while underscoring that the Gentile mission rests on the same divinely established foundation as the earlier Jewish mission.

Divine Sovereignty and Election

The verse resonates with wider biblical teaching on God’s prior choice (compareEphesians 1:4;Romans 8:29–30). Whereas other passages speak of believers being chosen “before the foundation of the world,”Acts 10:41 focuses on specific individuals appointed ahead of time to bear eyewitness testimony. Both uses highlight that salvation history unfolds according to a pre-existent divine plan.

Apostolic Witness and Authority

Those “chosen beforehand” possessed two credentials: (1) direct, empirical interaction with the risen Christ (“ate and drank with Him”), and (2) divine commissioning. Their testimony anchors the church’s proclamation in verifiable history rather than myth or speculation (seeLuke 24:48;1 John 1:1–3). The early church’s doctrinal and missional authority rests on this unique, pre-appointed witness pool.

Continuity with Old Testament Patterns

God’s practice of pre-appointing representatives is seen throughout Scripture—Joseph before the famine (Genesis 45:5), Moses before the Exodus (Exodus 3:10–12), and the Servant of Isaiah “called … from the womb” (Isaiah 49:1).Acts 10:41 confirms that the same covenant-keeping God directs New Testament events.

Implications for Ministry

1. Confidence in Gospel Proclamation: Modern evangelists stand on the foundation laid by those original, God-appointed witnesses; thus the message rests on divine initiative rather than human ingenuity.
2. Assurance of Calling: While believers are not eyewitnesses of Christ’s earthly ministry, they are nonetheless “created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance” (Ephesians 2:10), reflecting the same principle of divine pre-appointment.
3. Inclusivity of the Mission: The verse appears in the first major Gentile conversion narrative, signaling that God’s prior planning always included the nations. The church therefore embraces cross-cultural evangelism as part of God’s eternal design.

Summary

Strong’s Greek 4401 highlights God’s deliberate, prior selection of resurrection witnesses. This single New Testament instance illuminates the reliability of apostolic testimony, showcases divine sovereignty in salvation history, and encourages the church to trust and obey the God who continues to appoint His servants in advance for works that serve His redemptive purposes.