Acts 10 41

Acts 10:41 kjv

Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.

Acts 10:41 nkjv

not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.

Acts 10:41 niv

He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen?by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

Acts 10:41 esv

not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

Acts 10:41 nlt

not to the general public, but to us whom God had chosen in advance to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

Acts 10 verses

Acts 10 41 Meaning

Acts 10:41 clarifies that the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus were not made to the general public, but were specifically granted to a chosen group of individuals. These individuals, primarily the apostles and certain disciples, were pre-selected by God to serve as witnesses to His physical resurrection. Peter emphasizes their credibility by stating that they had the tangible experience of eating and drinking with Jesus after He rose from the dead, providing undeniable proof of His physical, bodily return. This select testimony was foundational for their subsequent mission to preach the Gospel to the world.

Acts 10 41 Context

Acts 10:41 is part of Peter's sermon to Cornelius and his household in Caesarea, a pivotal moment in the expansion of the Gospel to Gentiles. After receiving a divine vision that overturned Jewish dietary laws and, more importantly, challenged his assumptions about Gentile "uncleanness," Peter has come to the house of Cornelius, a Roman centurion who also received a vision. In his sermon (Acts 10:34-43), Peter recounts Jesus' ministry, His crucifixion, and climaxes with His resurrection. This verse specifically addresses the critical point of who witnessed the resurrected Christ, asserting the authenticity and reliability of the apostolic testimony against the backdrop of their new mission to preach the message to non-Jews, including "all the people" who were not Israel. The historical and cultural context underscores the importance of direct eyewitness testimony in the ancient world, particularly concerning an event as extraordinary as resurrection. For the Jewish audience, a physical resurrection was anticipated at the end of time, making Jesus' individual resurrection a unique and astonishing claim that required indisputable proof from trusted witnesses.

Acts 10 41 Word analysis

• `not (οὐ - ou)`: A simple, absolute negation, directly indicating an exclusive aspect to Jesus' post-resurrection appearances.
• `to all (παντὶ - panti)`: Meaning 'every, all, the whole.' Paired with 'the people,' it highlights that the resurrected Jesus did not appear indiscriminately to everyone, not even to every single person within Israel.
• `the people (τῷ λαῷ - tō laō)`: In this Jewish-Christian context, `λαῷ` often refers specifically to the Jewish people, the nation of Israel, as God's chosen people (e.g., Acts 3:23, 4:10). The negation means that Jesus did not appear to all of Israel.
• `but (ἀλλὰ - alla)`: A strong adversative conjunction, indicating a clear contrast between "all the people" and "us."
• `to us (ἡμῖν - hēmin)`: The dative plural pronoun, specifically referring to Peter and the other apostles/close disciples who were present at Jesus' post-resurrection appearances. This defines the exclusive group of witnesses.
• `who had been chosen beforehand (προκεχειροτονημένοις - prokecheirotonēmenois)`: A crucial term. Compound of `πρὸ` (pro, before) + `χειροτονέω` (cheirotoneō, to choose by show of hands, appoint, elect). It signifies divine pre-selection or pre-ordination. These witnesses were not self-appointed, nor chosen arbitrarily, but divinely destined for this role. This emphasizes their authority and the divine orchestrating of their testimony.
• `by God (ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ - hypo tou theou)`: Directly states the agent of their pre-selection, underscoring the divine authority and providential nature of their calling as witnesses.
• `witnesses (μάρτυσιν - martysin)`: From which we derive 'martyr'. This term defines their core function: to bear testimony based on firsthand observation, even if it led to suffering or death. Their reliability rests on having personally seen and heard.
• `who ate together (συνεφάγομεν - synephagomen)`: Compound `σὺν` (syn, with) + `ἐσθίω` (esthio, to eat). This specific action proves the physical reality of Jesus' post-resurrection body. Eating together was a deeply relational, covenantal act in ancient culture.
• `and drank together (συνεπίομεν - syneepiomen)`: Compound `σὺν` (syn, with) + `πίνω` (pinō, to drink). Another physical act confirming tangibility. Together with eating, it unequivocally debunks any idea of Jesus being a mere spirit or phantom after rising.
• `with him (αὐτῷ - autō)`: Refers to Jesus, highlighting their direct, personal communion with the risen Lord.
• `after he rose from the dead (μετὰ τὸ ἀναστῆναι αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν - meta to anastēnai auton ek nekrōn)`: Specifies the temporal frame of these events. `ἀναστῆναι` (anastēnai - to stand up again, rise) and `ἐκ νεκρῶν` (ek nekrōn - from among the dead) confirm the historical fact of the resurrection, making it clear that these tangible interactions occurred after He had conquered death.

• `"not to all the people but to us"`: This phrase directly contrasts a general appearance with a specific, limited one. It establishes the exclusivity of those who witnessed Jesus post-resurrection, highlighting the divine strategy of entrusting this critical testimony to a select, reliable group rather than a universal, potentially misinterpretable, manifestation.
• `"chosen by God as witnesses"`: This grouping combines divine election (`προκεχειροτονημένοις ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ`) with their foundational role (`μάρτυσιν`). It underscores that their credibility and authority stemmed directly from God's pre-ordained plan, legitimizing their testimony as central to the burgeoning Christian faith. Their witnessing was not accidental but divinely purposed.
• `"ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead"`: This collection of phrases forms the irrefutable proof of Jesus' physical resurrection. The mundane, yet intimate, acts of sharing meals unequivocally demonstrated the tangible reality of His resurrected body, providing sensory evidence that counteracted any spiritualized or Gnostic interpretations of the resurrection, rooting it firmly in historical, physical reality.

Acts 10 41 Bonus section

• The emphasis on physical eating and drinking was critical for the Jewish audience, as it refuted the idea of a ghost (Lk 24:39-40). In a Jewish cultural context, spirits don't eat.
• The deliberate exclusivity ("not to all the people") serves to create an authorized chain of custody for the resurrection testimony. If Jesus appeared to everyone, the account could become chaotic and susceptible to subjective interpretation; by appearing to chosen witnesses, the truth was safeguarded through authoritative channels.
• This verse subtly highlights the ongoing nature of God's redemptive plan. Just as Israel was God's chosen "people" (λαῷ), the new community founded on Christ would also be built upon those "chosen by God" to bear His witness.
• The use of `προκεχειροτονημένοις` (prokecheirotonēmenois - chosen beforehand) is unique in the New Testament to this context, emphasizing the specific and pre-planned nature of the apostles' appointment as witnesses. This word reinforces the divine initiative from eternity.

Acts 10 41 Commentary

Acts 10:41 encapsulates a foundational truth of the early Christian message: the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ attested by credible, divinely appointed eyewitnesses. Peter's sermon to Cornelius powerfully affirms that Jesus' post-resurrection appearances were not made to the general public, including "all the people" of Israel, but were purposefully restricted to a select group of apostles and close disciples. This selective access was not about exclusion, but about establishing reliable and unified testimony. The emphasized acts of "eating and drinking" with the resurrected Jesus provided incontrovertible evidence of His bodily, not merely spiritual, return from the dead, essential for countering any form of Docetism or Gnosticism which might deny His physicality. This divinely pre-selected group was therefore uniquely positioned to serve as the authentic bearers of the resurrection message to the world, grounding the Gospel in historical fact and personal encounter, thereby giving all future believers a solid basis for their faith.