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not to all the people, but to witnesses who had been chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.
Acts 10:41 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen before by God, to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
  • KJV Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.
  • BSB not by all the people, but by the witnesses God had chosen beforehand, by us who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The risen Jesus appeared not to all, but to chosen witnesses who ate and drank with Him afterward. These appointed witnesses guarantee the resurrection's reality.

Overview

God appointed specific witnesses, including the apostles, to see and even share meals with the risen Christ, confirming a bodily resurrection rather than a vision or rumor. Eating and drinking with Him proves He rose truly and physically (Luke 24:41-43). Their testimony forms the reliable foundation of the church's witness to the world.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 11

  • John 14:22Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, what has happened that you are about to reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?”
  • Acts 10:39We are witnesses of everything he did both in the country of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they also killed, hanging him on a tree.
  • Acts 13:31and he was seen for many days by those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people.
  • John 14:17the Spirit of truth, whom the world can’t receive; for it doesn’t see him, neither knows him. You know him, for he lives with you, and will be in you.
  • Acts 1:2–3until the day in which he was received up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.
  • John 21:13Then Jesus came and took the bread, gave it to them, and the fish likewise.
  • John 15:16You didn’t choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you will ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
  • Acts 1:22beginning from the baptism of John, to the day that he was received up from us, of these one must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”
  • John 20:1–21Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went early, while it was still dark, to the tomb, and saw the stone taken away from the tomb.
  • Luke 24:41–43While they still didn’t believe for joy, and wondered, he said to them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”
  • Luke 24:30When he had sat down at the table with them, he took the bread and gave thanks. Breaking it, he gave to them.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Acts videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Acts 10:41YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ActsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.

How Acts 10:41 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.