Act_10:41. - Chosen To Witness; Not Chosen to Salvation!
7. Acts 10:41. - Chosen To Witness; Not Chosen to Salvation!
“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.” - Acts 10:41.
It is inconceivable that some would use this verse to endorse their doctrine of election, but nevertheless they do. All one has to do is read the context of Acts 10:1-48; Acts 11:1-30 and you will find out that this is a meeting that God brought about between Peter and Cornelius, who was a Gentile. In Acts 10:34 where Peter begins to speak:
“Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons.”
Continuing in Acts 10:35 :
“...in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.”
He then reviews the situation in Acts 10:39 :
“And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree.”
We find out here that these are chosen witnesses that Christ would appear to and who would, in turn, testify of His resurrection. It has absolutely nothing to do with salvation. Only that God had elected certain ones to whom Christ would appear first. We find out in 1 Corinthians 15:6 that:
“After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.”
God had selected certain ones to whom He wanted Christ to appear after His resurrection and that only is what the “chosen” in Acts 10:41 is in reference to. They were not chosen for salvation, but to be those to whom Christ should appear after His resurrection. The amazing thing is that whenever predestinationalists come to the word “chosen” they apply it that God has chosen someone for salvation. There is no way you can get that out of Acts 10:41 even if you stretch the verse from here to China like a rubber band (without it breaking)! A tendency of those who endorse election to salvation whenever they come to the words “chosen”, “choosing”, or “election” is to do the same thing that Church of Christ theologians do when they come to the word “water.” They apply it to water baptism! This is the same thing the “election people” do whenever they find the words “chosen” or “election.” They will stretch that word a hundred miles out of context to fit it into their man-made doctrine!