To establish, determine, or appoint by one with authority to do so. As primary authority, God ordains in the sense of establishing the moon and stars (Ps 8:3), appointing creatures for special purposes (Jonah 1:17; Jonah 4:6-8), setting geographical boundaries (1Chr 17:9; Acts 17:26), establishing governments (Rom 13:1), and fixing the time of judgment (Acts 17:31). God is sometimes portrayed as so totally sovereign that events are described as foreordained, including the salvation of the faithful (Rom 8:29-30; Acts 13:48) and the damnation of the wicked (Jude 1:4). Those with authority derived from God also ordain. Angels ordained the law (Gal 3:19), Moses appointed priests (Heb 7:28), and David and Samuel appointed gatekeepers (1Chr 9:22). Persons who received authority to perform special religious duties were often said to be ordained for those tasks. Jeremiah was appointed a prophet (Jer 1:5), the Twelve were appointed by Jesus to preach and heal (Mark 3:14-15), elders were appointed by Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14:23) and by Titus (Titus 1:5), and persons were appointed by churches to various other duties (Acts 6:3; Acts 13:2-3; Acts 15:2). Paul not only understood himself ordained to be an apostle (Gal 1:15), but said that all who ministered in the church were appointed to that service by God (1Cor 12:28). In the NT, acts of ordination involve laying on hands (Acts 6:6; Acts 13:3; 1Tim 4:14), prayer (Acts 6:6; Acts 13:3), and fasting (Acts 13:3).
