Featured Context of Acts 13:48

You can't get away from the direct statement that those who believed had been foreordained to do so. In the context it is noteworthy that in verse 46 the Jews who were contradicting and blaspheming had "put it from you and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the gentiles". So verse 48 maybe was showing that this turning to the gentiles was God's will and plan and the number of gentile believers validated that. It's also true that those that turned away were acting according to their own choices and were responsible for that whereas those that believed were appointed.

 

What ordained them is related in the very verse: when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord.

They were ordained to eternal life in the sense of "they were disposed to eternal life".

That is, if you read the word ordained utterly divested from any pre-supposed theological connotations.

 

The context of Isaiah 13:48 is that Paul had preached in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch; many Jews an 'Godfearing' Gentiles had followed them (v.43) and this had affected many other Gentiles in the city who were not attending the synagogue (v.44).
But then unbelieving Jews started kicking up a rumpus and so Paul and Barnabas announced that they were going to concentrate on the Gentiles (vs. 46-47), quoting from Isaiah 42:6; 49::6..
This pleased the Gentiles, and as many of them had been ordained to eternal life believed. Looking at the context is always a good thing to do, but it doesn't change the plain meaning of the words of verse 48.

 

“Attempts have been made to prove that these words do not teach predestination, but these attempts so clearly do violence to language that I shall not waste time in answering them. I read: ‘As many as were ordained to eternal life believed’, and I shall not twist the text but shall glorify the grace of God by ascribing to that grace the faith of every man. Is it not God who gives the disposition to believe? If men are disposed to have eternal life, does not He—in every case—dispose them? Is it wrong for God to give grace? If it be right for Him to give it, is it wrong for Him to purpose to give it? Would you have Him give it by accident? If it is right for Him to purpose to give grace today, it was right for Him to purpose it before today—and, since He changes not—from eternity.” “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work ( Romans 11:5,6)."
[C.H. Spurgeon]

 

Great topic as this is often misconstrued to support false doctrine.

The Greek word translated "appointed" in the OP version of the verse, refers to an agreement by mutual consent. Since another Greek word (also translated as "appointed" refers to a unilateral assignment, some claim it was God who had "appointed" them unilaterally. Utter nonsense.

They had received direction from Paul as to the Good News, and as many as agreed with and took that direction for eternal life, believed.

TLB
When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and rejoiced in Paul’s message; and as many as wanted eternal life, believed.​

For example say someone is "placed" under authority and then gives direction to others. He has accepted the arrangement established by another. See Luke 7:8

Romans 13:1 teaches that the governing authorities have been "established" by God, but note they are governing which shows their agreement with the arrangement.

In Acts 22:10 Paul is sent to Damascus, as he has agreed to do what the Lord has arranged.

In all the "passive" arrangements the participant agrees with direction given and participates.

 

There is not a single verse about predestination to eternal life anywhere in 31,102 verses.

In every case it is unto the adoption, which is the redemption of our body (Ro.8:23) at the resurrection.

That is, God predestinated those who believe on his Son to obtain Christ-like resurrection bodies.

 

The meaning of Act_13:48 may be expressed in few words - who were then disposed, and in good faith determined, to embrace eternal life, by the operation of the grace of God upon their hearts. [Greg Boyd] calvinist

The idea that God's will to save is accomplished in Christians with their conversion is obviously not connected with the thought of predestination, In the NT we find "to determine" in Act_15:2, "to appoint" in Act_28:23, and "to order" in Mat_28:16. God orders or appoints (passive voice) in Act_22:10. Christians are ordained to eternal life in Act_13:48; conferring of status rather than foreordination is the point. [TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament]

BDAG that would be the most scholarly lexicon for new testament translation and it does not take the verb as appointed here it takes it as to be classed among.

 

IMHO

2 Thes 2:13 And we -- we ought to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, beloved by the Lord, that God did choose you from the beginning to salvation, in sanctification of the Spirit, and (unto - dative) belief of the truth,

John 16:13 and when He may come -- the Spirit of truth -- He will guide you to all the truth, for He will not speak from Himself, but as many things as He will hear He will speak, and the coming things He will tell you;

 

And belief of the truth (kai pistei alētheias). Objective genitive alētheias, belief in the truth. Word Pictures in the New Testament (A. T. Robertson)
Curious as to why you think it was necessary to add (unto - dative) since it is not in the text of any of these bibles?

and belief in the truth. ESV
and through belief in the truth. NIV
and belief in the truth NKJV
and faith in the truth NASB
and faith in the truth. NET
and through belief in the truth. NRSV

The promise has a special meaning for the disciples to whom it was spoken; but it holds good for every disciple who seeks to know the truth. We may pray,—without doubt that the prayer is in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and without doubt that it will be answered Ellicott's Commentary

 

Isaiah 26:12 Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us, for thou also hast wrought ALL our works in us. All of God, none of man.

Jeremiah 1:5 BEFORE I FORMED thee in the belly I KNEW thee (not you knew me), and BEFORE thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee, and I ORDAINED thee a prophet to the nations. The great I AM doing the I WILL. How can this be without predestination? 2 Tim 2:19...the Lord knoweth them that are his.

Mark 3:14 And he ordained twelve that they should be with him and that he might send them forth to preach.

John 15:16 Ye have NOT chosen me, but I HAVE chosen you and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain (he hath wrought all our works in us) that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you. Christ called all his apostles, none chose him.

Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus (the body of Christ) unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Jude 1:4 For there certain men crept in unawares, who were BEFORE of old ordained (PREDESTINED) to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Without predestination, there can be no prophesy. Predestination is the pre-ordained order, plan and pattern of the kingdom of God that is accomplished in his chosen saints as the true witnesses of God. Without it, there can be no promise of the kingdom as the work of Christ in Matt 16:18.

Acts 13:48 is part of the fulfillment of OT prophesy/predestination of the gentiles being brought into the kingdom of God.

Rom 10:19 But I say, did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation, I will anger you. The body of Christ gentiles included

Rom 10:20 But Esaias is very bold, I was found of them that SOUGHT ME NOT, I was made manifest unto them that ASKED NOT after me.

 

I'm not sure why you've quoted this; Boyd is agreeing with the Bible. The operation of the grace of God upon their hearts led them to believe, thereby attaining the eternal life to which they had been appointed.

I'm not sure what this is getting at here. Nothing in Acts of the Apostles 15:2 or the other verses quoted disagree with the idea of appointing or ordaining. When speaking of men, the idea of predestination does not apply, but when God is involved, it does (Jeremiah 1:5; Acts of the Apostles 15:17-18).

'Classed among' is fine by me, but 'arrange,' 'appoint' or 'set in order' is the usual meaning of tasso. In Classical Greek it is often used for setting up lines of battle.

'The violent attempts which have been made to eliminate the doctrine of election ... from this verse, by endering the ;ast verb disposed, arrayed etc.or by violent contructions, such as that adopted by Socinus ('as many as believed were ordained to everlasting life!) can never change the simple fact that wherever this verb occurs elsewhere, it invariably expresses the exertion of power or authority, human or divine, and being in the Passive Voice, cannot denote mere disposition, much less self-determination......' [J.A. Alexander]

 

That is: Acts 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
is to be read in the sense of: "those who were appointed to eternal life are the ones that believed."
The ordaining occurs after the believing, which is in line with many other clear scriptures that eternal life is obtained after the believing.
Why did they believe? Because of an eternal mysterious decree of God? No. Because when they heard the word of God, their attitude was that they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord.
Luke's turn of phrase is cogent when one considers that Luke is nevertheless careful to clarify that being "glad" at the preaching of the word, and "glorifying" the word, is not, per se, what saved those Gentiles. When he says as many as he is referring back to those who had been glad, and glorified the word, pointing out that those of them that obtained eternal life are the ones that were not only glad at the preaching of the word but further believed it. Any soul-winner knows that there are people who magnify the Bible without believing it.

Luke is highlighting salvation by faith, he is not championing Manichean determinism.

 

The arguments about the meaning of the Greek words is above me. I know how to use my old Strong's concordance but beyond that I have to rely on commentaries and reliable versions of the Bible. So I'm not trying to refute any of the guys above. But to your point about the context, it looks to me like the whole book of Acts and chapter 13 is an unfolding of God predestined will so it isn't strange that that note about it being "ordained" is there. But the passage is not primarily a lesson on predestination.

 

Merry Christmas, George. Your interpretation is [snip] the opposite of what the text says, but I'm not going to be worrying about it for the next few days. Have a blessed time.

To be precise, Luke, like the rest of the Bible, is highlighting Grace alone, Christ alone, Faith alone, the Scriptures alone to the glory of God alone.

Well, it's good to agree on something.

 

Martin where does your view logically lead? Have thought it through?

And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed
From this expression some infer, that God’s ordination, or decree, is the sole or principal cause of men’s faith, and that he hath thereby fixed the number of those that shall believe, and whom he will finally save. But if so, consequently the want, or absence, of such ordination or decree, in behalf of others, is the sole or principal reason of their unbelief; and by God withholding it, he has fixed the number of those that shall not believe, and so shall finally perish. For if the reason why these persons believed was only, or chiefly this, that they were ordained to believe, and obtain eternal life, then the reason why the rest believed not must be only, or chiefly this, that they were not so ordained by God. And, if so, what necessity could there be, that the word of God should first be preached to them, Acts of the Apostles 13:46.

Was it only that their damnation might be greater? This seems to charge that lover of souls, whose tender mercies are over all his works, with the greatest cruelty, as it makes him determine from all eternity, not only that so many souls, as capable of salvation as any others, shall perish everlastingly, but also that the dispensations of his providence shall be such toward them, as shall necessarily tend to the aggravation of their condemnation. And what could even their most malicious enemy do more? What is it that Satan himself aims at by all his temptations, but the aggravation of the future punishment of sinners? Therefore, to assert that God had determined his word should be spoken to these Jews for this very end, (which assertion must follow from such an interpretation of the text,) is to make God more instrumental to their ruin than even the devil himself; and is certainly wholly irreconcilable with his declarations, that he is not willing any should perish, but would have all men to be saved. Benson

“If as many as [in that assembly] were ordained to eternal life, believed under that sermon of Paul, [when almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God,] it follows, that all who believed not then were eternally shut up in unbelief: and that all the elect believed at once; that they who do not believe at one time, shall not believe at another; and that when Paul returned to Antioch, few souls, if any, could be converted by his ministry; God having at once taken as many as were ordained to eternal life, and left all the rest to Satan.” Fletcher as quoted by Benson

If God foreordained who would be saved, then it logically follows that we could not resist his invitation to salvation. Then in reality it is not an invitation; it is a summons that we are unable to ignore.

But if, on the other hand, God wants all to be saved, and foreknows those who will believe, then it makes sense that his grace would be given to all to enable the possibility of belief.

 

[Snip]

The text is plain *Acts 13:48*

And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

Ever the logic of humanism is shown foolishness by God's Word.

 

Sorry Bro Silverhair, your so-called logic fell apart in your last sentence.

If God foreknows those who will believe, and he does, how can it make sense that grace should be given to all to enable the "possibility" of belief. You are in essence contradicting your post because if he already knows as you said, then there is no possibility that he does not know. And if he does know, then that grace is already given to that he does know. He cannot know and at the same time not know. It cannot be both ways. He has already assured us in 2 Tim 2:19, "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord KNOWETH them that are his." John 10:14 I am the good shepherd and KNOW MY SHEEP and am known of mine.

You talk about the sovereignty of God yet make him to be very unsure in your post. It sounds like you believe he is saying, I better leave a little extra grace laying around just in case I missed someone. What kind of God do you serve?

When we fell in Adam, all God had to do we leave us in our fallen state and we would never come to the light because we loved darkness and death.

Isaiah 1:9 Except the Lord of hosts HAD left us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

Lastly, his tender mercies are over all his works. This verse is talking about his love for the kingdom as the body of Christ, not the entire world.
1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

 

God knowing who will come to faith does not cause them to come to faith. Your whole post treats God as if He were some dottering old man. Did you forget that He does not want any to perish but that all should come to faith. If He had to operate the way you present it then everyone would be saved. How does my post make God unsure of who will come to faith? Well from your view the only way that God can be sure of anything is if He controls all that happens but then you of course will balk at the idea that for your view to hold that would mean that He controls all sin also. It must be convenient that you can overlook the logical outcome of your view.

Psa 145:9 The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works. When you read the whole verse your view does not stand.

In all that he has made there is evidence that he is a kind and benevolent God. He has a heart to love, to bless, what he has made; everywhere arrangements are made for happiness; he is not disposed to cast off the feeble, the erring, and the suffering; he is willing to receive back again those who have wandered from him, to pardon the offending, to wipe away the tears of the sorrowful. Barnes