Chosen to Eternal Life? [Acts 13:48]

[AresMan]

The passive participle can be confused with a middle, but in the case of Acts 13:48, the construct is a periphrastic construction (ἦσαν τεταγμένοι). In other words, certain auxiliary words can clarify and reinforce the participle to distinguish it from the middle--as a pluperfect.

 

[Skandelon]

If not, how do you deal with "As many as... believed"?

As many what? Individuals or people groups? Calvinists are known for pointing to the fact that scripture often refers to individuals from all nations, rather than 'all.' Well, the same type of application can be made here.

You have to remember that the word "Gentiles" means 'the non-Jewish nations.' And the big question of that day was not if God had chosen to save this individual or that individual, the question was wether God had chosen to save that nation or this nation, for up to that point in history, it was believed that God had only chosen the nation of Israel.

So, how did the people know what nations were chosen? By their faith. If a Philistine or a Samaritan came to faith that was proof that God had appointed them unto salvation. He had granted them entrance, or grafted them in to the tree (Rm 11).

 

[OldRegular]

The passive participle can be confused with a middle, but in the case of Acts 13:48, the construct is a periphrastic construction (ἦσαν τεταγμένοι). In other words, certain auxiliary words can clarify and reinforce the participle to distinguish it from the middle--as a pluperfect.

If only I understood the Greek!

 

[AresMan]

As many what? Individuals or people groups? Calvinists are known for pointing to the fact that scripture often refers to individuals from all nations, rather than 'all.' Well, the same type of application can be made here.

You have to remember that the word "Gentiles" means 'the non-Jewish nations.' And the big question of that day was not if God had chosen to save this individual or that individual, the question was wether God had chosen to save that nation or this nation, for up to that point in history, it was believed that God had only chosen the nation of Israel.

So, how did the people know what nations were chosen? By their faith. If a Philistine or a Samaritan came to faith that was proof that God had appointed them unto salvation. He had granted them entrance, or grafted them in to the tree (Rm 11).

Were there "representatives" from all Gentile nations present there for your "people group" application to work?

There is a clear meaning in the wording there: "As many as were ordained... believed." It is saying that, at that moment, the same exact set of those who "were ordained" were the same exact set who "believed."

The word τεταγμένοι is distinguishable from the middle voice because it is reinforced as a pluperfect through the auxiliary ἦσαν, which is an imperfect "was." The tense of this periphrastic construction makes it clear that the action happened before the events being discussed in the narrative. It is also tensed before the aorist ἐπίστευσαν ("believed").

The lexical order of the words in this verse is:
and [they] believed--as many as (or the same ones that) were ordained/appointed/disposed to life eternal.

Try as you might, there is no escaping the following observations:

1. ἦσαν τεταγμένοι is a periphrastic construction that disallows the notion of a middle voice. It strongly emphasizes a passive participle.
2. "As many as" ties the set of individuals ordained to the set of individuals who believed at this point in time; thus, their ordination--as individuals--according to the tense of the periphrastic construction was before they even heard the message.
3. The lexical order of the words of this independent clause lists "believed," then the periphrastic construction as a modifer, providing a commentary that emphasizes the causal relationship between the "ordination" to eternal life and the resultant "believing."

 

[AresMan]

If only I understood the Greek!

Well, I'm not a Greek scholar, but I am a grammar geek and get a steady diet of James White.

 

[OldRegular]

Some of you folks understand the Greek. That is fine; I wish I did. I can use a lexicon to find how a Greek or Hebrew word is translated in the Bible but that is the extent of my linguistic ability as far as Greek is concerned. What I can do is compare various translations. But! I must then trust that the translators are both competent and honest! I use the KJV primarily but I also checked Acts 13:48 in a number of other translations [and one concise paraphrase].

KJV: 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.


ASV: And as the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.


GLT: And hearing, the nations rejoiced and glorified the Word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.


KJ21: 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.


MKJV: And hearing, the nations rejoiced and glorified the Word of the Lord. And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.


NASB95: When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.


NASB: And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.


NIV: When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honoured the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.


NKJV: Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.


YLT: And the nations hearing were glad, and were glorifying the word of the Lord, and did believe--as many as were appointed to life age-during;


ESV: 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.


Berk: When they heard this, the Gentiles were glad; they eulogized the Lord’s message and believed - as many as were appointed for eternal life.


There are others I could check but those were sufficient for me! All these versions say ordained or appointed to eternal life. I also looked at Gill and Spurgeon to see if they understood this Scripture as I do.

 

[Yeshua1]

Some of you folks understand the Greek. That is fine; I wish I did. I can use a lexicon to find how a Greek or Hebrew word is translated in the Bible but that is the extent of my linguistic ability as far as Greek is concerned. What I can do is compare various translations. But! I must then trust that the translators are both competent and honest! I use the KJV primarily but I also checked Acts 13:48 in a number of other translations [and one concise paraphrase].

KJV: 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.


ASV: And as the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.


GLT: And hearing, the nations rejoiced and glorified the Word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.


KJ21: 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.


MKJV: And hearing, the nations rejoiced and glorified the Word of the Lord. And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.


NASB95: When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.


NASB: And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.


NIV: When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honoured the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.


NKJV: Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.


YLT: And the nations hearing were glad, and were glorifying the word of the Lord, and did believe--as many as were appointed to life age-during;


ESV: 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.


Berk: When they heard this, the Gentiles were glad; they eulogized the Lord’s message and believed - as many as were appointed for eternal life.


There are others I could check but those were sufficient for me! All these versions say ordained or appointed to eternal life. I also looked at Gill and Spurgeon to see if they understood this Scripture as I do.

Basically, there was a group of peoples within a larger group that God had "marked out' to be saved beforehand, and once they heard the message, they were saved by grace of God!

God marked them out and determined before they heard the message that those were the ones to get saved by the message!

 

[Skandelon]

Were there "representatives" from all Gentile nations present there for your "people group" application to work?

That is beside the point being made. Luke is simply saying that they are proving that they (their people) have been appointed for eternal life...that God has, from the beginning, chosen to 'graft in' other nations besides Israel. They prove that by their faith.

I appreciate the greek explanations, I really do. I studied the language for several years, and still have much to learn. But when I travelled overseas to the Holy Land I spoke with some very intelligent believers who actually speak and write in Greek about this and other verses. They literally laughed out loud at the Cal/Arm controversy. They find it superfluous and tedious. They said, 'we don't think in those terms,' and went on to explain how the 'Western' culture is too ego centric and thinks everything is about them individually. I was a bit offended at first, as I was a Calvinist at the time, but after much maturing and study, I think he is exactly right.

Leo Garrett, in his well known Systematic Theology, wrote this on the subject, and I think explains the issue quite well:

"From Augustine of Hippo to the twentieth century, Western Christianity has tended to interpret the doctrine of election from the perspective of and with regard to individual human beings. During those same centuries the doctrine has been far less emphasized and seldom ever controversial in Eastern Orthodoxy. Is it possible that Augustine and later Calvin, with the help of many others, contributed to a hyper individualization of this doctrine that was hardly warranted by Romans 9-11, Eph. 1, and I Peter 2? Is it not true that the major emphasis in both testaments falls upon an elect people -- Israel (OT) and disciples or church (NT)?"
​

 

[Winman]

Basically, there was a group of peoples within a larger group that God had "marked out' to be saved beforehand, and once they heard the message, they were saved by grace of God!

God marked them out and determined before they heard the message that those were the ones to get saved by the message!

There is truth in what you say here, but I do not believe God "passes over" some folks. I believe God knows who will believe, thus Paul could say he was separated from the womb to preach to the heathen.

Gal 1:15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,
16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

I believe God knew Paul would not be an ordinary believer. Yes, the Lord himself had to appear to Paul before he believed, but once he did, he was completely "sold out" to Jesus like no other man in history. Paul was absolutely willing to give his life to spread the gospel. No man worked harder or suffered as much as Paul to spread the gospel.

I personally believe God wants all persons to believe and trust Jesus, and no man is excluded. Nevertheless, I also believe God knows who will believe and places them in the right place at the right time to hear the gospel.

And this is what Acts 13:48 is saying, those who were ordained to eternal life believed. But it does not say God compelled or forced them to believe.

 

[MB]

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.

Some on this forum insist that election is the decision of man and God rubber stamps man’s choice! The above Scripture demonstrates that this doctrine is completely false. It is God who ordains or appoints individuals to eternal life.

No doctrtine stands on one witness. Show scripture to prove your point is true, sure, but show more than one witness. One witness just doesn't stand by it's self. Not only that there is no chosen in this verse.
MB

 

[Yeshua1]

There is truth in what you say here, but I do not believe God "passes over" some folks. I believe God knows who will believe, thus Paul could say he was separated from the womb to preach to the heathen.

Gal 1:15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,
16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

I believe God knew Paul would not be an ordinary believer. Yes, the Lord himself had to appear to Paul before he believed, but once he did, he was completely "sold out" to Jesus like no other man in history. Paul was absolutely willing to give his life to spread the gospel. No man worked harder or suffered as much as Paul to spread the gospel.

I personally believe God wants all persons to believe and trust Jesus, and no man is excluded. Nevertheless, I also believe God knows who will believe and places them in the right place at the right time to hear the gospel.

And this is what Acts 13:48 is saying, those who were ordained to eternal life believed. But it does not say God compelled or forced them to believe.

just saying that the way the Greek text is constructed, words that were inspired to be written down there...

It does indicate that it was the definie will of God that a specific group would be the ones who heard the message to be saved by it by God!

 

[Iconoclast]

No doctrtine stands on one witness. Show scripture to prove your point is true, sure, but show more than one witness. One witness just doesn't stand by it's self. Not only that there is no chosen in this verse.
MB

This doctrine and verse stands as a clear light on God's election of individuals to salvation. There is no escape or way out of this verse as well as many others.
Some go out of the way to try and isolate and pervert the meanings.It would be better if we believe God as he has revealed His truth.
As a matter of fact, Jesus delared that His sheep would hear His voice:thumbs::thumbs::thumbs:

Archangel,OR, and aresman...good posting and holding the word faithfully.

 

[Winman]

just saying that the way the Greek text is constructed, words that were inspired to be written down there...

It does indicate that it was the definie will of God that a specific group would be the ones who heard the message to be saved by it by God!

I agree, but this does not prove or even imply Irresistible Grace. It simply says those persons whom God ordained to eternal life believed. It doesn't refute IG as well, this verse is silent about WHY these persons believed.

But many Calvinists insert their own presupposition here, and say it proves IG when it does not.

 

[Iconoclast]

I agree, but this does not prove or even imply Irresistible Grace. It simply says those persons whom God ordained to eternal life believed. It doesn't refute IG as well, this verse is silent about WHY these persons believed.

But many Calvinists insert their own presupposition here, and say it proves IG when it does not.

Calvinists understand there are no contradictions in scripture. they know what God says about regeneration and conversion, being the work of the Spirit...not the flesh. This verse blends into all the other verses dealing with the teaching...better than a Bob Ross painting blends all the colors together.

 

[quantumfaith]

I like my understanding better than Cottrell or Clarke but I raise your Cottrell and Clarke with Gill and Spurgeon!:smilewinkgrin:

But I must say that Cottrell is good at semantic engineering!

Well that in all honesty comes from something we ALL do, that is "opining".

 

[quantumfaith]

I'm not going to quote the entire posts. Here are links and my summary of the arguments presented:



Clark argues the root, τασσω, conveys no inherent meaning of pre-ordination or pre-destination.

Of course, Clark misses that the participle is passive (an argument Cottrell engages). The passive means that one cannot appoint one's self because, by definition, the subject of the passive verb or participle cannot act upon himself or herself.



Cottrell argues that the participle is to be understood as a middle, not a passive.

Now, quantumfaith, I know you like these resources because they bolster your position. However, unless something has changed in your ability to read and evaluate the Greek for yourself, you simply have to take Clarke's and Cottrell's word without being able to adjudicate if they are, in fact, wrong or right.

Both Cottrell and Clarke make the same basic mistake: They take the word τασσω out of its immediate context.

Here is the phrase with a wooden translation:
καὶ (and) ἐπίστευσαν (they believed) ὅσοι (as many as) ἦσαν (were [imperfect]) τεταγμένοι (appointed [perfect passive participle]) εἰς (to) ζωὴν (life) αἰώνιον (eternal).

There are many things to point out in this phrase:

1. The participle τεταγμένοι must be taken as a passive, not a middle.

Why? First off, the participle τεταγμένοι is followed by a preposition, here the preposition εἰς. εἰς indicates that the participle is passive, not middle. Secondly, τεταγμένοι is followed by an accusative, indicating that the participle must be read as a passive. Third, the inclusion of a "helping verb" (were), which is imperfect, indicates an action was done to someone--he or she was not acting upon himself or herself.

2. The perfect participle logically dis-allows a middle understanding

Why? Because the perfect's time-frame tells us that an action happened in the past and it has a lasting effect into the present. If this were taken as a middle, the text would be saying that there were a group of gentiles who, in the past, appointed themselves to eternal life and are now realizing the fulfillment of their past action. This is, of course, ludicrous since no gospel had been preached to these Gentiles before.

So, if you couple the grammatical clues, it is easy to see that Cottrell's exegesis is not correct. Secondly, there is no sound logical argument that can be made for one to appoint himself or herself to believe in something of which they have never heard.

Also, see these quotes from those who are recognized Greek scholars:

A.T. Robertson:

By no manner of legerdemain can it be made to mean “those who believe were appointed.” It was saving faith that was exercised only by those who were appointed unto eternal life, who were ranged on the side of eternal life, who were thus revealed as the subjects of God’s grace by the stand that they took on this day for the Lord. It was a great day for the kingdom of God.

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933), Ac 13:48.
​

Robertson's quote is made all the more significant by his earlier statement:

Why these Gentiles here ranged themselves on God’s side as opposed to the Jews Luke does not tell us. This verse does not solve the vexed problem of divine sovereignty and human free agency. There is no evidence that Luke had in mind an absolutum decretum of personal salvation. Paul had shown that God’s plan extended to and included Gentiles. Certainly the Spirit of God does move upon the human heart to which some respond, as here, while others push him away.

Ibid.
​

Robertson does not, insofar as I can read, affirm Calvinism. However, he pretty much does away with the arguments of Clarke and Cottrell.

Newman and Nida:

Those who had been chosen for eternal life is a phrase which occurs frequently in rabbinic literature. The meaning is clearly that those whom God had chosen became believers, and the translator must not attempt to weaken this meaning.
Chosen for eternal life may thus be rendered as “whom God had selected in order that they would have eternal life.”

Barclay Moon Newman and Eugene Albert Nida, A Handbook on the Acts of the Apostles, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1972), 269-70.
​

John Polhill:

The Gentiles of Pisidian Antioch were those who accepted Paul’s message, honoring (glorifying) the word of the Lord (v. 48). Perhaps it was the specific “word” of Isa 49:6 they praised, with its good news that the light of Christ and his salvation extended to Gentiles such as they. Many of them believed, accepting Christ as Savior. They were those who were “appointed for eternal life.” In this phrase we encounter the same balance between human volition and divine providence that is found throughout Acts. On their part these Gentiles took an active role in believing, in committing themselves to Christ; but it was in response to God’s Spirit moving in them, convicting them, appointing them for life. All salvation is ultimately only by the grace of God.

John B. Polhill, vol. 26, Acts, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995), 308.
​

Thomas Page:

ὅσοι ἦσαν τεταγμένοι …] ‘as many as were ordained’ A. and R. V. The word τεταγμένοι is distinctly passive,=‘placed in a certain position’ or ‘order’. To the Jews, who of their own choice rejected God’s word, are opposed the Gentiles who believed; but, as the term τὰ ἔθνη was too wide, the historian adds a correcting and limiting phrase, ‘such of them, that is, as had been appointed’, ‘marshalled’ ‘placed in the ranks of those who were on the road toward (εἰς) eternal life’.
Luke is simply recording a fact; he describes certain Gentiles as τεταγμένοι εἰς ζ. αἰ.; he uses a participle passive to describe their position, but there is no shadow of an indication that the question of ‘predestination’ was before his mind. He could not have used simpler language. Certain men were in a certain position: he states that they were in that position, but by whom placed there, or why, or how, he does not say

Thomas Ethelbert Page, The Acts of the Apostles, Classic Commentaries on the Greek New Testament (London: Macmillan, 1897), 169.
​

It simply is a passive participle. Those who come to eternal life do so of their own free will--but it is because of God's prior action.

The Archangel

I do appreciate your response and input and do not pejoratively dismiss you. Yes, obviously, I will "default" to those who "see things" in the way I do scripturally, but we ALL do that don't we. EVERYONE likes to think that we (ourselves) take the most appropriate (correct) interpretive roads in scripture. Unfortunately, I do not have the time (or the calling) to be a scholar of biblical languages, so yes, I must trust others to that calling and task. My calling in life is to be a positive influence and model for young college students and perhaps teach them a little bit of mathematics along the way. But I do thank you.

 

[Winman]

Calvinists understand there are no contradictions in scripture. they know what God says about regeneration and conversion, being the work of the Spirit...not the flesh. This verse blends into all the other verses dealing with the teaching...better than a Bob Ross painting blends all the colors together.

Well, I have no idea what YOU mean by regeneration. The word regeneration means to be made alive AGAIN. No one can be spiritually alive until all their sins are forgiven, thus no one can be regenerated until they first believe.

By the way, the word regeneration refutes Total Depravity. If you are born dead in sin, then you would not be alive AGAIN, because you were never alive to begin with.

If Original Sin were true, then it should be said a man is generated, not REgenerated. Words have meaning.

 

[Iconoclast]

Well, I have no idea what YOU mean by regeneration. The word regeneration means to be made alive AGAIN. No one can be spiritually alive until all their sins are forgiven, thus no one can be regenerated until they first believe.

By the way, the word regeneration refutes Total Depravity. If you are born dead in sin, then you would not be alive AGAIN, because you were never alive to begin with.

If Original Sin were true, then it should be said a man is generated, not REgenerated. Words have meaning.

:laugh::laugh::laugh: maybe one day you will go back and read the many responses you have been given and ignore:thumbs:

 

[OldRegular]

No doctrtine stands on one witness. Show scripture to prove your point is true, sure, but show more than one witness. One witness just doesn't stand by it's self. Not only that there is no chosen in this verse.
MB

You really need to read the passage until you understand what "ordained or appointed to eternal life" means! God does the ordaining or appointing.

As for other witnesses, are you questioning the Holy Spirit. What other witness is needed. If you are looking for other Scripture then ask. But you already know where they are.

 

[Van]

Yet another thread where the Calvinist misrepresentation of a verse is presented yet again. The word translated appointed or ordained means an arrangement by mutual consent. It is not the word used for a unilateral assignment. Thus the many that were appointed were those who took Paul's direction, not God's assignment, and His direction was whoever believes in Him shall not perish. So those that took that direction believed.

All this effort to make this seem like something only a person well studied in Greek could comprehend is simply an effort to disenfranchise opponents of false doctrine.