"ordained to eternal life" - retrospective anachronistic nuance

[LaGrange]

Van,

Your attempt to redefine tassō into an "arrangement by mutual consent" is a complete lexical fabrication designed to force human free will into a text that explicitly excludes it. The Greek grammar and New Testament usage completely crush your argument.

1. The Grammar Eradicates "Mutual Consent"

The text uses the phrase ἦσαν τεταγμένοι (ēsan tetagmenoi), which is a pluperfect passive participle. The passive voice means the action was done to them, not by them or with them. They did not "consent" to be arranged; they had been appointed by God. The text states that their appointment to eternal life occurred before they believed. Their faith was the fruit of God's unilateral appointment, not the cause of it.

2. Your NT Usage Claim is Demonstrably False

You claim that in every NT usage of tassō, someone in authority sets an arrangement and others "agree." Let’s test that theory against Scripture:

• Romans 13:1: "The powers that be are ordained (tassō) of God." Do secular rulers and pagan tyrants have to "mutually consent" with God's decree before He places them in power? Absolutely not. God establishes them unilaterally.
• Acts 22:10: Paul is told on the Damascus road that he will be told all things "which are appointed (tassō) for thee to do." God didn't negotiate with Paul or seek his mutual consent. He sovereignly appointed his ministry.
• Matthew 28:16: Jesus "appointed (tassō)" a mountain for the disciples. Jesus didn't ask for their input; He sovereignly commanded, and they went.

3. Total Lexical Failure

You claim that tassō cannot mean to unilaterally designate. Yet standard Greek lexicons (like BDAG) explicitly define tassō in Acts 13:48 as: "to belong to or be classed among those possessing or destined for something—to appoint, station, or fix."

Show us a single recognized, standard Greek lexicon that defines tassō as "an arrangement by mutual consent." You can't, because it doesn't exist. You are substituting Greek lexicography with Arminian philosophy. The text remains unshakeable: as many as had been sovereignly appointed by God to eternal life, believed.

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Hi Brightflame,

Acts 13:48 And the Gentiles hearing it were glad and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to life everlasting believed.

I’m going back to the original verse (Acts 13:48). Also, I’m using Acts 9 mostly instead of Acts 22 as an example. This explanation below doesn’t directly answer your proof with the grammar but it shows how “ordained” (determination) can be seen as the Lord preparing (a determination) Paul before being “determined” to justification (or full regeneration). Hearing can come before full regeneration and not just during the effectual call. During this period of preparation, the Lord prepares us and we can resist (the Lord determines the grace, not our wills). Paul didn’t resist (unusual) and Aquinas says Paul’s preparation was “sudden”. Ususally it is gradual because of our resistance. We must be called (before effectual call) before we can be justified (full regeneration). When you are baptized (full regeneration), God determines it. Before full regeneration, grace is determined to all men (1 Tim 2:4) but this grace (Prevenient) [Ps 59:11 (Ps 59:10 - KJV), Amos 4:12, etc] can be resisted.

PREPARATION (Calling) - ORDAINED

Light (Acts 9:3)
Hearing (Acts 9:4)
Led (come) (Acts 9:8)
Penance (fasting) (Acts 9:9)
Paul’s 1st Vision (Acts 9:10)
Learn (the Lord probably taught him during Paul’s 3 days without sight) (Acts 9:9)(Gal 1: 11-12*)
Paul’s 2nd Vision (Acts 9:12)
Vessel of Election - Paul was a vessel of election - the Lord was telling Ananias that he was preparing Paul to be an instrument (vessel) to bring His gospel to the gentiles (Acts 9:20)
Sight - restored (Acts 9:17-18) - scales fell from his eyes by the laying on of hands (could be one of the charismatic gifts such as healing or miracles but it doesn’t say? - 1 Cor 12:9-10)

BAPTISM [Elected to Justification (FULL REGENERATION)]

Baptism (Acts 9:18) - Paul was ordered (Prepared) by all these things leading up to baptism (Acts 9:1-17), but then, AT BAPTISM PAUL’S SINS WERE WASHED AWAY (Acts 22:14)

* a couple of possibilities:
The Lord taught Paul during the three days - (MacEvilly’s Commentary on Acts 9:18)
Ananias taught Paul during the three days - (Haydock’s Commentary)
The Lord revealed Himself bodily to Paul (Aquinas, STh., III q.57 a.6 - 1 Cor 15:8)

 

[LaGrange]

Correction to my post #21:

Typo: Baptism - Acts 22:16; not Acts 22:14

 

[LaGrange]

Addition to post #21:

I probably don’t need to be this precise right now but I’m adding this anyway:

I said in my post: “the Lord determines the grace, not our wills”. It probably would be more proper to say “the Lord determines the grace and our wills; He determines our wills to the point of making them free (premotion) but not to the point of making us consent. We can still resist. We must come to Christ voluntarily.