Acts 13:48

Acts 13:48. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord. These Heathens openly expressed their joy and gratitude when they found from Paul that even in the sacred and jealously guarded oracles of the Hebrew race, they too, who had no connection with the Land of Promise, and who could claim no kinship to the chosen people, were all included in the grand scheme of salvation by Messiah.

And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. This famous statement has given rise to much and at times even to bitter controversy. There are two schools of interpretation, both supported by distinguished scholars and exegetes.

The one school we will term A., endeavours to set aside the ordinary rendering of the Greek word translated ‘ordained' as in the English Version, as ‘praeordinati' in the Vulgate, as ‘destinati' by Augustine, and in place of it to substitute an expression which would bring prominently forward human effort rather than God's predestination. The best example of this school perhaps is that translation which takes the Greek word rendered ‘ordained' in a military sense, and thus gives the passage: ‘And whosoever belonged to the company of those who hoped (or endeavoured) to obtain eternal life, believed.' This rendering gives an admirable sense, and at the same time removes from the passage all reference to the ‘decretum absolutum' which Calvin finds so distinctly put forward here; but, as it has been truly observed, the context affords no ground at all for such an interpretation of the word. There is no doubt that the only admissible explanation is the one adopted by the other school of interpretation which we will term B. Preserving then rigidly the rendering of the English Version, we have to determine what meaning should be attached to the words ‘ ordained to eternal life' Those ‘ordained' are they of whom Holy Scripture so often speaks as ‘The Chosen,' ‘The Called of God' all spiritual life, be it remembered, in its origin, progress, and completion, being from Him and His eternal counsel alone. But, on the other hand, this and similar clear declarations of God's sovereignty in no wise exclude man's perfect freewill. We have equally plain authoritative statements that God willeth all to be saved; and He teaches us none shall perish except by wilful rejection of the truth.

Dean Alford's words in a very able note on Romans 8:28 are golden: ‘ God's sovereignty (which includes His elective and predestinating decrees) on the one side, man's free-will on the other, are plainly declared to us. All attempts to bridge over the gulf between the two in the present imperfect condition of man are futile.... Our duty and our wisdom is to receive, believe, and to act on both these Divine statements.'

Believed. That is, made a public profession of their faith.