If you believe that God is the one to open eyes and ears to the gospel, then you must also admit that He doesn't open them for everyone. Not only is this scriptural but obvious to the world around us.
Matt 13:10 And the disciples came up and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 And Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12 For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
‘You shall keep on listening, but shall not understand;
And you shall keep on looking, but shall not perceive;
15 For the heart of this people has become dull,
With their ears they scarcely hear,
And they have closed their eyes,
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
Understand with their heart, and return,
And I would heal them.’
I don't believe God deliberately closes people's eyes and ears to His message of truth, as that would undermine the purpose of Christ's sacrifice for our sins (1 Timothy 2:3-4). The passage in Isaiah, fulfilled in Jesus' encounter with the rebellious Jews, highlights God's mercy in hardening their hearts, allowing us to receive the message of hope and be grafted in (Romans 11:25-26). Paul explains how this hardening has worked in favor of the Gentiles, giving us the privilege of hearing God's Word and choosing to accept or reject it. This opportunity demonstrates God's mercy towards both Gentiles (represented by Esau) and Israel (represented by Jacob), as discussed in Paul's discourse. Our responsibility is to share this message of hope, sowing the seed, watering it, and trusting God for the growth, without necessarily knowing the extent of humanity's hardened hearts.
The key here is that two groups didn't respond. One group did. It wasn't because the last group thought it through and made a decision. It was because the Holy Spirit regenerated their hearts so that they could come to a saving knowledge of Christ.
I've never suggested that regeneration occurs apart from the Holy Spirit's work. Instead, I've emphasized that God regenerates us as we yield to His transformative power. In this passage, we see a mixed response, dependent on the heart's condition, which remains unknown to us. Our responsibility, therefore, is to obediently serve as conduits of the gospel message, sharing it through both word and deed, just as Paul did. This obedience allows God to work through us, to bring about his redemptive plan for humanity.
Acts 13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they
began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and all who had been appointed to eternal life
believed.
It is only those who have been appointed (elect) to eternal life who believed. They didn't believed and then were appointed to eternal life.
This is a Calvinist interpretation of that verse, based on word order.
Let's consider the immediate context ...as it starts with the Jews' rejection of Him.
Acts 13:39-41
Through Him, everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you: "
'Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.'
Everyone who 1) believes, 2) is set free. What is this something, that will happen if they reject? What happened in Habakkuk (the passage references Habakkuk 1:5). God will judge them through a Gentile nation...Did God judge them through a Gentile nation when they rejected His Son? History is a witness.
Acts 13:45
When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him.
See Paul's thoughts on this in Romans 10, not all accepted the good news, but God was and is long-suffering,
"All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people."
Acts 13:46-48
Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles." When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord spread throughout that region.
What did they hear that they rejoiced and praised God? That they had been given the opportunity to be grafted into the olive tree. Considering the overall context, the believing is not following an individual appointment to eternal life but rather the appointment of Gentiles into the olive tree as declared by the Prophets and affirmed by Paul in Romans.
One cannot come to Christ through looking at creation or human experience. Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of God. All those people throughout the world never is given the opportunity to hear the gospel unless God so wills it and sends someone to preach His word.
The passages I mentioned earlier suggest that God communicates with us through various means, including creation, our conscience, and human experience. As Hebrews 11:6 states, faith involves believing in God's existence and His promise to reward those who seek Him. This is exemplified in Abraham's story, where God revealed Himself to him without a preacher, and Abraham responded with faith. This kind of faith is what we called to have, trusting that there is a God, we now have a name for this God - Jesus. It's not just about hearing the gospel preached, but also about responding. Responding to God's revelation in our lives by the measure of faith given us.
This is good Catholic teaching.
I consider it biblical teaching.
Yes, we cannot come to Christ unless the Father draws us. And God doesn't draw everyone. We can't even repent unless God grants it. (2 Tim 2:25).
God is always actively drawing, even the person reading this post. He communicates in ways that surpass our understanding, yet everything He does is driven by His desire to welcome us into His kingdom. With boundless generosity, He pours out His love and grace, inviting us to experience the depth of His kindness.
Is that fair? He is the potter. We are the clay. We have no right to tell God what is fair and not fair. He is all wise and all knowing. Everything He does is for our very best. Really, we should all be cast into the Lake of Fire. The reason that we are not is that God extends His grace and mercy to some of us. Why? This is where the mystery lies because we don't deserve anything.
This is the reason the soveignty of God is such an important understanding. We have no right to boast in anything, including our salvation. It is a gift to us who are being saved. It is presumptuous for us to say what is fair and not fair. It is also presuptuous for us to say that we made a choice to follow Jesus. This is a slap in the face to the Holy Spirit in my mind.
I don't believe this is questioning God's justice. As He more than demonstrates His justice and mercy when He extends His invitation to us as Gentiles. In His wisdom, He extends the gift of salvation to all, first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. As Paul emphasized, neither Jew nor Gentile earned their selection. Instead, God leveled the playing field, making faith - faith in Christ as Gods provision - the only way to become His child, which it always was. Both Jews and Gentiles must rely on God's grace, as neither can claim credit for their redemption.
I firmly believe God is indeed sovereign and powerful, even more so, that He is not intimidated by our failures or potential rejection of Him. His sovereignty transcends selecting an elite few, instead, it's about patiently drawing humanity to Himself for the sake of His Son. To suggest that the price God paid on the cross was insufficient for everyone, but only sufficient for a select few, is a slap in the face. You're right, we don't deserve this kindness, yet He extends it to all anyway. This reveals volumes about His character, but also ours.