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What does "as many as were ordained to eternal life believed" mean in Acts 13:48?
Well, Acts of the Apostles 13:48 says,
"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." (Acts of the Apostles 13:48).
Some believe the last part of the verse in Acts of the Apostles 13:48 is a Calvinistic statement. Meaning, some believe that God ordained (regenerated or saved) to eternal life those who will then later believe. Is that what this text is saying? I don't believe so.
I believe that knowing the meaning behind the words "eternal life" in Acts 13:48 and reading 2 Timothy 1:10, John 3:16, and the context of Acts 13 holds the key to understanding here.
2 Timothy 1:10 says,
"But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Timothy 1:10).
According to 2 Timothy 1:10 above: Life and Immortality is through the GOSPEL.
"Life" and "Immortality" is just another way of saying "eternal life."
We also see "eternal life" mentioned in John 3:16 with the words "everlasting life."
For John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Here we learn that believing in him (Jesus) is to have everlasting life.
So when Luke writes in Acts 13:48, "...as many as were ordained to eternal life believed," Luke is using the words "eternal life" as being in reference to the "gospel message" or by "believing in Jesus Christ for everlasting life."
So let's replace the words "eternal life" with the words "hear the gospel and or believe in Christ for everlasting life" within Acts 13:48 and see what that looks like.
Acts 13:48, "...as many as were ordained to hear the gospel and or believe in Christ for everlasting life believed,"
In other words, Luke is saying that as many who were ordained to hear the gospel, or hear that Christ is our salvation by believing in him led to those who heard to believe. It's not talking about some kind of unconditional regeneration or salvation before one believes in the gospel.
Does this interpretation fit the context?
Absolutely!
The context is the gospel message being preached in Acts 13.
"Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins" (Acts of the Apostles 13:38).
"And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath" (Acts of the Apostles 13:42).
What were they preaching?
Acts 13:38 says that they preached the forgiveness of sins.
What did they preach?
Luke writes of the death of Christ:
Luke writes of the burial of Christ:
Luke writes of the resurrection of Christ:
The gospel is defined as a belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for salvation.
This is the "eternal life" that was ordained to the Gentiles who believed. The gospel message of our salvation. Acts of the Apostles 13:48 is not talking about some kind of Calvinistic regeneration or salvation before believing in the gospel.
Acts of the Apostles 3:19 says, "Repent ye therefore, and be converted,"
Acts of the Apostles 16:31 says, "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."
So it is.... Repent and then you are converted.
It is.... Believe and then you are saved.
It is not the other way around.
Well, Acts of the Apostles 13:48 says,
"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." (Acts of the Apostles 13:48).
Some believe the last part of the verse in Acts of the Apostles 13:48 is a Calvinistic statement. Meaning, some believe that God ordained (regenerated or saved) to eternal life those who will then later believe. Is that what this text is saying? I don't believe so.
I believe that knowing the meaning behind the words "eternal life" in Acts 13:48 and reading 2 Timothy 1:10, John 3:16, and the context of Acts 13 holds the key to understanding here.
2 Timothy 1:10 says,
"But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Timothy 1:10).
According to 2 Timothy 1:10 above: Life and Immortality is through the GOSPEL.
"Life" and "Immortality" is just another way of saying "eternal life."
We also see "eternal life" mentioned in John 3:16 with the words "everlasting life."
For John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Here we learn that believing in him (Jesus) is to have everlasting life.
So when Luke writes in Acts 13:48, "...as many as were ordained to eternal life believed," Luke is using the words "eternal life" as being in reference to the "gospel message" or by "believing in Jesus Christ for everlasting life."
So let's replace the words "eternal life" with the words "hear the gospel and or believe in Christ for everlasting life" within Acts 13:48 and see what that looks like.
Acts 13:48, "...as many as were ordained to hear the gospel and or believe in Christ for everlasting life believed,"
In other words, Luke is saying that as many who were ordained to hear the gospel, or hear that Christ is our salvation by believing in him led to those who heard to believe. It's not talking about some kind of unconditional regeneration or salvation before one believes in the gospel.
Does this interpretation fit the context?
Absolutely!
The context is the gospel message being preached in Acts 13.
"Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins" (Acts of the Apostles 13:38).
"And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath" (Acts of the Apostles 13:42).
What were they preaching?
Acts 13:38 says that they preached the forgiveness of sins.
What did they preach?
Luke writes of the death of Christ:
"And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain." (Acts of the Apostles 13:28).
Luke writes of the burial of Christ:
"And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre." (Acts of the Apostles 13:29).
Luke writes of the resurrection of Christ:
"But God raised him from the dead" (Acts of the Apostles 13:30).
The gospel is defined as a belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for salvation.
1 "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:" (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:" (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
This is the "eternal life" that was ordained to the Gentiles who believed. The gospel message of our salvation. Acts of the Apostles 13:48 is not talking about some kind of Calvinistic regeneration or salvation before believing in the gospel.
Acts of the Apostles 3:19 says, "Repent ye therefore, and be converted,"
Acts of the Apostles 16:31 says, "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."
So it is.... Repent and then you are converted.
It is.... Believe and then you are saved.
It is not the other way around.
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