Acts 13:48

‘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.'

The great crowds of Gentiles who had gathered and would be wondering what decision was going to be made, and whether they were going to be allowed a part in this new message, were glad when they heard this decision. And they listened to what Paul and Barnabas had to say, and many with open hearts received it, and ‘glorified' the word of God. They glorified it because they spoke well of it and the fact that they could receive it. But even more they glorified it because they recognised its truth and its full worth and responded to it. But what was even better was that those who were ‘disposed' towards eternal life believed. Those of the ‘unclean Gentiles' who were in Paul's sheet that day, whom God had cleansed, were received by the Lord.

‘As many as were ordained (appointed, appointed mutually, disposed) to eternal life believed.' The meaning of this verse is not dependent on arguing about a verb. This incident had in a sense been a show case. On the one hand was man's proposing, the ideas and narrow thinking of the Jews, the undoubted uncertainty of others in the face of the unexpected disputation, the stark and unwanted choice that Paul and Barnabas were faced with. And on the other was God's disposing. He had forced His will. He had left Paul and Barnabas with no acceptable alternative. He had gathered together in an unmistakable way this huge crowd of Gentiles, making quite clear thereby that many of them were of His choosing. He was working by His Holy Spirit in many of their hearts, thus being in process of ‘sanctifying' them to Himself. And He was calling on Paul and Barnabas to gather in the harvest. And as they cast their net by proclaiming the word of God, that word of God which goes forward to do His will (Isaiah 55:11), those whom He had planned that day would be His had come to Him. Those whom He had appointed to eternal life believed. We may argue as we will. We may take up what position we will. But one thing is clear. That day it was all God's doing.

We must also notice the contrast between two options. In Acts 13:46 the Jews had ‘judged themselves unworthy of eternal life'. It was their choice alone. But here in Acts 13:48 those who believed had not judged themselves worthy of eternal life. They had responded to God's appointment. It was God Who had appointed them to eternal life as the circumstances had made clear.