When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.As the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of God. As many as were appointed to eternal life believed.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.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.
3 sermons cite this verse
… believe, it's because you weren't chosen. And it's not just John who says it. It's not just Jesus who says it. It's not just Paul who says it. You know, it can go on and on. Acts chapter 13, verse 48. That's Luke now, not John, not Peter, not Paul. In the book of Luke, Luke is talking about how Paul was preaching and then how the people really liked the sermon. And they believed. And Luke says, When the Gentiles heard, they were glad and they glorified the word of God. Excuse me. Can't remember how I'm writing. When the Gentiles heard him, they glorified the word of God, and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. The word ordained means to be appointed, you know. It doesn't say as many as believed were appointed to eternal life. It says as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. And, you know, it racks it up. I mean, the more you go through it, after a while you try to avoid the puddles, next thing you know, you can't. …
Secondly. No foreseen excellency in the elected is the motive that influences God to choose them. Election is only from his good pleasure. God’s election being the first thing that causes any distinction, there can be no distinction already existing, the foresight of which influences God to choose them. It is not the seeing of any amiable-ness in them above others, that causes God to choose them rather than the rest. God does not choose men, because they are excellent; but he makes them excellent, and because he has chosen them. It is not because God considers them as holy that he chooses them; but lie chooses them that they might be holy. Eph. i. 4, 5. “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love; having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.” God does not choose them from the foresight of any respect they will have towards him more than others. God does not choose men and set his care upon them because they love him, for he hath first loved us. 1 John iv. 10. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins;” ver. 19. “We love him, because he first loved us.” It is not from any foresight of good works that men do before or after conversion; but on the contrary, men do good works because God hath chosen them. John xv. 16. “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” Nor did God choose men, because he foresaw that they would believe and come to Christ. Faith is the consequence of election, and not the cause of it. Acts xiii. 48. “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.” It is because God hath chosen men, that he calls them to Christ, and causes them to come to him. To suppose that election is from the foresight of faith, is to place calling before election, which is contrary to the order in which the Scripture represents things. Rom. viii. 30. “Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” It is not from the foresight of any, either moral or natural qualifications, that God chooses men, nor because he sees that some men are of a more amiable make, and better natural temper, or genius, nor because he foresees that some men will have better abilities, and will have more wisdom than others, and so will be able to do more service for God than others; nor because he foresees that they will be great and rich, and so possessed of greater advantages to serve him. 1 Cor i. 27, 28. ” But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world, to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world, to confound the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world, and things despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are.” Nor is it from any foresight of men’s endeavours after conversion, because he sees that some whom he chooses will do much more than others to obtain heaven; but God chooses them, and therefore awakens them, and prompts them to strive for conversion. Rom. ix. 16. “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.” Election in Scripture is every where referred to God’s own good pleasure. Matt. xi. 26. “Even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.” 2 Tim. i. 9. “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” …
Do you ask, " What became of those to whom the Word was preached with such thriiling earnestness?" Some of them raved at a very great rate. If you read through the Chapter, you will find that the Jews were filled with envy and they spoke against those things that were declared to them by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming, and so on, until Paul shook the dust off his feet against them and went his way. But there was another class. The 48th verse says, "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.''" Ah, that is the comfort! There are some, whenever the Gospel is preached, who do not like it. A person was once very angry with me because in preaching on the natural depravity of man, I had charged man with being depraved and I had said that man was proud. The man would not confess it and there he was—proving the truth of the assertion regarding himself that he was proud, because he could not bear to hear the truth told him about it! If he had said he was proud, I would have thought I had made a mistake, but when he bridled up and got into an angry temper, I knew that God had sent me to tell him His Truth. Outspoken Truths of God makes half the world angry! The Light of God blinds their eyes! …