Acts 13:48 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

As many as were ordained to eternal life— We observe, 1st, upon this text, that whatever the exact meaning of the word rendered ordained may be, it does not here refer to the decrees of God, but to the disposition of the minds of these Gentiles; as is very evident, from its being used by way of antithesis to the persons mentioned, Acts 13:46 that is, to the unbelieving Jews; who, by their obstinacy and wickedness, condemned themselves as unworthy of eternal life; whereas, on the contrary, several of these Gentiles, by their candour and probity of mind, manifested in so readily submitting through grace to truth and evidence, and embracinga religion so different from what they had received, and so contrary to their worldly interests, shewed themselves to be well disposed for the reception of the gospel. And this we observe, 2nd, appears to be the true meaning of the original, the word τεταγμενοι most commonly signifying disposed, or set in order; and hence it is very frequently used as a military term, for the regularly drawing up, or setting in rank and order, an army. Thus it is used by St. Luke, ch. Acts 7:8. I am a man set under authority. And thus it is used by many of the best Greek classics. So that the meaning of the passage seems to be this: As many as were disposed, or determined for eternal life, and brought through preventing grace to a resolution of courageouslyfacing all opposition in the way to it, believed; and openly, as well as experimentally, embraced the Christian religion, as the means to prepare them for an endless life of the greatest purity, as well as of the greatest glory, and most perfect happiness. (See my Annotations on John 6:44; John 6:71.) In this sense the Syriac, one of the most ancient versions of the New Testament, has rendered these words;—which is of great moment, as that translation was made before the sense of this place was disputed by the different sects and parties of Christians. In this sense many of the most learned expositors understand it. Dr. Heylin's translation and glossary upon it is, "As many as were in a fit disposition for eternal life, believed—literally, in a rank, in a fit temper or disposition to enter into that spiritual life, which is rightly called eternal; for justice is immortal. They were ευθετοι, well disposed, Luke 9:62 therefore τεταγμενοι, ranked. Those who think themselves, in their present state, not capable of that experimental knowledge of God and Christ, in which consists eternal life, John 17:3 judge themselves unworthy of it, Acts 13:46." That we may leave nothing, which can elucidate and explain this text, we here subjoin Dr. Doddridge's judicious observations upon it, which confirm what has been before advanced: "In the Greek classics, I think it [τεταγμενοι] in its passive form signifies men who, having been appointed for some militaryexpedition, (and set in their proper offices, as we render it, Luke 7:8.) are drawn up in battle array for that purpose. So that it expresses, or refers at once to, the action of their commander in marshalling them according to the plan he has formed in his own mind, and to their own presentingthemselves in their proper places, to be led on to the intended expedition. This I take to be precisely its sense here, and have therefore chosen the word determined, as having an ambiguity something like that in the original." We observe, 3rdly, that St. Luke does not say προτεταγμενοι, foreordained; for he is not speaking of what was done from eternity, but of what was then done through the preaching of the gospel. He is describing that ordination, or disposition, and that only, which was at the very time of hearing it. "During this sermon, those believed, says the apostle, to whom God then gave the gift of faith." It is as if he had said, "They believed, whose hearts the Lord had opened;" as he expresses it in a clearly parallel place, speaking of the same kind of ordination, ch. Acts 16:14, &c. It is observable, that the original word is not once used in scripture to express eternal predestination of any kind. It is rendered ordained, ordered, determined, addicted, and most frequently appointed.—The sum is, all those, and those only, who were now ordained or disposed, now believed, not that God rejected the rest: it was his will that they also should be saved, but they thrust salvation from them: nor were they who then believed, constrained to believe; but grace was then first copiously offered them, and they, being well inclined, embraced and improved it thankfully. In a word, the expression properly implies a present operation of divine grace, working faith in well-disposed hearts. See particularly Dr. Hammond's note on the place; Raphel. ex Herod. p. 353, &c. Wetstein, and Archbishop Sharpe's Works, vol. 6: p. 348.