Acts 13.48 Has Nothing to Do With Calvinism

Acts 13.48: "As many as were ordained to eternal life believed," which as Laurence Vance notes, "every Calvinist [uses] to prove Unconditional Election." (Laurence M. Vance, The Other Side of Calvinism [Pensacola, Fla.: Vance, 1999], 345).

In his book, White devotes four pages to it. (James R. White, The Potter's Freedom: A defense of the Reformation [Amityville, N.Y.: Calvary Press, 2000], 186-90).

The Greek word translated "ordained" is tetagmenoi, a nominative case, perfect tense, passive voice participle of tasso. "ordained to eternal life" is the translation found in all major translations. Yet none of the seven other usages of tasso in the New Testament connotes a divine irresistible decree from eternity past who are saved. Had that been what Luke meant, he would have used prooridzo (predestinated) or some other word more reflective of the idea of Calvinism.

Salvation is promised to all ("Repent, and be baptized every one of you" [Acts 2.38]), contingent upon individual faith ("Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and though shalt be saved" [Acts 16.31]). Never is there a hint of God predestinating certain ones to heaven forcibly, sovereignly regenerating and irresistibly causing them to believe the gospel while withholding that supposed grace form others. If that were the meaning of Acts 13.48, it would contradict all of Scripture.

The context is clear. In verse 46, Paul tells the Jews, "seeing ye put it [the gospel] from you...we turn to the Gentiles." Verse 48 presents the contrast between the Jews who had rejected the gospel and the Gentiles who believed it. What influence persuaded the Gentiles? We are not told. The book of Acts provides several examples, but a sovereign irresistible decree is not one of them.