It would be wise to stay with the context here and include verse 12 with 13.
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Paul here refers to himself and the other apostles and Jews who first believed on Jesus Christ, before the Gentiles trusted.
Paul was part of those chosen by God for the praise of His glory, proven by faith in Christ. Please note: If trusting Christ were something Paul chose to do, the praise would not be to God’s glory! It is only by the electing purpose of God that any depraved men would believe or trust God.
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Having identified himself and Jews as first believers, he now includes the Gentile Ephesians.
Please note: The word of truth is not the means of obtaining the things listed, but of learning about them.
Please note that is not what the text states
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
men are sealed in Christ after that they believe
nothing is stated of them learning they had all those blessing before they believed and were included in Christ
You have twiasted that verse to posit your theology
The gospel of your salvation is the good news of your salvation through the revelation of God’s mystery kept secret from the foundation of the world (
Rom 1:16;
I Cor 1:18,
24).
If these Ephesians or anyone else believes the gospel,
it proves predestination (
Acts 13:48).
The definition of tasso (acts 13:48) is not predestined
τάσσω Greek GK #5435
[
5435] τάσσω tassō 8× to arrange; to set, appoint, in a certain station,
Lk. 7:8;
Rom. 13:1; to set, devote, to a pursuit,
1 Cor. 16:15; to dispose, frame, for an object,
Acts 13:48; to arrange, appoint, place or time,
Mt. 28:16;
Acts 28:23; to allot, assign,
Acts 22:10; to settle, decide,
Acts 15:2* [
5021]1
1 William D. Mounce,
Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006), 1288.
5021. τάσσω
latter appears only in certain tenses); to arrange in an orderly manner, i.e. assign or
dispose (to a certain position or lot):- addict, appoint, determine, ordain, set.
Strong’s Talking Greek and Hebrew Dictionary, G5021 (1 time)
1299. διατάσσω diatássō
from diá (1223), through, and tássō (5021), to appoint, order. To arrange throughout, to
dispose in order as trees, troops. In the NT: to command, used in connection with what was appointed…
The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, G1299 (1 time)
διατάσσω
Att. -ττω: f. ξω:—Pass., aor. i -ετάχθην: pf. -τέταγμαι:—to appoint or ordain severally,
dispose, Hes., Hdt.:—absol. to make arrangements, Xen.:—Med. to arrange for oneself, get things…
An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, p 195 (1 time)
διατάσσω
διατέτᾰχα BGU1151.6 (i b.c.), prob. in OGI326.27 (Teos):—appoint or ordain severally,
dispose, εὖ δὲ ἕκαστα ἀθανάτοις διέταξε Hes.Th.74; ἀνθρώποισι νόμον δ. Id.Op.276…
A Greek-English Lexicon, p 414 (1 time)
Luke’s statement, and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed, receives a most illuminating treatment by Dummelow:
This expresses the Pauline and Apostolic doctrine of predestination, according to which God desires the salvation of all men (
1 Tim. 2:4;
4:10, etc.), but insomuch as He foresees that some (in the exercise of their free will) will actually repent and believe, while others will refuse to do so, He ordains the former to eternal life, and the latter to eternal death (
Rom. 8:28–30, etc.).1
1 Charles W. Carter,
“The Acts of the Apostles,” in Matthew-Acts (vol. 4; The Wesleyan Bible Commentary; Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1966), 4572.
Gentiles … glad—When now these Gentiles learn from the gracious words of Hebrew prophecy that this Gospel was promised to them of old, their hearts go forward with eager joy to embrace it. Ordained to eternal life—Should be rendered, disposed to eternal life. It plainly refers to the eager predisposition just above mentioned in the heart of many of these Gentiles on learning that old prophecy proclaims a Messiah for them. As many as were so inclined to the eternal life now offered committed themselves by faith to the blessed Jesus.
Rarely has a text been so violently wrenched from its connections with the context, and strained beyond its meaning for a purpose, than has been this clause in support of the doctrine of predestination. There is not the least plausibility in the notion that Luke in this simple history is referring to any eternal decree predestinating these men to eternal life. The word here rendered ordained usually signifies placed, positioned, disposed. It may refer to the material or to the mental position. It is a verb in the passive form, a form which frequently possesses a reciprocal active meaning; that is, it frequently signifies an action performed by one’s self upon one’s self. Thus, in
Romans 9:22, The vessels of wrath fitted to destruction are carefully affirmed, even by predestinarians, to be fitted by themselves. Indeed, the very Greek word here rendered ordained is frequently used, compounded with a preposition, in the New Testament itself, in the passive form with a reciprocal meaning. Thus,
Rom. 13:1, Be subject unto the higher powers, is literally, place yourselves under the higher powers. So, also,
Rom. 8:7;
1 Cor. 16:16;
James 4:7, and many other texts. The meaning we give is required by the antithesis between the Jews in verse
46 and these Gentiles. The former were indisposed to eternal life, and so believed not; these were predisposed to eternal life, and so believed. The permanent faith of the soul was consequent upon the predisposition of the heart and the predetermination of the will.1
1 D. D. Whedon,
Acts–Romans (vol. III; A Popular Commentary on the New Testament; London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1875), 164–165.
καὶ ἐπίστευσαν ὅσοι ἦσαν τεταγμένοι εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον, and as many as were ordained unto eternal life believed. In the controversies on predestination and election this sentence has constantly been brought forward. But it is manifestly unfair to take a sentence out of its context, and interpret it as if it stood alone. In ver.
46 we are told that the Jews had adjudged themselves unworthy of eternal life, and all that is meant by the words in this verse is the opposite of that expression. The Jews were acting so as to proclaim themselves unworthy; the Gentiles were making manifest their desire to be deemed worthy. The two sections were like opposing troops, ranged (τεταγμένοι = marshalled) by themselves, and to some degree, though not unalterably, looked upon as so arranged by God on different sides. Thus the Gentiles were ordering themselves, and were ordered unto eternal life. The text says no word to warrant us in thinking that none could henceforth change sides. Nor is the rendering ‘ordained’ necessarily an evidence of the Calvinistic bias of our translators11 J. Rawson Lumby,
The Acts of the Apostles (Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1891), 250–251.
The Calvinist interpretation doesn’t fit the context. These Gentiles were not blind, stubborn and fully obstinate, according to the Calvinist doctrine of Total Inability, but appear to have been receptive, God-fearing, sanctified worshipers of God.
A. T. Robertson’s comment is helpful (Word Pictures. 3,200): "They rejected the word of God. On the other side were those Gentiles who gladly accepted what the Jews had rejected the word of God. On the other side were those Gentiles who gladly accepted what the Jews had rejected, not all the Gentiles. Why these Gentiles here ranged themselves on God’s side as opposed to the Jews Luke does not tell us. This verse does not solve the vexing problem of divine sovereignty and human free agency. There is no evidence that Luke had in mind an absolutum decretum of personal salvation. Paul had shown that God’s plan extended to and included Gentiles. Certainly the Spirit of God does move upon the human heart to which some respond, as here, while others push him away." See also John Wesley, Notes, in loco. God, Man, & Salvation, by W. T. Purkiser, Richard S. Taylor, Willard H. Taylor,
As many as were disposed to eternal life, as many as had concern about their eternal state, and aimed to make sure of eternal life, believed in Christ, in whom God has treasured up that life, and who is the only Way to it11 Matthew Henry and Thomas Scott,
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, 1997), Ac 13:42.
A king could seal any thing with his signet, marking it as His own, much as a notary does today in sealing a signed document or a governmental unit does by its seal.
After believing, we were given
the seal and proof of our sonship, the Holy Spirit of promise, which gives internal and external evidence (
Romans 8:14-16;
Ephesians 4:30; 2nd
Corinthians 1:22;
5:5).
This is now the second time I have addressed this one scripture for you, no more. You can keep posting it all you desire to do, but it will be to no avail, per the scriptures:
And the second time you failed to show anyone was in christ before believing in him
so you have accomplished exactly nothing
as Paul shows, men are found in Christ in time
Romans 16:7 (KJV 1900) — 7 Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles,
who also were in Christ before me.
Titus 3:10
“A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;”
Again, this has been addressed a few time. more than it should have been~but once more.
Context, Tom, context!
yes you might try using it
Romans 9:6-10~"Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth
"
Paul is addressing who
are and are not children of God
~not one word about service in these scriptures, that is
force into them by wicked men who hate the truth that salvation from sin and condemnation is totally by God's elections of pure grace according to the good pleasure of his will.
open your eyes
Israel was elect to the service of god but most not saved
Romans 9:1–4 (KJV 1900) — 1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, 2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: 4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law,
and the service of God, and the promises;
