Acts 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord… 1. The Jews put from them the Word of God, and thus judged themselves. This was not a Divine judgment; that came afterwards to ratify and give effect to what was done already. And the judgment that the Jews by the rejection of Christ passed upon themselves, unconsciously but really, was that they were unworthy of eternal life. Their case is typical. Men who despise the gospel do now for themselves what will be done for them at the Day of Judgment. 2. The Gentiles, on the contrary, accepted the gospel, and thus fulfilled the conditions on which eternal life was given. They thus judged themselves, and were judged worthy — i.e., qualified, ready — for eternal life. "Ordained" is misleading. The original is a military word suggestive of the putting an army in order, drawing it up for battle — the disposition of the troops. "As many as were disposed" — i.e., were in an attitude for — "eternal life, believed," i.e., accepted it. The Jews were in no such attitude — hence their unbelief, and loss of eternal life. I. ETERNAL LIFE is — 1. A quantitative term — everlasting duration. But this is its lower meaning. This is true of all souls. The wicked as well as the good will live forever. But the life of the former will be "the death that never, never dies." 2. A qualitative term. What sort of life? Not bare existence, but a life of eternal — (1) Union with God. (2) Holiness. (3) Happiness. II. THE DISPOSITION FOR ETERNAL LIFE. The Gentiles who were so disposed — 1. Heard the Word of God with gladness. Then how indisposed must those be who in our modern congregations are indifferent to it, or who hear it captiously, or only to reject it. 2. Accepted it, and more than that, they glorified it. It met their ease thoroughly, and they felt and acknowledged that it did so. Thus they were in an attitude for eternal life, and so — 3. Believed. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." 4. Enjoyed eternal life. "They were filled with joy" — the evidence of it, "and with the Holy Ghost" — its source. (J. W. Burn.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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. |
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