What Is Predestination? --Part 2

The first movements of true missionary work are recorded in Acts 13. Organized religion of our day stirs the hearts of many to surrender for special service by descriptions of human suffering. God-called servants hear no call but the call of the Spirit, and they see no claims but the claims of Christ. There are no mere volunteers for the offices of the assembly, because the officers of the assembly have been drafted by the sovereign God. It has been said that human intention can never take the place of Divine initiation.

There is no record of the assembly taking part in what the Holy Spirit told Paul and Barnabas to do. Neither does the passage indicate that the apostles and teachers were acting on behalf of the assembly. The assembly at Antioch made no financial contribution to Paul’s first missionary journey. Paul and Barnabas financed their own missionary enterprise. The assembly at Philippi was the first to support Paul financially (Phil. 4:14-20).

Barnabas and Paul had already been called to the ministry of the word, but this was God’s call to the special work of starting new assemblies. This was missionary work in its truest form. As the twelve and seventy were sent in pairs, Paul, the apostle at large, must have a companion. The other prophets and teachers were witnesses to God’s call of Barnabas and Paul to the special work of carrying the message first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles.

The record says, “And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” (Acts 13:2 NASB). The Greek word for “set apart” is an aorist active imperative of aphoridzo, which means to set apart with haste. Scripture provides no precedent for the setting apart and sending forth of men by a board of missions. Furthermore, there is no precedent for women missionaries. Last, but not least, the verb “I have called” is a first person singular perfect middle indicative of proskaleomai, meaning I have permanently called. The perfect tense expresses completed action with a resulting state of being. It looks at both ends of the action. The punctiliar and linear are combined in the perfect tense.

The gospel message was no longer a subject of promises. It was a Person who had come from heaven, died, and rose from the dead on behalf of chosen ones given to Him before the foundation of the world: “For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes; wherefore also by Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge” (II Cor. 1:20-22 NASB). (See Hebrews 10:1-14.) The value of a promissory note does not lie in the piece of paper on which it is written, but in the person who has engaged himself in making the promise. With this fact before the sheep of God, their assurance is established.

Paul preached his first recorded sermon at Pisidian Antioch (vs. 14-41). His remarks were addressed primarily to the Jewish background of his audience. The synagogues were highly respected places where the law was read. The law gave the knowledge of sin (Rom. 7:7-11). As the law gave the knowledge of sin, the prophets gave the promises of grace to come through the finished work of Christ Jesus who would finalize everything in His coming Kingdom. The gospel Paul preached gave the knowledge of deliverance (Rom. 1:16).

The law is the probe that shows the depth of the wound of depravity, the plumb line which shows the crookedness of the life, the light that reveals the filth of the heart, and the judge who passes sentence of “guilty before God.” The law had nothing but judgment for sinners. However, the prophets gave promises of salvation for some. Although the promise of deliverance for some is great, the actual deliverance is greater.

Paul’s introduction was based on the model, Stephen (Acts 7). He first reminded them of certain facts in their history, showing how merciful God had been to them (Acts 13:16-41). He then directed them according to the Scriptures to the great prophetic truth that the Messiah would come.

The apostle Paul mentioned the length of Saul’s reign, something not found anywhere else in Scripture. This additional information tells us that the three kings who reigned over the twelve tribes, Saul, David, and Solomon, reigned forty years each. Saul represented the reign of man in the flesh; David, Christ in the millennium; and Solomon, Christ in the glory of eternity.

Paul’s message consisted of three major divisions (vs. 16-39). (1) He showed how the Savior was prophesied in the Old Testament (vs. 16-25). (2) He revealed how the Savior was rejected by the people (vs. 26-29). (3) He made the application by showing that through the Lord Jesus Christ all who believe are free (vs. 30-39). Imparted righteousness is the basis of justification before one’s consciousness (Rom. 5:1). This becomes a fact because righteousness has been imputed before God by the redemptive work of Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:24-26).

Jesus Christ was the eternally begotten Son by the Father while in His bosom (Ps. 2:7; John 1:18). There He shared in the glory of the Father before the universe existed (John 17:5), and He was the Surety of the eternal covenant of grace (Heb. 13:20, 21). This covenant included those the Father chose in Him (Eph. 1:4), and gave to Him in the covenant of grace (John 17).

The “good news of the promise” is sent to all who fear God (vs. 16, 26). The gospel is no longer a promise but a Person. Therefore, “For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes; wherefore also by Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us” (II Cor. 1:20 NASB). God not only raised up “a lamb” and “the lamb,” but He also raised up “Your lamb” (Ex. 12:3-5). Therefore, God’s word of deliverance is sent to all who fear God.

Godly fear is the fruit of grace: “And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me” (Jer. 32:40). It is (1) the beginning of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding (Prov. 1:29; Job 28:28); (2) God’s treasure (Is. 33:6); (3) hatred of all evil (Prov. 16:6); (4) the means of causing the believer to work out his own salvation (Phil. 2:12); (5) given to a holy manner of life (Mal. 3:16); (6) manifested in humility (Rom. 11:20); and (7) self-denial (Gen. 22:12). Fear is a permanent principle wrought in the soul by the Holy Spirit, and it is a token of Divine election. This principle is constantly stimulated by the name, word, and worship of God. God’s name is fearful: “If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, to fear this honored and awesome name, the LORD your God” (Deut. 28:58 NASB). God’s word is fearful: “The one who despises the word will be in debt to it, But the one who fears the commandment will be rewarded” (Prov. 13:13 NASB). God’s worship is fearful: “At Thy holy temple I will bow in reverence for Thee” (Ps. 5:7 NASB); “. . .and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple” (Ps. 5:7 KJV).

The results of Paul’s first recorded sermon were both negative and positive (vs. 42-52). According to God’s plan, the gospel went to the Jews first. After hearing the message, the congregation was dissolved without violence or disorder. However, when they saw the multitude of Gentiles coming together to hear the word, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict Paul and blaspheme Christ. When religionists have no good arguments to employ, they resort to bitter and reproachful words. The result was the unbelieving Jews judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life according to Scripture. The unregenerate Jews condemned themselves by doing publicly what God will do to them at the great white throne judgment. They sneered and ridiculed the revelation of God’s mind. Furthermore, they stirred up opposition against Paul and Barnabas.

Opposition by the Jews to the response of Gentiles rejoicing in what they heard caused Paul and Barnabas to wax bold. Opposition never intimidates God’s servants when the truth is at stake. True ministers grow in the presence of difficulties and become brave when persecution threatens. Persecution and prison bring out the best songs. The gospel is for some Gentiles who are the elect “afar off.” God has some sheep among both Jews and non-Jews. When the religious Jews “aroused the devout women of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, ...they shook off the dust of their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium” (Acts 13:50, 51 NASB).

According to Acts 13:48, “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed [perfect passive participle nominative masculine plural of the verb tasso, which means having been classed or placed among those appointed] to eternal life believed.” The verb tasso is used eight times in the New Testament. It is translated various ways: “appointed” (Matt. 28:16 KJV) and “designated” (NASB), “set” (Luke 7:8 KJV) and “under authority” (NASB), “ordained” (Acts 13:48 KJV) and “appointed” (NASB), “determined” (Acts 15:2 KJV and NASB), “appointed” (Acts 22:10 KJV and NASB), “ordained” (Rom.13:1 KJV) and “established” (NASB), and “addicted” (I Cor. 16:15 KJV) and “devoted” (NASB).

Arminians say tasso in Acts 13:48 means “disposed themselves to believe the gospel.” Those who believe in free will say this verse does not state that they were foreordained or ordained by God. Their argument is that if they were ordained in eternity they would be ordained as regenerated unbelievers. Therefore, they say the word tasso means “disposed.” All who are capable of believing were disposed or set in order to and did believe. They explain that by nature they were out of order, but by the gospel and the Spirit they are set in order. The final statement by them is that there can be nothing more blasphemous than for a person to think that God has spite (a malicious desire to harm) against him and will not let him be saved.

In contrast, those who believe in free grace say one must understand that repentance and faith are neither the foundation nor the capstone of salvation. Grace is the foundation and glory is the consummation of salvation. Both repentance and faith are inseparably connected with election, but they are neither the cause nor the consummation. No sinner has a claim on salvation because salvation is of God. If the word tasso means “disposed,” it does not mean the disposition is our own, because “The preparations (disposings) of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD” (Prov. 16:1 KJV). “The plans of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD” (NASB).

The verb tasso is never used to denote an internal disposition arising from one’s own self. No person can dispose of himself. It does have the idea of ordering, disposing, or arranging from without. Although it does not properly refer to election, it is implied. The meaning of the text may be expressed in the following way: “Who were then disposed, and in good earnest determination, to embrace eternal life by the operation of the grace of God on their hearts.” The election by God is manifested through faith in the redemptive work of Christ and disclosed in the gospel, which is the power of God, to a true conversion experience.