The beloved physician Luke shared, “Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spoke against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing you put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so has the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set you to be a light of the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation unto the ends of the earth”, and in chapter thirteen and verse forty-eight of the book of Acts Luke shared, “when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord”, where we read:
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.
The verse begins, “And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord:” Luke began with the words, “and when” which means “and at the time and moment” “the Gentiles heard this” or “the multitude of people who were non-Jews and of the same nature or genus were endowed with the faculty for hearing, perceiving and discerning the words of Paul”, “they were glad” which means “the Gentiles rejoiced exceedingly, saluted and hailed joyfully”, “and glorified” or “and praised, extolled, honored, magnified and celebrated” “the word of the Lord” which means “the tone or speech of uttered decrees, mandates and orders belonging to the One to whom a person or thing belongs about which he has power of deciding; master, and the title given to God the Messiah”. Luke shared how the “Gentile” people rejoiced exceedingly when they “heard” Paul's words, and they magnified and extolled God's word which was offered to them.
The verse goes on to say, “and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.” Luke continued with the words, “and as many as were ordained” which means “and whoever and as great a number of people who were put in order, stationed, assigned and appointed” “to eternal life” which means “toward never ceasing, everlasting and perpetual life that is real and genuine, active, vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, in the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ, but after the resurrection to be consummated by new accessions (among them a more perfect body), and to last for ever” “believed” or “were persuaded, thought to be true, trusted and placed confidence in God's message of salvation”. Luke shared how all the people who were appointed to “everlasting life” with God trusted in, relied upon, clung to and had confidence in God's “salvation” offered to them.
When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we learn how the “non-Jewish” Gentile people were overjoyed to know the “word of God” was extended to them. They began to “praise, extol and worship” God the Heavenly Father for His “salvation”, and every one of them who “believed and trusted” in Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord” were appointed to “everlasting life” with Him. Those who are wise will follow the example of these Gentiles and “praise and magnify” God for His “words of salvation” as they believe and trust in His Son Jesus to receive forgiveness of sins and “eternal life” in Heaven.
Next time Luke shares how, “the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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