{As the Gentiles heard this they were glad} (akouonta ta
ethn(8820)echairon). Present active participle of akou(935c) and
imperfect active of chair(935c), linear action descriptive of the
joy of the Gentiles. {Glorified the word of God} (edoxazon ton
logon tou theou). Imperfect active again. The joy of the
Gentiles increased the fury of the Jews. "The synagogue became a
scene of excitement which must have been something like the
original speaking with tongues" (Rackham). The joy of the
Gentiles was to see how they could receive the higher blessing of
Judaism without circumcision and other repellent features of
Jewish ceremonialism. It was the gospel of grace and liberty from
legalism that Paul had proclaimed. Whether  Ga 4:13  describes
this incident or not (the South Galatian theory), it illustrates
it when Gentiles received Paul as if he were Christ Jesus
himself. It was triumph with the Gentiles, but defeat with the
Jews. {As many as were ordained to eternal life} (hosoi (8873)an
tetagmenoi eis z(9388)n ai(936e)ion). Periphrastic past perfect passive
indicative of 	ass(935c), a military term to place in orderly
arrangement. The word "ordain" is not the best translation here.
"Appointed," as Hackett shows, is better. The Jews here had
voluntarily 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 vexed 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. {Believed}
(episteusan). Summary or constative first aorist active
indicative of pisteu(935c). The subject of this verb is the relative
clause. By no manner of legerdemain can it be made to mean "those
who believe were appointed." It was saving faith that was
exercised only by those who were appointed unto eternal life, who
were ranged on the side of eternal life, who were thus revealed
as the subjects of God's grace by the stand that they took on
this day for the Lord. It was a great day for the kingdom of God.