Acts 13:48 - is there any merit to these readings?

[Bill Ross]

Here is the text of Acts 13:48:

ἀκούοντα δὲ τὰ ἔθνη ἔχαιρον καὶ ἐδόξαζον τὸν λόγον τοῦ κυρίου καὶ ἐπίστευσαν ὅσοι ἦσαν τεταγμένοι εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον

And here's BDAG on τάσσω:

>τάσσω fut. τάξω LXX; 1 aor. ἔταξα; perf. τέταχα. Mid.: 1 aor. ἐταξάμην. Pass.: aor. ptc. n. sg. ταχθέν EpJer 61, pl. ταγέντα (TestJob 16:3); pf. τέταγμαι, ptc. τεταγμένος (Pind., Aeschyl., Pre-Socr., Hdt.+)
① to bring about an order of things by arranging, arrange, put in place
ⓐ of an authority structure pass. αἱ οὖσαι (ἐξουσίαι) ὑπὸ θεοῦ τεταγμέναι εἰσίν the (structures of authority) presently existing are put in place by God Ro 13:1 (cp. IAndrosIsis, Kyme on the role of Isis in ordering a variety of social, political, and economic structures; some interpret as metonymy for officeholders, cp. Da 4:37b; Horace, Odes 1, 12, 13–16; 49–52; Vergil, Ecl. 3, 60f); of established authority in contrast to a rabble MPol 10:2 (τάσσεσθαι ὑπό τινος as here, Eur., Iph. A. 1363; X., An. 1, 6, 6; 2, 6, 13; Simplicius In Epict. p. 60, 19 Düb. τεταγμένοι ὑπὸ θεοῦ).
ⓑ of a pers. put into a specific position, used w. a prep. τάσσειν τινὰ ἐπί τινος put someone over or in charge of someone or someth. (Polyb. 5, 65, 7; ins; Mitt-Wilck. I/2, 11, 51 [II B.C.]; PRev 51, 9 [III B.C.]) pass. (Arrian, Anab. 3, 6, 7 ἐπὶ πῶν χρημάτων=in charge of the finances; En 20:5; Jos., Ant. 2, 70; 7, 370.—ἐπί τινι Ath. 24, 3) ἐφʼ ἧς (i.e. the way of light) εἰσὶν τεταγμένοι φωταγωγοὶ ἄγγελοι B 18:1.—On ἄνθρωπος ὑπὸ ἐξουσίαν τασσόμενος Mt 8:9 v.l.; Lk 7:8 s. ἐξουσία 4 (τάσσεσθαι ὑπό τινα ‘be put under someone’s command’ Polyb. 3, 16, 3; 5, 65, 7; Diod S 2, 26, 8; 4, 9, 5; OGI 56, 13 [237 B.C.] τοῖς ὑπὸ τὴν βασιλείαν τασσομένοις; but Just., D. 126, 5 ὑπὸ τῷ πατρί).—τάσσειν τινά εἰς assign someone to a (certain) classification, used also w. an abstract noun (Pla., Rep. 2, 371c, Polit. 289e), pass. belong to, be classed among those possessing ὅσοι ἦσαν τεταγμένοι εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον Ac 13:48.—τάσσειν ἑαυτὸν εἰς διακονίαν devote oneself to a service (cp. X., Mem. 2, 1, 11 εἰς τὴν δουλείαν ἐμαυτὸν τάττω; Pla., Rep. 2, 371c τάττειν ἑαυτὸν ἐπὶ τὴν διακονίαν ταύτην) 1 Cor 16:15.
② to give instructions as to what must be done, order, fix, determine, appoint (Trag., Hdt. +; ins, pap, LXX; TestJob 17:3; Just., A I, 17, 1 φόρους, A II, 5, 2 νόμον; Ath., R. 14 p. 64, 19 τὰ φύσει τεταγμένα)
ⓐ act. and pass., foll. by acc. w. inf. (X., An. 3, 1, 25) Ac 15:2; 18:2 v.l. περὶ πάντων ὧν τέτακταί σοι ποιῆσαι concerning everything that you have been ordered to do 22:10 (cp. X., Resp. Lac. 11, 6). ὁ τεταγμένος ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ δρόμος the course which has been fixed by him (i.e. by God) 1 Cl 20:2 (cp. Philo, Poster. Cai. 144, Rer. Div. Her. 97 τεταγμέναι περίοδοι ἀστέρων). κατὰ καιροὺς τεταγμένους at appointed times 40:1 (cp. Polyb. 17, 1, 1).
ⓑ mid.=act. (Hdt. et al.; 2 Km 20:5) εἰς τὸ ὄρος οὗ ἐτάξατο αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς (i.e. πορεύεσθαι) Mt 28:16. ταξάμενοι αὐτῷ ἡμέραν ἦλθον they set a day for him and came Ac 28:23 (τασσ‌. ἡμέραν as Polyb. 18, 19, 1; Jos., Ant. 9, 136).—DELG. M-M. TW.

>>Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
>>Exported from Logos Bible Software, 2:32 PM February 24, 2019.

In the context, Paul was approached by gentiles, begging that Paul would preach the gospel to them. He directed the to reconvened the following sabbath to hear the preaching.
Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 991). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

... is there any chance that τεταγμένοι refers to that arrangement? "those who had been directed [to reconvene] believed into everlasting life"?

I notice it used similarly here:

ⓑ mid.=act. (Hdt. et al.; 2 Km 20:5) εἰς τὸ ὄρος οὗ ἐτάξατο αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς (i.e. πορεύεσθαι) Mt 28:16. ταξάμενοι αὐτῷ ἡμέραν ἦλθον they set a day for him and came Ac 28:23 (τασσ‌. ἡμέραν as Polyb. 18, 19, 1; Jos., Ant. 9, 136)

Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 991). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Matthew 28:16 οἱ δὲ ἕνδεκα μαθηταὶ ἐπορεύθησαν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν εἰς τὸ ὄρος οὗ ἐτάξατο αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς

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Alternatively, since usage #2 is "to give instructions as to what must be done" might it read:

"and as many as had been directed [by Paul], believed - into everlasting life"

Or perhaps,

"and as many as had been directed [by Paul] to everlasting life, believed"

?

[Robert Emil Berge]

No, why would you think something like that? The meaning is clear and obvious here. You shouln't take the different meanings of words in the dictionary and try to force them into different contexts. You should try to get a feeling for the fields of meaning the words cover, and then use that in each case to come to the specific meaning there.

[Robert Emil Berge]

I'm sorry, reading my answer again, I realize it might seem like I think you are silly to question how the words are used in this way. That's not what I meant. I am curious about why you think your alternatives could be better than the normal translation.

[Barry Hofstetter]

In the context, Paul was approached by gentiles, begging that Paul would preach the gospel to them. He directed the to reconvened the following sabbath to hear the preaching.
Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 991). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

... is there any chance that τεταγμένοι refers to that arrangement? "those who had been directed [to reconvene] believed into everlasting life"?

I notice it used similarly here:

ⓑ mid.=act. (Hdt. et al.; 2 Km 20:5) εἰς τὸ ὄρος οὗ ἐτάξατο αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς (i.e. πορεύεσθαι) Mt 28:16. ταξάμενοι αὐτῷ ἡμέραν ἦλθον they set a day for him and came Ac 28:23 (τασσ‌. ἡμέραν as Polyb. 18, 19, 1; Jos., Ant. 9, 136)

Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 991). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Matthew 28:16 οἱ δὲ ἕνδεκα μαθηταὶ ἐπορεύθησαν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν εἰς τὸ ὄρος οὗ ἐτάξατο αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς

---

Alternatively, since usage #2 is "to give instructions as to what must be done" might it read:

"and as many as had been directed [by Paul], believed - into everlasting life"

Or perhaps,

"and as many as had been directed [by Paul] to everlasting life, believed"

No. It is quite clear that the prepositional phrase εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον modifies τεταγμένοι. Notice that they are are already on the day that was appointed from earlier, so that is to distant from the context to make any sense.

[Bill Ross]

In the context, Paul was approached by gentiles, begging that Paul would preach the gospel to them. He directed the to reconvened the following sabbath to hear the preaching.
Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 991). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

... is there any chance that τεταγμένοι refers to that arrangement? "those who had been directed [to reconvene] believed into everlasting life"?

I notice it used similarly here:

ⓑ mid.=act. (Hdt. et al.; 2 Km 20:5) εἰς τὸ ὄρος οὗ ἐτάξατο αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς (i.e. πορεύεσθαι) Mt 28:16. ταξάμενοι αὐτῷ ἡμέραν ἦλθον they set a day for him and came Ac 28:23 (τασσ‌. ἡμέραν as Polyb. 18, 19, 1; Jos., Ant. 9, 136)

Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 991). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Matthew 28:16 οἱ δὲ ἕνδεκα μαθηταὶ ἐπορεύθησαν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν εἰς τὸ ὄρος οὗ ἐτάξατο αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς

---

Alternatively, since usage #2 is "to give instructions as to what must be done" might it read:

"and as many as had been directed [by Paul], believed - into everlasting life"

Or perhaps,

"and as many as had been directed [by Paul] to everlasting life, believed"

No. It is quite clear that the prepositional phrase εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον modifies τεταγμένοι. Notice that they are are already on the day that was appointed from earlier, so that is to distant from the context to make any sense.

Thanks. What about the last suggestion, then?:

"and as many as had been directed [by Paul] to everlasting life, believed"

IE: Following usage #2: "to give instructions as to what must be done"

Here I'm not suggesting a novel grammatical relationship, only taking the sense from "had been appointed [by God]" to "had been directed [by Paul]".

Disclaimer:

By the way, my "bias", in case it is of interest, is that I do believe in election because it is clearly taught in Romans 9-11 but my take is that the election refers specifically to the Jewish remnant. So Acts 13:48 kind of sticks in my craw since it refers to gentiles. Not that God isn't in control of everything but because I don't see gentile election specifically taught and so this inference seems orphaned to me.