"...and as many as had been destined for eternal life became believers" (13:48). I get a little deflated and confused when I read verses like this. Yes, I'm talking about predestination. If some of the Gentiles were destined for eternal life, was it necessary for Paul and Barnabas to be there? If there are people in this world who are destined to become believers and others who are not, then what is the point?
So, I decided to look it up. My second sentence above isn't a correct progression apparently. According to wikipedia (and no, wikipedia is not necessarily a valid source) Lutherans believe that if we trust in Jesus, we can feel that we will find eternal salvation because we are saved by God's grace. So, the Gentiles in the city in chapter 13 became believers and thus continued their path to eternal life. If they rejected Jesus after listening to the gospel, then they might be singing a different tune 2000 years later.
Is there a specific ELCA stance on predestination?
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