<p>13:48 <i>And as the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of God- </i>The Gentiles may refer specifically to those Gentiles who had been attending the synagogue (:43). To be taught that the Jewish Messiah was the light of all people, and justification was possible in Him and not through legal obedience, triggered real joy amongst them. Paul prayed for the word of the Lord to be glorified (2 Thess. 3:1 same phrase), and those prayers were heard here. We glorify God's word or <i>logos</i>, His essential purpose in Christ, by believing it.</p><p><i>And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed</i>- This phrase was that used by Judaism regarding how all the faithful people of natural Israel were those &quot;ordained to eternal life&quot;, comprising &quot;everyone that is written to eternal life, in the book of life&quot;. But the phrase is as it were subverted here to refer to Gentiles who believed in the Lord Jesus. It is meant to be read as the opposition to the statement that the Jews had judged themselves unworthy of eternal life (:46). But whilst there is freewill as to whether we believe or abide in the Lord Jesus or reject Him as the Jews did, there is also an element of predestination, of having been &quot;ordained&quot; to believe. For &quot;all men have not faith&quot; (2 Thess. 3:2); faith &quot;is the gift of God&quot; and thereby a proof of how His grace saves us rather than our works (Eph. 2:8).</p>