One of the most important verses cited in favour of Calvinism is in Acts 13:48. The verse reads, in the KJV: "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's importance for Calvinism is clear. It states that it was "as many as were ordained to eternal life" who then believed. If this translation is correct, then the verse is a powerful testimony to the Calvinist doctrine of unconditional election. Belief follows God's ordination it would appear.
The question though, is whether this translation is accurate. It must be said that most English translations follow a similar path to the KJV, though many do not use a word as strong as "ordained". The ESV has "and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed" and the NIV is similar with "all who were appointed for eternal life believed." Both these translations are sometimes said to show a bias in favour of Calvinist interpretations, but to be fair, there are few English translations that do not follow this.
There are some significant problems with this interpretation however, which we will explore.
The first thing to realise is that the Greek is more ambiguous than the English translations would have it. The key Greek word is the verb τάσσω (tasso) which can mean to place (in order), to arrange, to set (in order) as well as to appoint, to dispose, or to ordain. The word originally came from a military term referreding to "arranging or disposing a body of soldiers in regular military order" (Albert Barnes).
The verse therefore could be translated "as many as were placed for eternal life believed" or "as many as were arranged for eternal life believed" or "as many as were set in order [or just set] for eternal life believed" or "as many as were disposed for eternal life believed."
The other thing that is important is that the verb tense used, tetagmenoi, is a perfect participle and that form could either be in the middle or passive voice. If the verb is in the passive, then it does indeed mean that "as many were arranged/set in order/disposed/appointed/ordained to eternal life believed".
Even here though, it is not automatic that the verse is teaching the Calvinist doctrine, even if the verse is passive. If the tense is passive, the verse could just as accurately be translated something like "and as many as were set for eternal life believed" or "as many as were prepared for eternal life believed" or "as many as were disposed for eternal life believed" as the actual verb itself does not necessitate who was doing the arranging, preparing or disposing. It could be referring to an act of God (the Calvinist sense) or it could be referring to other things or factors, including the Gentiles being disposed or putting themselves in a position to respond to the gospel with faith. That's the trouble with the English words "ordain" or "appoint"—they clear up the ambiguity that exists in the original in one direction.
But if it is in the middle voice, then the verse should be translated with a reflexive sense as something like "as many as arranged themselves for eternal life believed" or "as many as prepared themselves" or "set themselves" or "disposed themselves".
Many non-Calvinist scholars believe the verse should either be translated "as many as were disposed for eternal life believed" (passive) or "as many as disposed themselves for eternal life believed" (middle).
Only a few translations depart from the KJV, pro-Calvinistic tradition in their renderings, to leave the interpretation of the verse open.
"Everyone who had been prepared for everlasting life believed." (God's Word translation)
"and they believe, whoever were set for life eonian." (Concordant Literal Version)
"and they believed—as many as had become disposed for life age-abiding" (Rotherham Emphasized Bible)
Another non-Calvinist view is that of John Wesley himself, who accepted the "ordained" translation but insisted it had nothing to do with predestination. The "ordaining" to belief was presumably the work of God's prevenient grace drawing them to faith, and his ordination in general that those with open hearts seeking the truth, would come to faith and find salvation should they want it by accepting the gospel.
What is clear, at the very least, is that when properly translated, Acts 13:48 is at best ambiguous as to its support for Calvinism
Personally, in context, just as the Jews "judged themselves unworthy of eternal life" (v.46), it would make perfect sense if Luke said in verse 48 that among the Gentiles as many were prepared or disposed, or as many as prepared or disposed themselves for eternal life believed. The contrast makes sense in this interpretation, whereas the Calvinist view is actually the disjointed one, with the Jews judging themselves unworthy but the Gentiles believing because God had ordained it. The parallel doesn't really work in that case.
The fairest way of treating the verse in a translation is probably to choose a rendering that leaves both the Calvinist and non-Calvinist view as possible or to have one view in the main text and the alternatives in a footnote.
Something like "as many as were prepared for eternal life believed" would be suitable with something like "or were appointed, disposed, ordained; or prepared or disposed themselves" in the footnote would be balanced and fair.
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