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My Daily Thoughts–2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

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2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 (NKJV) But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

V13 “But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth…” Bound by love and fellowship to pray. Brethren = term for family. Christians are of one family, for all of us are adopted by one Father (Romans 8:15). “Beginning” usually refers to the first chapters of Genesis when time began (the movements of the sun and earth). God choose the plan of salvation, the Messiah, the time for Him to come before Genesis 1. Individuals are chosen when we believe, but God knows in advance, not by a mysterious “will,” but foreknowledge, foresight, prescience. The Greek word for “chosen” is (G138) αἱρέω hairéō, which means pick out, here middle, so take for one’s self picking out something. God picks out, chooses us, as in Philippians 1:22; and Hebrews 11:25. God has chosen us for salvation that comes through sanctification ( a separation) accomplished by the Holy Spirit and our belief in the truth (the Gospel message). Others translate this phrase as “in sanctification through the Spirit and belief in the truth.” Dr Brian Abasciano writes: “…As for your [William Mounce] assertion that, “it would be a strange thing to say that God’s election was in some way connected to our belief,” that appears to be a theological presupposition carrying no weight. It just so happens that a major evangelical theological system (not to mention the consensual Christian tradition! See Thomas Oden, The Transforming Power of Grace) explicitly believes that God’s election is conditional on faith in Christ — Arminianism. So it doesn’t seem strange to me at all, but it seems like the most natural reading of 2 Thes 2:13 supports the Arminian position that election is conditional on faith in Christ.” [Source: https://evangelicalarminians.org/2-thessalonians-213-greek-grammar-and-conditional-election/]. The condition of this choice is “faith.” See John 5:24, Galatians 3:24, and John 3:14-15. From the C in FACTS the summary contains these words: “By way of summary, there are two different views of election conditioned on faith. First, individual election is the classic view, in which God individually chose each believer based upon his foreknowledge of each one’s faith and so predestined each to eternal life. Second, corporate election is the main alternative view, holding that election to salvation is primarily of the Church as a people and embraces individuals only in faith-union with Christ the Chosen One and as members of his people. Moreover, since the election of the individual derives from the election of Christ and the corporate people of God, individuals become elect when they believe and remain elect only as long as they believe. (https://evangelicalarminians.org/the-facts-of-salvationc-conditional-election/)

V14 “…to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” God calls all people to salvation (John 3:16, Isaiah 55:1-3, and Revelation 22:17, etc. See When God calls to salvation, it is sincere. The Calvinist view is that God gives a general call that no one responds to thus, God lies. God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). Calvinists believe in an effectual call that the elect and only the elect will hear and come; reason? God decreed it. They don’t genuinely want to come; they come in the same way the potter’s clay has no choice in what it will become whether a pot, vase, etc. But, God genuinely calls all people. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s means of His call. God initiates salvation; humans cannot initiate salvation. Romans 10:17 (NKJV) “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Obtaining the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ is because we are “in” Him and have put “on” Christ. God’s call is through His grace (Galatians 1:6 and Galatians 1:15).

V15 “Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.” Stand fast in doctrine and way of life. The traditions are the Christian traditions as taught by Jesus and His Apostles. Sometimes they were taught by a verbal message and sometimes by a written one.

V16 “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace…” God has given believers His love, everlasting comfort, and a good (pleasant) hope (not wishful thinking but waiting in anticipation of the fulfillment of God’s promises. All of this is from God’s grace (giving us a blessing that we do not deserve). Mercy is not getting what we deserve.

V17 “…comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.” God’s comfort is unlike any other comfort. God is able to establish you in everything we say and do. JFB commentary on this verse has: “Establishment in these were what the young converts at Thessalonica needed, not fanatical teaching (compare 1 Corinthians 15:58).”