¹³But we should always give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God HAS CHOSEN YOU FROM THE BEGINNING for salvation AS FIRST FRUITS through sanctification OF the spirit^NOTE#1  and faith in the truth. ¹⁴ It was for this HE CALLED YOU through our gospel, that you may OBTAIN THE GLORY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. ¹⁵ So then, brothers, stand firm and hold on to the traditions which you were taught, WHETHER BY WORD OF MOUTH OR BY LETTER from us. ¹⁶ Now may OUR LORD Jesus Christ Himself and GOD OUR FATHER, who has loved us and given us age-enduring comfort and good hope BY GRACE, ¹⁷ comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word. [2Thes2:13-17]

A short closing statement by Paul. As usual, I have capitalized the points for comment, which in most cases have been said many times before. As far as I’m concerned that’s a good thing, showing it to be the consistent teaching of Paul in his epistles. None more so than the first point, “God HAS CHOSEN YOU FROM THE BEGINNING”. Truly, anyone who rejects predestination might as well reject Paul’s teaching altogether – its systemic within his writing. Yet so many Christians effectively do reject it, or at least ignore it, or like Luther say it’s advisable not to dwell upon it or preach about it. And no wonder, for the implications within the traditional dualistic (saved/damned) context are frankly odious in terms of both divine and human nature. My former hero Jean Calvin was quite open about the latter: “all men’s thoughts, inclinations and efforts are corrupt and viscous”, whilst regarding young infants, such he thought were “odious and an abomination to God; their very natures being a seedbed of sin^[NOTE2] .

 Having trashed humanity, when it came to the deity, the Reformers were unsurprisingly more circumspect. What might appear a, cruel and hateful providence from any human perspective is explained as being the actions of a Being who is esoterically holy, ineffable, so thoroughly incomprehensible. However, the biblical reality is this: Jesus Christ is an exact reflection of His Father’s nature (Heb1:3), yet man in his regenerated state is said (by Paul) to possess the mind of Christ (1Cor2:16) . Man was made in the image of the invisible God, i.e. according to the divine nature; and Christians already partake of that nature (2Pet1:4) and are in the process of being conformed into Christ’s own image (Rom8:29).

It follows that what is discerned to be hateful, cruel and odious to man at his best is likewise to Jesus Christ and likewise to God, albeit with a certain proviso. For God’s ways are sometimes  incomprehensible, such as His deliberate intention to permit evil and suffering in this world (cf. Rom8:20). But once such a rationale has been explained (as now it has been), God will be seen to be what Scripture declares Him to be – Love personified (1Jn4:8). But a deity could never be said to be loving or compassionate if he punished people mercilessly and eternally for doing what he knows they are incapable of doing. That would be the case when predestination is understood within a dual rather than tripartite context that I have been explaining in recent posts.

A KIND OF FIRST FRUIT

A broader benign providence is indicated in the first featured verse (13) where Paul speaks of Christians being the first fruits of human salvation. That is understandably omitted from most bibles (exceptions include the Legacy Standard and Lexham English versions) as that phrase is only included in the earliest manuscripts. But James says as much in Jam1:18.

MANY CALLED, FEW CHOSEN

Note in verse 14, Paul writes that the Thessalonian converts had been called through the gospel, and that calling is indeed all of grace (v16). Yet as Jesus affirmed, many are called but few are chosen. These Thessalonian church members had “got saved”, but only those who persevere shall be chosen to inherit the promises of Christ – i.e. corporate matrimony with the Lord of glory; even to share His throne (Rev3:21; 21:9). As Paul writes in the same verse, those chosen shall “obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ”. That is not merely to observe it but to obtain and share in it. If you’re uncomfortable with that and feel unworthy even to be considered, join the club, but it is the apostle’s consistent teaching when rightly translated (e.g. Rom8:17). But then how could it be otherwise for those who are joint heirs, not just OF Christ but WITH Christ? (same verse).

WRITTEN AND ORAL TRADITION

Verse 15 indicates that the true Church has never relied on Scripture alone but also what was passed on orally by the apostles. Most crucially, this will have included precisely how the Eucharist should be observed and of what it consisted, a matter that cannot be clearly discerned from Scripture alone. Given the radical divisions within the churches on the subject, this is where reference to the teaching of the early Church Fathers is essential. Personally, I found their descriptions to be quite consistent – but it was contrary to what I had understood and practiced for the first 28 years of my Christian life (this post refers).

RE CHAPTER 3

This short passage closing 2Thes2 has contained plenty of theological (albeit indirect) allusions to the broader benign providence I have been outlining. The final chapter, whilst containing sound advice, or should I say instruction (cf. v6) regarding Christian conduct, does not really impact upon any of the distinctive doctrines pertaining to this project, so I shall shortly move on to 1Timothy.

NOTES

[1] Most translations infer “BY the Spirit” but if Paul intended that he would most likely have included the preposition ὑπὸ, being an indicator of causation or agency. Of course, the post-Augustinian church largely rejects the idea that humans possess any spirit to be sanctified. It is not that important in this instance as it is certainly the work of the Holy Spirit that is involved in sanctifying the Christian, but not acting alone.

[2] Quote from Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion – Second Book chap. 1 para 8