2 Thessalonians 2:13

Contextual Overview

¹³ Brothers and sisters, you are people the Lord loves. And we always thank God for you. That's what we should do, because God chose you to be some of the first people to be saved. You are saved by the Spirit making you holy and by your faith in the truth. ¹³ But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. ¹³ But we are bounde to geve thankes alwaye to god for you brethren beloved of the lorde for because that God hath from the begynnynge chosen you to saluacion thorow sanctifyinge of the sprete and thorowe belevynge the trueth: ¹³ But we are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth; ¹³ But we should always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.¹³ Brothers and sisters, whom the Lord loves, God chose you from the beginning to be saved. So we must always thank God for you. You are saved by the Spirit that makes you holy and by your faith in the truth. ¹³ But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brothers beloved of the Lord, for that God chose you from the beginning to salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: ¹³ But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved by the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth: ¹³ But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. ¹³ But we are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth;

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

we: 2 Thessalonians 1:3, Romans 1:8, Romans 6:17

beloved: 2 Thessalonians 2:16, Deuteronomy 33:12, 2 Samuel 12:25, *marg. Jeremiah 31:3, Ezekiel 16:8, Daniel 9:23, Daniel 10:11, Daniel 10:19, Romans 1:7, Colossians 3:12, 1 John 4:10, 1 John 4:19

from: Genesis 1:1, Proverbs 8:23, Isaiah 46:10, John 1:1, John 8:44, Hebrews 1:10

chosen: Romans 8:33, Romans 9:11, Ephesians 1:4, Ephesians 1:5, 1 Thessalonians 1:4, 2 Timothy 1:9, 1 Peter 1:2

through: 2 Thessalonians 2:10, 2 Thessalonians 2:12, Luke 1:75, 1 Peter 1:2-5

belief: John 8:45, John 8:46, John 14:6, Acts 13:48, Acts 15:9, Galatians 3:1, Ephesians 2:8, Colossians 1:5, 2 Timothy 2:15, 2 Timothy 3:15, James 1:18

Reciprocal: Leviticus 20:8 - sanctify Numbers 16:7 - that the man Deuteronomy 7:8 - because 2 Chronicles 30:12 - the hand of God Psalms 4:3 - that the Psalms 34:1 - General Psalms 65:4 - choosest Psalms 89:35 - that I will not lie Psalms 103:17 - the mercy Psalms 106:5 - may see Isaiah 42:16 - and not Isaiah 45:17 - an everlasting Ezekiel 36:27 - I will Joel 2:32 - and in Malachi 3:6 - therefore Matthew 11:25 - I thank Matthew 13:23 - good Matthew 20:16 - for John 3:5 - cannot John 5:24 - and shall not John 6:37 - shall John 6:39 - this John 10:16 - them John 10:28 - they John 11:52 - the children John 17:6 - thine John 17:17 - Sanctify Acts 2:39 - as many Acts 15:18 - General Acts 18:27 - believed Acts 27:31 - Except Romans 1:1 - the gospel Romans 8:28 - the called Romans 8:30 - he justified Romans 8:35 - shall separate Romans 9:16 - General Romans 9:23 - he had afore Romans 10:17 - faith Romans 11:7 - but the election Romans 16:13 - chosen 1 Corinthians 6:11 - but ye are sanctified 2 Corinthians 3:8 - the ministration Galatians 1:15 - and Ephesians 1:12 - be Ephesians 2:4 - his Ephesians 3:9 - beginning Ephesians 5:20 - thanks Philippians 1:6 - begun Philippians 2:2 - Fulfil Philippians 2:13 - to will Philippians 3:12 - apprehended Philippians 3:14 - the high Colossians 1:6 - knew 1 Thessalonians 2:12 - who 1 Thessalonians 4:3 - your 1 Thessalonians 4:7 - God 1 Thessalonians 5:9 - obtain 2 Thessalonians 1:10 - our 1 Timothy 4:3 - believe Titus 1:1 - faith Hebrews 4:2 - not being 1 Peter 1:5 - unto 1 Peter 1:22 - ye have 2 Peter 1:10 - election 2 John 1:1 - the elect lady 3 John 1:2 - even

Cross-References

Genesis 10:6
The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan.

Genesis 10:6
And the sons of Ham: Cush, and Mizraim, and Put, and Canaan.

Genesis 10:6
The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

Genesis 10:6
The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

Genesis 10:6
And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.

Genesis 10:6
The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

Genesis 10:6
the sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim [from whom descended the Egyptians], Put, and Canaan;

Genesis 10:6
Sotheli the sones of Cham weren Thus, and Mesraym, and Futh, and Chanaan.

Genesis 10:6
And sons of Ham [are] Cush, and Mitzraim, and Phut, and Canaan.

Genesis 10:6
The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you,.... Lest the saints should be discouraged by the above account of antichrist, and his followers, and fear they should be left to the same deceptions, and damnation be their portion; the apostle being persuaded better things of them, gives their character, and represents their case in a quite different light; and signifies, that he and his fellow ministers were under obligation to be continually thankful to God for what he had done for them; for as God is the Father of mercies, whether spiritual or temporal, thanks are to be given to him; and saints are not only to bless his name for what they themselves receive from him, but for what others enjoy also, and that continually; because spiritual blessings, especially such as are afterwards instanced in, are permanent and durable, yea, everlasting: the characters which show them to be different from the followers of antichrist, are

brethren, beloved of the Lord or "of God", as the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions read: they were the brethren of Christ, being the dear children of God, born of him, and belonging to his family, and of the apostles, and of one another, being of the household of faith; and they were beloved by God the Father, as the instances of their election to salvation by him, and their calling to eternal glory, show; and by the Lord Jesus Christ, who had wrought out for them the salvation they were chosen to; and by the Lord the Spirit, by whom they were regenerated, called, sanctified, and brought to the belief of the truth; and since they had interest in the everlasting love of the three divine Persons, there was no danger of their falling away and perishing. The reason of the apostle's thanksgiving for the persons thus described is,

because God hath from, the beginning chosen you to salvation; which is to be understood, not of an election of them, as a nation, for they were not a nation, only a part of one; nor of them as a church, for they were not so from the beginning; nor to the outward means of grace, the ministry of the word and ordinances, for the choice is unto salvation; nor to any office, for they were not all officers in the church, only some; nor does it intend the effectual calling, for that is distinguished from it in the following verse; but an eternal appointment of persons to grace and glory: and this is an act of God the Father, in Christ, from eternity; and which arises from his sovereign good will and pleasure, and is an instance of his free grace and favour, for the glorifying of himself; and is irrespective of the faith, holiness, and good works of men; all which are the fruits and effects, and not the motives, conditions, or causes of electing grace. This act is the leading one to all other blessings of grace, as justification, adoption, calling, and glorification, and is certain and immutable in itself, and in its effects. The date of it is "from the beginning": not from the beginning of the preaching of the Gospel to them, and the sense be, that, as soon as the Gospel was preached, they believed, and God chose them; for what was there remarkable in them, that this should be peculiarly observed of them? The Bereans are said to be more noble than they were: nor from the beginning of their calling, for predestination or election precedes calling; see Romans 8:30 nor from the beginning of time, or of the creation of the world, but before the world began, even from eternity; and in such sense the phrase is used in Proverbs 8:23 and that it is the sense of it here, is manifest from Ephesians 1:4 where this choice is said to be before the foundation of the world. The end to which men, by this act, are chosen, is "salvation": not temporal, though the elect of God are appointed to many temporal salvations and deliverances, and which they enjoy both before and after conversion; yet salvation here designs the salvation of the soul, though not exclusive of the body, a spiritual and an eternal salvation, salvation by Jesus Christ, as is expressed in 1 Thessalonians 5:9 and the same decree that appoints men to salvation, appoints Christ to be the Saviour of them; and there is salvation in and by no other. The means through which this choice is made, are

through sanctification of the spirit, and belief of the truth by sanctification is meant, not anything external, as reformation of life, obedience to the law, or outward submission to Gospel ordinances; but internal holiness, which lies in a principle of spiritual life in the soul, and in a principle of spiritual light on the understanding; in a flexion of the will to the will of God, and the way of salvation by Christ; in a settlement of the affections on divine and spiritual things, and in an implantation of all grace in the heart; and is called the sanctification of "the spirit", partly from the spirit or soul of man being the principal seat of it, and chiefly from the Spirit of God being the author of it; and this being a means fixed in the decree of election to salvation, shows that holiness is not the cause of election, yet is certain by it, and is necessary to salvation; and that the doctrine of election is no licentious doctrine, since it provides for and secures true and real holiness. "Truth" designs either the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the truth of types and promises, and the substance of the truth of the Gospel, in whom it lies, and by whom it comes; or the Gospel itself, which comes from the God of truth, lies in the Scriptures of truth, is dictated and directed into by the spirit of truth; the sum of it is Christ the truth, and has nothing in it but truth. The "belief" or "faith" of this intends, not an historical faith, or a mere assent to truth; but a cordial embracing of it, a receiving of the love of the truth, a feeling of the power of it unto salvation, and a believing in Christ, the substance of it; which is a seeing of him spiritually, and a going out of the soul to him in acts of hope; reliance, trust, and dependence; and this being also a means settled in the choice of men to salvation, makes it appear, that faith is no cause of election, but the effect of it; that it is necessary to salvation, and therefore appointed as a means; that it is certain to the elect by it, and that they therefore cannot be finally and totally deceived, or be carried away with the error of the wicked, or with the deceivableness of unrighteousness with which antichrist works.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you; - see the notes on 2 Thessalonians 1:3. “Because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation.” The following important things are affirmed or implied here:

(1) That God had chosen or elected them (εἵλετο heileto) to salvation. The doctrine of election, therefore, is true.

(2) That this was from “the beginning” ἀπ ̓ ἀρχῆς ap' archēs; that is, from eternity; see the John 1:1 note; Ephesians 1:4; Ephesians 3:9-11 notes. The doctrine of eternal election is, therefore, true.

(3) That this was the choice of the persons to whom Paul referred. The doctrine of personal election is, therefore, true.

(4) That this is a reason for thanksgiving. Why should it not be? Can there be any higher ground of praise or gratitude than that God has chosen us to be eternally holy and happy, and that he has from eternity designed that we should be so? Whatever, therefore, may be the feelings with which those who are not chosen to salvation, regard this doctrine, it is clear that those who have evidence that they are chosen should make it a subject of grateful praise. They can have no more exalted source of gratitude than that they are chosen to eternal life.

Through sanctification of the Spirit - Being made holy by the Divine Spirit. It is not without respect to character, but it is a choice to holiness and then to salvation. No one can have evidence that he is chosen to salvation except as he has evidence that he is sanctified by the Spirit; see the notes on Ephesians 1:4.

And belief of the truth - In connection with believing the truth. No one who is not a believer in the truth can have evidence that God has chosen him.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 13. 14. God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, &c.] In your calling, God has shown the purpose that he had formed from the beginning, to call the Gentiles to the same privileges with the Jews, not through circumcision, and the observance of the Mosaic law, but by faith in Christ Jesus but this simple way of salvation referred to the same end-holiness, without which no man, whether Jew or Gentile, can see the Lord.

Let us observe the order of Divine grace in this business:

1. They were to hear the truth-the doctrines of the Gospel.

2. They were to believe this truth when they heard it preached.

3. They were to receive the Spirit of God in believing the truth.

4. That Spirit was to sanctify their souls-produce an inward holiness, which was to lead to all outward conformity to God.

5. All this constituted their salvation-their being fitted for the inheritance among the saints in light.

6. They were to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ-that state of felicity for which they were fitted, by being saved here from their sins, and by being sanctified by the Spirit of God.