2Th 2:17 | KingComments | STEP | This section starts with the word “but”. It indicates that what follows is in contrast to what has preceded it. A brief repetition of it is not a bad idea, I think. Paul has previously dealt with false teachings about the day of the Lord. Deceivers came with those false teachings. In chapter 1 he encourages the Thessalonians to look forward to the coming of the Lord and exhorts them to endure sufferings for the sake of the Name of the Lord until that time. In chapter 2 Paul goes into details on the false teaching. He shows that the day of the Lord has not come yet. In chapter 1 he points at the characteristic of that day. He makes clear that then the situation will be the reverse of the situation that they are dealing with now. In chapter 2 he explains why that day has not come yet, which is because some other events are still to take place first – first the antichrist, then the apostasy. But also the antichrist can only come when something and somebody has been taken away, which is the church and the Holy Spirit. Then the evil can break loose, although it will not happen at once in all its intensity. The full extent of the evil will reveal itself when the devil will be thrown to the earth and he demands and exercises his demonic government. That will take place about three and a half years after the rapture of the church. Then all brakes of the evil will be loosened. Paul also points to the people who will be left behind ( ). After the rapture of the believers there will certainly be a number of people that repent. That will happen through the preaching of believing Jews. Those are however not the people from , for those are people who have consciously refused to believe the gospel. A judgment of hardening will come on them. They will believe the lie of the antichrist and perish together with him in unbelief. There will be no such thing as a second chance. . If you realize that you are surrounded by such people, you may almost get discouraged. You may even think in a weak moment: ‘Could this also be my fate?’ Well, Paul is reassuring you. He addresses the Thessalonians, and you may also include yourself, as “brethren beloved by the Lord”. One does not say that of people who do not have love for the truth. You indeed say that of those who love the truth sincerely. Whoever loves the truth, is beloved by the Lord. Paul has pictured the dark scene of the fate which the antichrist and his supporters will be subjected to when the believers have been caught up. The persecutors and the oppressors who were still attacking and cursing the Thessalonians, will partake of that fate. It must have been beneficial to them to hear in the midst of all their sufferings, that Paul was still giving thanks to God for them. It must have also done them good to hear that they were “chosen” by God “for salvation”. That brings an end to all doubt. There is another encouragement added. God has chosen them “from the beginning” or “to be the first fruits”. That indicates that they are special to God. When there is mention of a ‘first fruit’ it means that a lot more will follow. A ‘first fruit’ indicates a harvest that follows. The Thessalonians were therefore the first of a great harvest of believers that God will bring in (cf. ; ; ). The church will only be complete when all who God has chosen, will be saved. When the last soul has been added, then the church will be complete and will be caught up. The Thessalonians were the beginning of this great work of God. In them God saw as it were the whole of the redeemed ones. That must have been a great joy for Paul’s heart. But how did Paul know then that God had chosen them? He could know it by the fruits he saw in their lives. And he who has been chosen by God will be saved. Salvation stands here opposite eternal destruction ( ). It is the arrival at the place of destination and reaching the full rest. God has fulfilled his choice by the work of His Spirit in your heart and conscience. The Spirit has sanctified you, set you apart from the world for God ( ). Here you see God’s side of the work in you. There is another side though, your side, which is that you have believed the truth. You have acknowledged that what God says about sin and the sinner applies to you and you have accepted the gospel. . That gospel has been the calling voice of God. In that way He has called you and you have believed it. You may know that you will partake of the glory of the Lord Jesus. That is awesome, isn’t it? We are not there yet, we still have to wait, but this is a certainty. You will obtain the glory which belongs to the Lord Jesus. In its fullness this goes beyond the inheritance in the kingdom of peace. You may consider this the glory that the Lord Jesus has received from the Father because of His work on the cross, where He glorified the Father ( ). He will share that glory with all who will be with Him in the house of the Father ( ). That is great, isn’t it? . Therefore, if this has been reserved for you, you must not let yourself be confused. The enemy will do his utmost to take this perspective out of your mind. But it should actually motivate you to stand firm, which means that the thought of your calling will make you spiritually stable. That firmness does not lie in the so-called letters or revelations that people have so-called received (cf. ). That firmness is in the fact that they take to heart what the apostle has taught them. He reminds them of the traditions that he has taught them. He first has done that orally when he was with them. Later he did that by his first letter to them and also by this second letter. If they take those traditions seriously, if they acknowledge that they are given on God’s behalf, because Paul has received them from God (cf. ), they will keep them. Then they will not become prey to the false teachers with their destructive and miserable making teachings. By putting first in writing what he had told them orally, the traditions have gotten a permanent and therefore unchangeable character. That is important to us. We have no new traditions by word or by letter to be expected anymore. Everyone who comes with a ‘new’ message in order to add something to the Scripture can be unmasked as a deceiver. The Scripture is complete. You can be assured about that. Everything that God wants you to know, is fixed in the Bible which is in your hand. If you use that to test what a person wants to make you believe, you will not run the risk to lose your steadfastness. . In the concluding words of this chapter Paul adds something more. He has shown us the importance of holding fast to the traditions, which is the Scripture. Now he still emphatically refers them to two Divine Persons. He makes holding on to the Scripture a matter of the Lord Jesus and God. You may think of the love that both these Divine Persons have for you. All of Their love goes out to you. They have shown Their love for you when the Lord Jesus died for you under the judgment of God ( ; ). Due to that you have received “eternal comfort”. When you were still unconverted, the moment came that you feared the wrath of God. You were discouraged. Then you came to faith in the Lord Jesus and God’s wrath was taken away from you and you found comfort with Them ( ). Also as a believer you experienced comfort from Them in all kinds of situations of sorrow and even despair, for God is the “God of all comfort” ( ). Therefore you will experience that comfort forever (cf. ; ). Both these Divine Persons have also given you “good hope”. If you open yourself to false teachers you will have insecurity. You will lose the sight of what God has prepared for you. The good hope is the opposite of that. The biblical hope is a security. God is after all “the God of hope” ( ). Nothing is insecure with Him. There is mention of hope because the fulfillment is in the future and God ensures that. If you may know that that comfort and hope are your portion, it is not something to boast about. It is your portion because of God’s “grace”. To Him be all honor for that! . Paul closes with a wish. He wishes that the Lord Jesus and God the Father will do something with the hearts of the Thessalonians. Even though they know the love of these Divine Persons and that they also know to have gained eternal comfort and good hope, they still have a way to go. It is not meant that you will wait for the fulfillment of hope with your arms crossed. No, the purpose is that everything (“every”) that you do (“work”) and what you say (“word”) is “good”, is useful, is a help or benefit for others. Because from your heart all your activities flow ( ), Paul looks up to God and the Lord Jesus, that They may “comfort” and “strengthen” you with a view to that. In the next chapter you will receive practical teaching on that. Now read 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 again. Reflection: What do you learn from these verses about election and calling?

‏ 2 Thessalonians 2:17

Chosen and Called

This section starts with the word “but”. It indicates that what follows is in contrast to what has preceded it. A brief repetition of it is not a bad idea, I think. Paul has previously dealt with false teachings about the day of the Lord. Deceivers came with those false teachings. In chapter 1 he encourages the Thessalonians to look forward to the coming of the Lord and exhorts them to endure sufferings for the sake of the Name of the Lord until that time. In chapter 2 Paul goes into details on the false teaching. He shows that the day of the Lord has not come yet.

In chapter 1 he points at the characteristic of that day. He makes clear that then the situation will be the reverse of the situation that they are dealing with now. In chapter 2 he explains why that day has not come yet, which is because some other events are still to take place first – first the antichrist, then the apostasy. But also the antichrist can only come when something and somebody has been taken away, which is the church and the Holy Spirit. Then the evil can break loose, although it will not happen at once in all its intensity. The full extent of the evil will reveal itself when the devil will be thrown to the earth and he demands and exercises his demonic government. That will take place about three and a half years after the rapture of the church. Then all brakes of the evil will be loosened.

Paul also points to the people who will be left behind (2Thes 2:12). After the rapture of the believers there will certainly be a number of people that repent. That will happen through the preaching of believing Jews. Those are however not the people from 2Thes 2:12, for those are people who have consciously refused to believe the gospel. A judgment of hardening will come on them. They will believe the lie of the antichrist and perish together with him in unbelief. There will be no such thing as a second chance.

2Thes 2:13. If you realize that you are surrounded by such people, you may almost get discouraged. You may even think in a weak moment: ‘Could this also be my fate?’ Well, Paul is reassuring you. He addresses the Thessalonians, and you may also include yourself, as “brethren beloved by the Lord”. One does not say that of people who do not have love for the truth. You indeed say that of those who love the truth sincerely. Whoever loves the truth, is beloved by the Lord.

Paul has pictured the dark scene of the fate which the antichrist and his supporters will be subjected to when the believers have been caught up. The persecutors and the oppressors who were still attacking and cursing the Thessalonians, will partake of that fate. It must have been beneficial to them to hear in the midst of all their sufferings, that Paul was still giving thanks to God for them. It must have also done them good to hear that they were “chosen” by God “for salvation”. That brings an end to all doubt.

There is another encouragement added. God has chosen them “from the beginning” or “to be the first fruits”. That indicates that they are special to God. When there is mention of a ‘first fruit’ it means that a lot more will follow. A ‘first fruit’ indicates a harvest that follows. The Thessalonians were therefore the first of a great harvest of believers that God will bring in (cf. Rom 16:5; 1Cor 16:15; Rev 14:14). The church will only be complete when all who God has chosen, will be saved. When the last soul has been added, then the church will be complete and will be caught up. The Thessalonians were the beginning of this great work of God. In them God saw as it were the whole of the redeemed ones. That must have been a great joy for Paul’s heart.

But how did Paul know then that God had chosen them? He could know it by the fruits he saw in their lives. And he who has been chosen by God will be saved. Salvation stands here opposite eternal destruction (2Thes 1:9). It is the arrival at the place of destination and reaching the full rest.

God has fulfilled his choice by the work of His Spirit in your heart and conscience. The Spirit has sanctified you, set you apart from the world for God (1Pet 1:2). Here you see God’s side of the work in you. There is another side though, your side, which is that you have believed the truth. You have acknowledged that what God says about sin and the sinner applies to you and you have accepted the gospel.

2Thes 2:14. That gospel has been the calling voice of God. In that way He has called you and you have believed it. You may know that you will partake of the glory of the Lord Jesus. That is awesome, isn’t it? We are not there yet, we still have to wait, but this is a certainty. You will obtain the glory which belongs to the Lord Jesus. In its fullness this goes beyond the inheritance in the kingdom of peace. You may consider this the glory that the Lord Jesus has received from the Father because of His work on the cross, where He glorified the Father (Jn 17:4-5). He will share that glory with all who will be with Him in the house of the Father (Jn 17:22). That is great, isn’t it?

2Thes 2:15. Therefore, if this has been reserved for you, you must not let yourself be confused. The enemy will do his utmost to take this perspective out of your mind. But it should actually motivate you to stand firm, which means that the thought of your calling will make you spiritually stable. That firmness does not lie in the so-called letters or revelations that people have so-called received (cf. 2Thes 2:2). That firmness is in the fact that they take to heart what the apostle has taught them. He reminds them of the traditions that he has taught them.

He first has done that orally when he was with them. Later he did that by his first letter to them and also by this second letter. If they take those traditions seriously, if they acknowledge that they are given on God’s behalf, because Paul has received them from God (cf. Gal 1:12), they will keep them. Then they will not become prey to the false teachers with their destructive and miserable making teachings.

By putting first in writing what he had told them orally, the traditions have gotten a permanent and therefore unchangeable character. That is important to us. We have no new traditions by word or by letter to be expected anymore. Everyone who comes with a ‘new’ message in order to add something to the Scripture can be unmasked as a deceiver. The Scripture is complete. You can be assured about that. Everything that God wants you to know, is fixed in the Bible which is in your hand. If you use that to test what a person wants to make you believe, you will not run the risk to lose your steadfastness.

2Thes 2:16. In the concluding words of this chapter Paul adds something more. He has shown us the importance of holding fast to the traditions, which is the Scripture. Now he still emphatically refers them to two Divine Persons. He makes holding on to the Scripture a matter of the Lord Jesus and God. You may think of the love that both these Divine Persons have for you. All of Their love goes out to you. They have shown Their love for you when the Lord Jesus died for you under the judgment of God (Jn 3:16; Gal 2:20).

Due to that you have received “eternal comfort”. When you were still unconverted, the moment came that you feared the wrath of God. You were discouraged. Then you came to faith in the Lord Jesus and God’s wrath was taken away from you and you found comfort with Them (Isa 12:1). Also as a believer you experienced comfort from Them in all kinds of situations of sorrow and even despair, for God is the “God of all comfort” (2Cor 1:3-4). Therefore you will experience that comfort forever (cf. Lk 16:25; Rev 7:17).

Both these Divine Persons have also given you “good hope”. If you open yourself to false teachers you will have insecurity. You will lose the sight of what God has prepared for you. The good hope is the opposite of that. The biblical hope is a security. God is after all “the God of hope” (Rom 15:13). Nothing is insecure with Him. There is mention of hope because the fulfillment is in the future and God ensures that. If you may know that that comfort and hope are your portion, it is not something to boast about. It is your portion because of God’s “grace”. To Him be all honor for that!

2Thes 2:17. Paul closes with a wish. He wishes that the Lord Jesus and God the Father will do something with the hearts of the Thessalonians. Even though they know the love of these Divine Persons and that they also know to have gained eternal comfort and good hope, they still have a way to go. It is not meant that you will wait for the fulfillment of hope with your arms crossed. No, the purpose is that everything (“every”) that you do (“work”) and what you say (“word”) is “good”, is useful, is a help or benefit for others.

Because from your heart all your activities flow (Pro 4:23), Paul looks up to God and the Lord Jesus, that They may “comfort” and “strengthen” you with a view to that. In the next chapter you will receive practical teaching on that.

Now read 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 again.

Reflection: What do you learn from these verses about election and calling?