He is faithful who hath called you, who also will do it.
πιστος ο καλων υμας ος και ποιησει
7 Church Fathers comment on this verse
See what humility of mind. After he had offered prayer, he said: do not think that this will be fulfilled because of my prayers, but because of the purpose by which God called you. If He called you to salvation, and He is true, then He will undoubtedly save, because He desires it.
See what humility. After he has offered prayer for them, he says: do not think that you will be saved by my prayers, but by the goodness of God who called you. For if He called you to salvation, and He is faithful, that is, true, then He will surely act according to His will and save you.
Faithful is our Lord, who Himself will accomplish this, and you will remain from baptism until the revelation of our Lord.
For He who called you to salvation will assist your good intention. Then the Apostle again shows a humble way of thinking about himself.
The goal of all strivings and struggles is that our whole spiritual composition be sanctified and thereby prepared for a worthy meeting with the Lord the Judge.
The Apostle prayed before God Himself for this to be accomplished. He expresses confidence that the Holy Spirit, who called the Thessalonians to Christ, will help them attain this desired end of life.
Praying for the complete advancement of the Thessalonians and for the perfection of the harmonious action of their higher and lower powers, the Apostle also stirs them to pray for this.
He does so with firm hope that their petitions will be fulfilled.
According to Saint John Chrysostom, the Apostle speaks as if saying: "If God called you to salvation, and He is true, then He will surely save, because He desires this."
"He who does not desire the death of the sinner will never abandon him. By ways known to Him, He will lead him to the desired end" (1 Cor 1:9; 10:13; Heb 10:23).
"The Lord will fulfill His promises. Only be faithful to Him and be upright in everything required of you.
"Man is weak and changeable. But by His grace, in those who surrender themselves to Him, God knows how to bring man's wavering will into harmony with His own will.
"He fulfills in men, by their own powers, His intentions concerning them."
According to the teaching of Saint Paul, two independent substances lie at the foundation of human nature: the material, which is body or flesh, and the spiritual, which is spirit.
The first substance serves as the foundation of material human nature, of man's corruption and death (1 Cor 15:53).
The second, by contrast, is the principle of incorruption and the source of immortal life (2 Cor 3:6), the capacity for knowledge (2 Cor 4:13), self-knowledge (1 Cor 2:11), and free will (Phil 1:27).
In Saint Paul, "soul" does not designate a separate independent substance. It designates only a special power, a special side of man's spiritual substance, his spirit.
In experience, the body subordinates this side to itself and impresses upon its activity the character proper to the body.
For this reason the expressions "soulish" and "fleshly" are almost equivalent in the epistles of Saint Paul. The "soulish" man, for him, thinks according to the flesh (1 Cor 2:14; 3:1; Rom 8:4-9).
By contrast, according to Saint Paul, the spirit serves as the principle of the higher spiritual powers. These are not dependent on the body, and even have a character directly opposed to the properties of the body.
But since it is impossible to make this choice without God's help, the Apostle asks God to sanctify the whole life and activity of the Thessalonians.
He asks not only that God preserve their spirit, πνεύμα, that is, the higher side of our being, renewed by the Spirit of God.
He also asks that the soul, that is, the totality of man's fleshly strivings and feelings, ψυχή, be kept under the guidance of the spirit.
Through this, the body, σοΐμα, will be freed from servitude to the passions. The Apostle hopes that God will hear his prayer, since He has already called the Thessalonians to salvation.
He will do all this, all that I desire for you. He will make you such as I command you to be, so that you will undoubtedly stand before the Lord at His coming without blemish.
This is as certain as He who called you is faithful. He called you, and He will not abandon you.
Since He called you into His kingdom, where nothing unclean will enter, having called you for the Kingdom, He will also cleanse you for entrance into it.
"He who began" will also complete it (Phil 1:6). "If He called you to salvation, and He is true, then He will surely save, because He desires this" (Chrysostom).
In this lies the foundation of the hope of salvation for every Christian.
Who could approach God, or utter before Him a vow to serve Him alone, if the assurance did not descend into his heart that He who does not desire the death of the sinner will never abandon him?
By ways known to Him, He will lead him to the desired end (cf. 1 Cor 1:9; 10:13; 2 Thess 3:3; Heb 10:23; 11:11).
Do not waver. The Lord will fulfill His promises. Only be faithful to Him and be upright in everything required of you.
Seek, strive, and labor without weakening, and it will be so.
Man is weak and changeable. His resolutions are unsteady. But by His grace, in those who surrender themselves to Him, God knows how to bring man's wavering will into harmony with His own will.
He fulfills in men, by their own powers, His intentions concerning them.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 7 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS