This is when a person is what the Christian calling requires him to be (2 Pet 1:10; Eph 4:1). Or it is the fruit of the calling, that to which the calling leads: “the hope of the calling” (Eph 4:4), the “heavenly calling” (Heb 3:1).
Since the Thessalonians had already been called to faith, the Apostle here certainly desires one of two things for them.
Either he desires that God count them worthy to appear worthy of this calling and to hold themselves to the end as it requires.
Or he desires that God count them worthy to receive what is laid up in heaven for this calling, and to make them blessed with the full abundance of goods that God’s goodness was pleased to prepare for believers.
Both may be accepted: what is required here and what is promised there. In essence, they are inseparable. The present state is the necessary condition of the future one.
When what we are bound to here is present in us, then what is prepared there will also be present. But when the earthly condition is absent, do not expect the heavenly one.
Blessed Theophylact writes: “What then? Were they not called? Yes, they were. But the Apostle is not speaking of that calling, for according to it many are called.
The man without the wedding garment was called, and the five virgins were called, but neither he nor they entered. By calling here the Apostle means the calling confirmed by works.
This is properly the calling, just as true faith is active faith.” What is needed for the Thessalonians to walk worthily of the calling is what St. Paul next desires.
“And that He may fulfill every good pleasure of goodness.” The good pleasure of goodness is what the goodness of God wills for men.
It is all the good things granted to us in the Lord Jesus Christ: the grace of regeneration, sanctification, communion with God, and adoption as sons.
This adoption is directly called by the Apostle “the good pleasure of His will” (Eph 1:5). The Apostle desires that God fulfill all this in the Thessalonians.
Having received remission of sins, they should strive to be cleansed also from the passions. By developing good dispositions and feelings within themselves, they should become a worthy dwelling of the tri-hypostatic God.
Oecumenius paraphrases this place thus: “We pray that God may fulfill in you every good will of His. The will and good pleasure of God is that all men be saved and obtain eternal blessedness.”
Theophylact adds: “That every good pleasure of God, that is, everything pleasing to Him, may be fulfilled in you. Then you will appear as God desires you to be, lacking nothing.”
Both borrowed these thoughts from St. Chrysostom, who says: “So that God may be fully assured that you now lack nothing more for becoming such as He desires.”
Having raised the Thessalonians by His grace and good pleasure to such moral perfection, God will also fulfill in them the work of faith with power.
The work of faith is, in general, that for which the faith of Christ was founded and established on earth. The Apostle desires that this be accomplished in the Thessalonians.
Or the work of faith is showing one’s belief by deed before others (St. Damascene), despite their hostility because of it.
Consequently, the work of faith means the fruits of faith in general, and especially the endurance of persecutions for the faith.
In Theodoret we read: “We entreat the God of all that He fill you, who have been counted worthy of the calling, with all good things, and that you bring forth the fruits of faith.”
According to St. Chrysostom, the work of faith is the bearing of persecutions. According to Theophylact, the Apostle desires “that God make the endurance of persecutions perfect in the Thessalonians.
Endurance is the work of faith, so that whoever does not have endurance does not show the work of faith.” “With power” means either in all fullness, according to the whole greatness of the good pleasure of goodness.
It also means according to the whole significance of faith, in the most perfect manner. Or it means by His power, sent down from above, the power of grace.
This power strengthens men for all the works of faith, and especially for endurance. “With power, that is, having empowered and strengthened you” (Theophylact).
“May He fulfill the work of faith in you by His own divine power. For from this latter the former is born. If He gives the power to fulfill the work of faith, then He will surely fulfill His good pleasure in us” (Oecumenius).
These two things, the good pleasure of God’s goodness and the work of faith in men, embrace everything required for us to be counted worthy of the calling.
That is, they enable us to appear as the calling requires us to be, or, what is the same thing, to walk worthily of the calling (Eph 4:1).
The first points to what comes from God. The second points to what comes from men. There is the whole dispensation of salvation and the powers of grace.
Here is our own activity, labor, and effort in the spirit of faith, or in fulfilling the obligations of faith. Yet all this has meaning only when strengthened by power from above.
The Christian calling is fulfilled neither by grace alone nor by man’s efforts alone, but by both together. St. Damascene writes: “The Apostle prays this way in order to make them more zealous.
He does this not to remove from us what must be ours, but so that we not think highly of ourselves. On the contrary, even in everything for which we have received ability from God’s grace, we must call upon God as helper.
For if we trust in ourselves, all our labor will amount to nothing. By the words ‘may He fulfill,’ he shows that they are still imperfect.
Perfection comes when the time of struggle has passed. While a person is still struggling, let him fear lest he fall. Therefore it is said, ‘Before the end, call no one blessed’ (Sir 11:28).”
St. Chrysostom draws this conclusion: “See how the Apostle imperceptibly humbles them. Since they had performed great struggles, they might become proud from the abundance of praises and surrender to laziness.
Therefore he says that as long as they are in this life, something is lacking to them. Likewise in the epistle to the Hebrews he says, ‘You have not yet resisted to blood, striving against sin’” (Heb 12:4).
THEOSIS