2 Thessalonians 2:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Because God, from the beginning, through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth, chose you for salvation. We give thanks because God chose you for Himself and predestined you for salvation, according to His foreknowledge that you were worthy. How did He do this? Through sanctification by the Spirit, that is, He saved you by sanctifying you through the Spirit. Then, lest anyone should say, “What then? Did we contribute nothing?” the Apostle adds, “and faith in the truth.” That is, He sanctified us when we had brought faith in the truth, meaning in the things that are true. For we did not believe some falsehood, but the truth itself. Moreover, he mentioned the faith that follows this, since even after sanctification we have great need of it, lest we be led astray.

Now, from the present reading, inscribe the truths of faith in your memory. In due time, draw proof for each of them from divine Scripture. For the truths of faith were not composed as men might wish. Rather, the most fitting passages, gathered from the whole of Holy Scripture, make up the doctrine of faith. As a mustard seed sends forth many branches from a small grain, so these truths of faith contain, in few words, the whole knowledge of piety found in the Old Testament and the New. Therefore, brethren, take heed. Hold the traditions (2 Thess 2:15) which you now receive, and write them upon your hearts.

It follows clearly from the apostolic words that the Apostles did not hand everything down to the faithful through epistles. They also communicated much without writing. In particular, they personally established many things concerning the rites and ceremonies of the Church in the churches they founded, although they did not record them in their epistles. Must all this be trampled down and forgotten?

Against the Lutheran fear of accepting something non-apostolic by departing from Scripture, one of our interpreters of the word of God, Bishop Theophan, well observes: “Gold miners gather not only what is plainly gold, but often earth and sand, and in greater quantity, for fear of missing some grain of gold, even if it is not visible. Those who reject tradition ought to have acted in the same way. Much, of course, was introduced after the Apostles, but on the basis of apostolic tradition and in the same spirit. In this common mass, what is directly apostolic is also hidden. Is the apostolic precious? It is precious to everyone. Therefore, one ought to preserve everything preserved by the Church, out of serious fear that, while fearing to accept what is not apostolic, one might lose what is apostolic. To trample upon the apostolic is already a destructive matter. But to receive with respect what is not immediately apostolic, yet agrees in everything with the apostolic and is permeated by its spirit, can cause no harm. The only legitimate fear is lest one accept something contrary to the apostolic. But the Church herself watches over this, having as a constant law to reject every tradition which, appearing under the name of apostolic, is contrary to apostolic teaching.”

According to the explanation of Blessed Theophylact, the Apostle speaks to the Thessalonians as if saying: “Since I have said something strange, able to trouble an unstable soul, I now calm your hearts. I teach that all this is fearful for the others who are perishing. But for you we must give thanks to God, because He chose you and predestined you for salvation, according to His foreknowledge that you were worthy.”

“There are two agents of our salvation: grace and faith. One is from God, and the other is from us. First we believe, then we are counted worthy of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Yet faith itself is not without grace. Both when the beginning of salvation is laid, and throughout all the time it is being accomplished, they are not separated for a single moment until the end. Freedom can do nothing saving without grace, nor can grace act unto salvation without freedom. From us come desire and the search according to our strength, but the work is always from grace. The desire for faith, consent to it, and the choosing of it are ours. Living faith itself is the work of grace. The beginning of salvation is calling. The middle is cooperation with the actions of grace and faith. The end is the receiving of eternal glory. Here this glory is hidden within, like a treasure in earthen vessels. There it will shine outwardly as well. To receive the glory of the Lord is to receive that glory by which He Himself is glorious, seated at the right hand of the Father. Believers should count the glorification of the Lord as their duty, and do everything so that His name may be glorified. Yet we often forget how great a mercy of God is shown to us, and we do not honor as we should not only the Lord’s glory, but even our own faith” (Bishop Theophan).

Yet the Thessalonians could still be frightened by the mystery of lawlessness, whose activity the Apostle had already reported to them. Therefore, he wishes to calm them in this regard as well. To this end he says that he, together with his fellow workers, is confident of the salvation of the Thessalonians. God accomplishes this salvation by sanctifying the being of Christians with His Spirit (ἐν ἁγιωσύνῃ πνεύματος), and by requiring from our side faith in the revealed truth, or in the Gospel (πίστει ἀληθείας). The Thessalonians have also been called for salvation, for participation in the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.

"Brethren beloved by the Lord." He begins his depiction of the good promises and hopes by pointing to the love that warms them from every side. He points to his own love, calling them brethren, and to the Lord's love, reminding them that they are beloved by the Lord.

This is a sweet title, not because the word sounds pleasant, but because of the reality itself. The Lord bore witness to His love for them by choosing and calling them to faith and gracious sanctification.

Having believed and been sanctified by grace, they began to feel in their hearts the warm breath of this love. So it is with all true Christians. They are in the embrace of the Lord's love, like plants in a greenhouse.

It nourishes them, makes them grow, strengthens them, and perfects them.

"Because God chose you from the beginning." He gives thanks for the original election. Here "from the beginning" is the same as elsewhere, "from the ages" (Eph 3:9, 11), "from ages and from generations" (Col 1:26), or "before the ages" (1 Cor 2:7), "before eternal times" (2 Tim 1:9).

He raises a similar thanksgiving to God in the Epistle to the Ephesians: "As He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him in love" (Eph 1:4).

See how high he lifts the minds of the believing Thessalonians. He says, as it were: nothing yet existed. Only the one tri-hypostatic God remained.

This God, all-blessed in Himself, was even then thinking of you, had you in His attention, and was disposed toward you, wishing to choose you and make you His own.

Of course, He chose you according to foreknowledge (Rom 8:28), knowing that you would prove worthy, as Theophylact says. Yet the fact that you proved worthy is itself the work of His goodness, as Oecumenius says.

If you have been so honored by God and surrounded by such care from Him, why should you be troubled?

"He chose you... unto salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief," from the Greek, "in belief of the truth." For them, the unbelievers, there is destruction. But for you salvation is laid up, and to this you were chosen.

This salvation will be revealed in all its power in eternity, as will their destruction. But its beginning is laid here, and its acquisition is accomplished here. The initiators, producers, and perfecters of salvation are the grace of the Holy Spirit and faith.

Hearing the preaching of truth, men believe. Having believed, they are counted worthy of the grace of the Holy Spirit through receiving the mysteries. Renewed by it, they begin to work out their salvation, remaining faithful to God's holy will.

This saving order is already the entrance to eternal salvation, or its beginning. Death changes nothing in it. In God's eyes, and in the faith of believers, this already is eternal salvation.

Some express the whole thought this way: from the beginning God chose you unto salvation, then also determining to sanctify you by the Spirit and grant you to believe in the truth.

They see the realization of this divine predetermination in the words of the following verse: "to which He called you," that is, to sanctification by the Spirit and faith. These are in you, as you see, for you both believe and are sanctified by the Spirit.

This is the testimony of your original election. But Saint Chrysostom writes without this circling of thought: "How did He choose unto salvation? He explained this when he said, 'in sanctification of the Spirit.'

"That is, He sanctified you by the Spirit and by true faith. He sanctified you by the Spirit, for our salvation depends on this, not on works or on ascetic labors, but on true faith."

Oecumenius says the same: "He chose you unto salvation, and He chose you through sanctification by His Holy Spirit and through true faith."

There are two producers of our salvation: grace and faith. One is from God, the other from us. First we believe, then we are counted worthy of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Yet faith itself is not without grace.

That the Apostle places sanctification by the Spirit first, and faith afterward, changes neither the order nor the meaning of the saving actions. In the work of salvation, grace and freedom are inseparable.

They are inseparable both when the beginning of salvation is laid and throughout the whole time it is accomplished, to the end. They are not separated for one moment.

This is true in the general working of salvation and in every particular matter pertaining to salvation. As soon as the action of either of these producers ceases, the work of salvation also stops.

Our subtlety of mind is insufficient to define exactly which of them precedes at any moment and which follows. It is safest to hold generally that grace and freedom always act together in those being saved.

Freedom cannot do anything saving without grace. Nor does grace act unto salvation without freedom.

Our ancient interpreters also intended in the present passage to indicate what is ours and what is from God in the work of salvation. Thus blessed Theophylact writes: "By the words 'in sanctification of the Spirit,' the Apostle showed that God saved us by sanctifying us through the Spirit.

"Then, lest someone say, 'What then? Did we contribute nothing?' he added, 'and in belief of the truth.' That is, He sanctified us when we brought faith to the truth, meaning to true things. For we did not believe some falsehoods, but the truth itself."

Oecumenius says the same about faith: "We brought this alone, and He sanctified us by the Spirit." So it is at the beginning of salvation, and so also in its continuation.

Saint Chrysostom asks: "Why did he speak first not of faith, but of sanctification?" He answers: "Because even after sanctification we have great need of it, so that we may not turn aside." Theophylact answers likewise.

But this does not mean that they recognize faith itself as present in us without the action of grace. In the words cited, the thought is already visible that faith itself is the fruit of the all-sanctifying Spirit, though it is not expressed.

Oecumenius expressed it definitely: "He first said 'in sanctification of the Spirit' in order to show that we would not even have believed if the grace of the Spirit had not sanctified us."

Then is nothing from us? From us are desire and such seeking as we can offer. The work is always from grace. The desire for faith, consent to it, and the choosing of it are ours. Living faith itself is the work of grace.