Featured 2 Thessalonians 2:13 What does it say?

And that was not my claim, so yet more fabrication of strawmen to knock down.

The issue is whether "en" addresses the noun salvation or the verb chose. The vast majority of English Translations agree "en" modifies "chose" thus providing the "how" and "why" of the choice.

And we all should identify agenda driven corruptions of God's inspired text as false claims, based on the well studied views of scholars, such as Dr. D. Wallace.

 

From the beginning of the Age of Grace, God chose individuals based on crediting their faith as righteousness by setting them apart within Christ's spiritual body.

Rather than accept this obvious truth, many commentators try to rewrite the verse to mesh with their mistaken view of Ephesians 1:4.

Their interpretation changes "from the beginning" to "before the beginning" to mesh with Ephesians 1:4. John Calvin is one of those mistaken commentators.

Rather than being chosen based on faith in the truth, they claim the idea those chosen were to be saved through faith in the truth, denying the conditional election clearly taught by the verse.

 

2 Thessalonians 2:13 CSB
But we ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God has chosen you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth.

Just reading the verse, the plain sense is God chose the Thessalonians by setting those who believe in the truth apart.

Sanctification has two meanings, (1) to be set apart for a purpose, as in being transferred spiritually into Christ, and (2) to be made holy by the washing of regeneration and to be being made holy through progressively becoming more Christlike under the tutelage of our indwelt Holy Spirit. Clearly the first meaning accomplishes God's choice.

 

FYI, ". . . to salvation . . . ." in 2 Thessalonians 2:13 is "ies."

 

Do you understand that what you are stating openly denies grace?

Do you understand that what you are asserting is, in fact, salvation by works?

You cannot correctly understand 2 Thessalonians 2:13 as long as you misunderstand grace while focusing on works.

Van, your presupposition is incorrect. You add conditions which by its very nature eliminates grace as an option. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 does not add your conditions.

 

1 Peter 1:1-2 demonstrates "en" tells how "chose" is accomplished in 2 Thessalonians 2:13
The fact that "en" refers to chose makes my case for the verse teaching conditional election.
Nothing, repeat nothing, repeat, nothing in the Grammar of 2 Thessalonians 2:13 suggests the noun salvation is an inspired mistake and God should have used a verb.

Dr. Mounce's analysis is not based on Greek Grammar, it ignores the grammar and imposes an agenda driven rewrite.

It is unseemly to claim believers should tolerate false doctrine.

I have cited several times the translations of the NASB, NKJV, LEB and WEB, and in post #24 I cited the CSB.

 

Here is another post addressing me for all four points,
1) Do I understand
2) Do I understand
3) You misunderstand
4) You add conditions.

Then we have the usual false charges:
1) Openly denies grace
2) asserting salvation by works
3) eliminates grace.

But here is what I actually said:

From the beginning of the Age of Grace, God chose individuals based on crediting their faith as righteousness by setting them apart within Christ's spiritual body. [God crediting our faith is a work of grace by God]

Rather than accept this obvious truth, many commentators try to rewrite the verse to mesh with their mistaken view of Ephesians 1:4.

Their interpretation changes "from the beginning" to "before the beginning" to mesh with Ephesians 1:4. John Calvin is one of those mistaken commentators.

Rather than being chosen based on faith in the truth, they claim the idea those chosen were to be saved through faith in the truth, denying the conditional election clearly taught by the verse. [being chosen based on God crediting our filthy rag faith as righteousness is to be chosen by God's grace]

 

Being chosen for salvation describes the purpose of the election. The majority of our English translations render the preposition "eis" as for with the meaning of presenting the purpose. However several go with the archaic "unto"salvation and others with "to" salvation. However, if the meaning is not instrumentality (for the purpose of) then the directional meaning is going "into salvation." Thus the phrase either provides the purpose, for salvation, or the result, into salvation.

 

We all know what you said.
We all know that you cannot conceive of how it is that you are killing grace with your assertion.
How many times must we show you in scripture that your assertion regarding 2Thessalonians 2:13 is wrong?
We address it, ad nauseam, and you still will not stop teaching conditional (based upon works) election, which is utterly anathema to God and His holy word.

I laughed out loud when you declared that Mounce got it wrong, while you declare your interpretation to be right. I literally laughed out loud because that is the equivalent of a young student telling a professor of many decades that the professor is wrong and the young student's assertion is right, no matter what anyone says.
Van, just give it a rest already. You are free to hold your untenable position, but don't go tell us that great Christian scholars got it wrong while you are the only one getting it right. That's just laughable.

 

Once again truth is ignored and false charges are fabricated.
Did I say being chosen is "accomplished" by being sprinkled with the blood of Christ? Nope
What did I actually say?
"1 Peter 1:1-2 demonstrates "en" tells how "chose" is accomplished in 2 Thessalonians 2:13
Thus "en" is used to present the how, and the why, set apart in Christ based on God crediting our faith as righteousness.

 

Actually it isn't, because the salvation Paul is speaking about, in context, is not salvation from hell, but salvation from the tribulation period. That's what the Thessalonians, who were already saved, were worried about.

Please observe the emphasized portions:

2Th 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2Th 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
2Th 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
2Th 2:13 BUT we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation [FROM ALL HE JUST MENTIONED] through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
2Th 2:14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But Paul did not say that. That is typical insertion.

The question now is from the beginning of what? That’s the only time Paul uses the word beginning in both his epistles to the Thessalonians. We must then look to his other epistles.

God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
Interpretation:
When we believed the truth, the Spirit operated our sanctification [setting apart] to effect our salvation from the day of Christ.

That's the context. Calvinism and context never go together.

 

the day of Christ brother, the day of the Lord, the terrible, terrible day of the Lord, not just some "period of persecution". And that salvation from the tribulation remains our comfort today.

 

No. He literally tells you they are worried about "the day of Christ" and the reign of the antichrist; as many are today.
I'm sorry but there is nothing controversial or remotely debatable about this to anyone that reads.