Rightly dividing 2 Thessalonians 2:13

[Van]

The verse is a compound sentence, with subjects, verbs, direct and indirect objects. There is no separate thought.

We should always give thanks to God for you as beloved by the Lord.
Subject, =We; Verb = should give thanks, direct object = God; indirect object for you the beloved.
We should give thanks to God for you as our siblings in Christ!
Why?
Because God has chosen you.
Subject = God; Verb = has chosen; direct object = you.

The remaining phrases are indirect objects describing aspects of the action upon the recipient.

When was the action of choosing performed? From the beginning of the New Covenant
What was the purpose of the action? For salvation

What were the instrumental factors? Through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
Election was accomplished by transferring the person from the realm of darkness into Christ.
Basis of the choice was God crediting the faith of the individual as righteousness.

Thus we were NOT saved because of our faith, our faith only allowed God to credit it or not. Our faith did not deserve salvation or merit salvation, the accreditation was a act of mercy and grace. Salvation does NOT depend upon the person who wills, but upon God who has mercy.

 

[Brightfame52]

Election was accomplished by transferring the person from the realm of darkness into Christ.

Thats false, thats more like regeneration and it occurs in time, whereas election is something done by God before the foundation when the chosen ones had no being yet. Eph 1:4 ; 2 Thess 2:13

Basis of the choice was God crediting the faith of the individual as righteousness.

False the basis if Gods choice of the elect was His own pleasure within Himself and the praise of His grace Eph 1:4-5

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Thats why its called elsewhere the election of grace Rom 11:5-6

5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

You are advocating the false teaching of conditional lection friend.

 

[canadyjd]

…..
Because God has chosen you. …..

The remaining phrases are indirect objects describing aspects of the action upon the recipient.

When was the action of choosing performed? From the beginning of the New Covenant….

So once again it is plain for all to see. @Van adds the words “of the New Covenant” to the passage which states God chose us from the beginning…. Paul never mentions “New Covenant” in this passage.

He does this to force the his ideology upon the passage because he knows the plain reading of the text supports the doctrines of grace..

…. @Van changes the language of the passage to fit his beliefs. We change our beliefs to fit the Word of God.

One of us is a false teacher.

Peace to you

 

[Charlie24]

So once again it is plain for all to see. @Van adds the words “of the New Covenant” to the passage which states God chose us from the beginning…. Paul never mentions “New Covenant” in this passage.

He does this to force the his ideology upon the passage because he knows the plain reading of the text supports the doctrines of grace..

…. @Van changes the language of the passage to fit his beliefs. We change our beliefs to fit the Word of God.

One of us is a false teacher.

Peace to you

What Paul did mention is "from the beginning God has chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit."

Paul is not discussing who God has picked to be saved, but the manner in which believing man will be saved.

He has from the beginning chosen man to a certain way of salvation through the sanctification of the Spirit.

He says the exact same thing in Rom. 8 and Eph. 1.

 

[Charlie24]

What Paul did mention is "from the beginning God has chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit."

Paul is not discussing who God has picked to be saved, but the manner in which believing man will be saved.

He has from the beginning chosen man to a certain way of salvation through the sanctification of the Spirit.

He says the exact same thing in Rom. 8 and Eph. 1.

You have probably heard the old saying, "we are saved, we are going to be saved, and we will be saved.

Those are the 3 stages of our sanctification.

We are saved by grace through faith and have a position in Christ.

We are being conformed in the image of Christ our entire lives on this earth, our continuing sanctification toward our total salvation.

We will be totally saved and like Christ at the resurrection.

But we must hold on the the faith that saved us to reach our total redemption, and some have failed to do this.

Paul is discussing this sanctification process that we who believe have been chosen to take by God.

 

[Charlie24]

You have probably heard the old saying, "we are saved, we are going to be saved, and we will be saved.

Those are the 3 stages of our sanctification.

We are saved by grace through faith and have a position in Christ.

We are being conformed in the image of Christ our entire lives on this earth, our continuing sanctification toward our total salvation.

We will be totally saved and like Christ at the resurrection.

But we must hold on the the faith that saved us to reach our total redemption, and some have failed to do this.

Paul is discussing this sanctification process that we who believe have been chosen to take by God.

Immediately after Paul tells us in 2 Thes. 2:13, he says.

2:14-15

"Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle."

Paul is warning us to stand fast in the faith in what we have been taught throughout this sanctification process to full redemption.

It's about the sanctification process that Paul is referring, not who is going to be saved.

 

[Brightfame52]

Paul is not discussing who God has picked to be saved, but the manner in which believing man will be saved

False, salvation here is vital and performed by the Spirit. The beloved elect have been chosen to this vital salvation.

 

[Charlie24]

False, salvation here is vital and performed by the Spirit. The beloved elect have been chosen to this vital salvation.

Prov. 1:24-25

"Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:"

Man can refuse the call of God to salvation and until you understand this you will continue to believe God has chosen who will be saved instead of God choosing how man will be saved.

 

[Brightfame52]

Prov. 1:24-25

"Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:"

Man can refuse the call of God to salvation and until you understand this you will continue to believe God has chosen who will be saved instead of God choosing how man will be saved.

The salvation in 2 Thess 2:13 is certain, it can't be thwarted.

 

[Charlie24]

The salvation in 2 Thess 2:13 is certain, it can't be thwarted.

Heb. 3:14

"For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;"

We must hold our faith to the end, the end of our sanctification which ends at physical death.

This why in 2 Thes. 2:15 Paul tells us to "stand fast."

He is showing us how God is saving us through our sanctification.

 

[Martin Marprelate]

Prov. 1:24-25

"Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:"

Man can refuse the call of God to salvation and until you understand this you will continue to believe God has chosen who will be saved instead of God choosing how man will be saved.

The salvation in 2 Thess 2:13 is certain, it can't be thwarted.

There is a general call to salvation which men may certainly refuse. Take Mark 1:15. To whom was our Lord speaking? To anyone within earshot. How many obeyed the call? We are not told, but certainly not everyone who heard; probably very few. "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness........" There is no expectation that everyone hearing will be converted.

But take Luke 5:27-28. Levi 'left all.' He left his lucrative job; he left his former way of life, his home - he left everything, 'And followed Him.' He took on a life of homelessness, relative poverty and uncertainty to follow this unknown rabbi. That is the effectual call, and no one refuses it (c.f. Acts 16:14). 'But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me.....' (Gal. 1:15-16). When it pleased God to save Saul, he was saved. God could have done it earlier, but for His own high puroposes, he didn't.

 

[Charlie24]

There is a general call to salvation which men may certainly refuse. Take Mark 1:15. To whom was our Lord speaking? To anyone within earshot. How many obeyed the call? We are not told, but certainly not everyone who heard; probably very few. "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness........" There is no expectation that everyone hearing will be converted.

But take Luke 5:27-28. Levi 'left all.' He left his lucrative job; he left his former way of life, his home - he left everything, 'And followed Him.' He took on a life of homelessness, relative poverty and uncertainty to follow this unknown rabbi. That is the effectual call, and no one refuses it (c.f. Acts 16:14). 'But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me.....' (Gal. 1:15-16). When it pleased God to save Saul, he was saved. God could have done it earlier, but for His own high puroposes, he didn't.

The general thought of Calvinism is God choosing who will be saved and the rest are left on their own, and since man is totally depraved and God has not opened his heart, they are doomed.

The general call you speak of is not a call at all. Those who have not been chosen, according to Calvinism, never had a chance.

That's not what we see in Scripture with God not willing that any perish.

 

[Van]

The verse [2 Thess. 2:13] is a compound sentence, with subjects, verbs, direct and indirect objects. There is no separate thought.

We should always give thanks to God for you as beloved by the Lord.
Subject, =We; Verb = should give thanks, direct object = God; indirect object for you the beloved.
We should give thanks to God for you as our siblings in Christ!
Why?
Because God has chosen you.
Subject = God; Verb = has chosen; direct object = you.

The remaining phrases are indirect objects describing aspects of the action upon the recipient.

When was the action of choosing performed? From the beginning of the New Covenant
What was the purpose of the action? For salvation

What were the instrumental factors? Through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
Election was accomplished by transferring the person from the realm of darkness into Christ.
Basis of the choice was God crediting the faith of the individual as righteousness.

Thus we were NOT saved because of our faith, our faith only allowed God to credit it or not. Our faith did not deserve salvation or merit salvation, the accreditation was a act of mercy and grace. Salvation does NOT depend upon the person who wills, but upon God who has mercy.

 

[Van]

Why does "from the beginning" refer to "from the beginning of the New Covenant," and NOT from the beginning of creation?

Answer, no one was chosen by being spiritually transferred into Christ before Christ died. Recall Abraham's bosom, and Jesus declaring no one, not one OT saint, had gone up to Heaven before He came to earth.

 

[Brightfame52]

Heb. 3:14

"For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;"

We must hold our faith to the end, the end of our sanctification which ends at physical death.

This why in 2 Thes. 2:15 Paul tells us to "stand fast."

He is showing us how God is saving us through our sanctification.

Still cant be thwarted. Man or devil cant thwart the Salvation of God