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The apostle here exempts these Thessalonians out of the number of those reprobates that he had before spoken of, and speaks of them as such as should be preserved from apostacy in faith or practice, and obtain salvation. And this he mentions for comfort to them, and with thanksgivings to God. He had often before given thanks for them, 1Th_1:2 2:13 3:9; and in 2Th_1:3; and both here and there mentions it as a debt he was bound unto, or a duty he owed, we ought to give thanks, as in the Greek. And here he styles them, not only
brethren, as often before, but beloved of the Lord, such as have been and are beloved; and therefore not in the number of them that should be damned, mentioned in the former verse.
Because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation: which words are either to give the reason of the apostle’s thanksgivings, or rather all arguments to evidence they were beloved of the Lord. And he instanceth in their election as a proof of it. There is an election to office, as David to be king, 2Sa_6:21, and Judas to be an apostle, Joh_6:70; and election to a visible church, and means of salvation, and thus the seed of Abraham were chosen, Deu_26:18 Psa_135:4 Psa_147:19; and election to salvation, as in the text; which is either that which follows faith, as some understand that place, Mat_22:14, or rather that which goes before it, said here to be from the beginnning: not from the beginning of the gospel, as some say; nor from the beginning of our preaching to you, or of your effectual calling, as others say; no, nor yet is it meant from the beginning of the world, which was the beginning of time; or immediately upon Adam’s fall: but by beginning is here meant eternity itself, as election is said to be from before the foundation of the world, Eph_1:4, which is from eternity. Though beginning seems to relate to time, yet the Scriptures often express eternity by such words as relate to time: as when God is called the Ancient of days, Dan_7:9, it signifies his eternity; and Jude speaks of some that were of old ordained to condemnation, Jud_1:4, palai progegrammenoi, God’s eternal decrees being compared to a book wherein names are written. When was their ordaining but from eternity? And it is election to salvation, complete salvation, which is here meant, in the full fruition of it; not in the title to it by faith, or the first-fruits of it in sanctification, because they are here mentioned as the means that tend to it.
Through sanctification of the Spirit: election is to the means as well as the end, as Eph_1:4. Holiness is not the cause of God’s election, but God hath decreed it to be the way to salvation; without holiness none shall ever see the Lord, Heb_12:14.
And belief of the truth: and therefore those were spoken of as persons to be damned who believed not the truth, in the former verse. And so it is evident, election is not upon the foresight of faith, it is through it we have salvation, but not election: but of this before, 1Th_4:1-18. And the apostle joins sanctification and faith together, for they are not and cannot be put asunder. Now by all this the apostle proves they were beloved of the Lord. He saw the fruits of election in their sanctification and belief of the truth, thence concludes they were elected, and therefore loved.