Commentary - 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15

Bird's-eye view

In this magnificent passage, the Apostle Paul makes a sharp pastoral turn. Having just described the terrifying rise and ultimate doom of the man of lawlessness, a figure who deceives those who refuse to love the truth, Paul now pivots to the unshakable security of the saints. The contrast could not be more stark. While the perishing are given over to delusion, the beloved of the Lord are grounded in the eternal counsel of God. Paul lays out the golden chain of salvation, beginning with God's sovereign election from the beginning, moving through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and the effective call of the gospel, and culminating in the believer's obtaining the very glory of Christ. This profound theological foundation is not presented for abstract speculation, but as the necessary ground for the urgent practical command that follows: in light of this great salvation, the Thessalonians are to stand firm and hold fast to the apostolic teaching they have received.

This section is a potent antidote to the fear and confusion that the previous verses might have engendered. The stability of the believer does not rest on his ability to decipher apocalyptic timetables, but on the electing love of God the Father, the sanctifying power of God the Spirit, and the glorious destiny secured by God the Son. Doctrine, therefore, is doxology, and doxology is the fuel for steadfast endurance.

Outline

Context In 2 Thessalonians

This passage comes immediately after one of the most difficult and debated sections in all of Paul's writings, the prophecy of the man of lawlessness (2 Thess 2:1-12). The Thessalonian church was agitated and shaken, having been misled by a false report that the day of the Lord had already come. Paul writes to correct this error, laying out a sequence of events that must precede the Lord's return, namely the great apostasy and the revelation of this antichrist figure. After describing how God will send a strong delusion upon those who reject the truth so that they believe the lie, Paul's tone shifts dramatically. The "But" in verse 13 is a hinge upon which the entire chapter turns. He moves from the damnation of the lawless to the assurance of the elect, from the instability of those built on lies to the firmness of those grounded in God's eternal purpose. This section provides the theological anchor that keeps the church from being tossed about by the waves of eschatological confusion and persecution.

Key Issues

The Unshakeable Foundation

In a world of chaos, and in a letter that deals with cosmic rebellion, what is the Christian's stability? Where does he plant his feet? Paul's answer is unequivocal. Our stability is not in our own strength, our own insight, or our own faithfulness. Our stability is located outside of ourselves entirely. It is found in the eternal, unchanging, sovereign purpose of the triune God. Paul does not offer the Thessalonians flimsy platitudes or a mere "hang in there." He gives them bedrock. He takes them back before the foundation of the world, to the electing love of the Father. He shows them the present reality of the Spirit's work in setting them apart. He points them to the future certainty of sharing Christ's glory. It is because of this completed, ongoing, and future work of God on their behalf that they can then be commanded to do something, which is to stand firm. The imperative is built upon a massive foundation of divine indicatives. This is the logic of the gospel, and it is the only true source of Christian assurance and perseverance.

Verse by Verse Commentary

13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

The word "But" is a glorious pivot. In contrast to those who perish because they refuse the love of the truth, Paul turns to the Thessalonians. His immediate response is thanksgiving. And this is not a sporadic or occasional thanks; he is obligated (should) to do it always. Why? Because their spiritual condition is not their own doing. He identifies them first as "brothers beloved by the Lord." Their salvation begins with God's love for them, not their love for God. The reason for the thanksgiving is then stated plainly: "because God has chosen you." This is the doctrine of election, and we must not blunt its force. Before time, before their good works or bad works, God set His affection upon them and chose them for salvation. Some manuscripts have "from the beginning" instead of "as the first fruits," but the meaning is largely the same. God's choice is the primordial reality. This salvation is then worked out through two means: "sanctification by the Spirit," which is the Spirit's work of setting them apart for God and making them holy, and "faith in the truth," which is the human response, itself a gift, of believing the gospel message. The Spirit's work and our faith are not the causes of our election; they are the appointed means through which our election comes to fruition in our lives.

14 It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul now connects God's eternal choice to its historical application. The "this" refers back to the whole salvation package described in verse 13. God's eternal decree is not left in eternity; it breaks into history through the gospel call. When Paul says God "called you through our gospel," he is speaking of the effectual call. The gospel is preached to many, but it is only by the Spirit's power that the call takes root and creates faith in the hearts of the elect. Paul refers to it as "our gospel" not because he invented it, but to stress that it is the specific, authoritative, apostolic message he delivered to them. And what is the ultimate purpose, the grand end of this call? It is "that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." This is glorification. The goal is not merely to be saved from hell, but to be brought into a participatory sharing of the very splendor, honor, and majesty of the risen and ascended King. This is our inheritance, the staggering destiny for which God chose us from the beginning.

15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.

"So then" or "Therefore" signals the practical conclusion drawn from the preceding doctrinal truths. Because God has chosen you, because the Spirit is sanctifying you, because you have been called to glory, therefore, you have a responsibility. The first command is to "stand firm." In the context of the eschatological confusion and persecution they were facing, this is a command to be immovable, to not be shaken from their secure position in Christ. How are they to do this? By actively, tenaciously, and deliberately "holding to the traditions." Now, the word "tradition" has become complicated in our day. But here, it simply means the authoritative teaching handed down by the apostles. Paul specifies the two ways this teaching was delivered at that early stage: orally ("by word of mouth") and in writing ("by letter from us"). This is not a justification for an unwritten body of tradition that stands alongside Scripture. Rather, it refers to the one deposit of apostolic faith, which at that time was still being delivered in person and through letters. Now that the apostolic age is closed and the canon of Scripture is complete, the totality of that authoritative tradition is contained for us in the Old and New Testaments. To hold to the traditions today is to be a Bible man, through and through.

Application

This passage is a fortress for the Christian soul in troubled times. We live in an age of great shaking, where theological fads, political turmoil, and cultural insanity threaten to knock believers off their feet. The application of Paul's words is therefore direct and urgent. First, find your assurance where Paul grounds it: in the sovereign, electing love of God. Your salvation is not a fragile thing you might lose at any moment. It was planned in eternity, accomplished in history, and is being applied by the Holy Spirit. It is as secure as God Himself. Let this truth produce profound and constant thanksgiving in your heart. Stop looking inward at the fluctuations of your faith and look outward and upward to the unchanging purpose of your God.

Second, understand that the ultimate goal of your salvation is breathtaking. You are destined to share in the glory of Jesus. This should lift your eyes from the temporary troubles and trivialities of this life and fix them on the "eternal weight of glory" that awaits. This hope is not wishful thinking; it is a blood-bought certainty.

Finally, on the basis of this glorious truth, stand your ground. The primary way we do this is by holding fast to the Word of God. We are not to be innovators. We are to be conservators of the truth once for all delivered to the saints. This means we must be people who know our Bibles, who submit to our Bibles, and who will not be moved from the truths contained in our Bibles. When the winds of strange doctrine blow, when the culture demands we abandon clear biblical teaching, our calling is simple: stand firm and hold fast.