2 Thessalonians 2:14b-The Father Effectually Called the Thessalonians In Order That They Would Experience the Perfection of Their Salvation

2 Thessalonians 2:13 But now, each one of us are obligated to always make it our habit of giving thanks to the one and only God on behalf of each and every one of you brothers and sisters, who are divinely loved by the one and only Lord. For this God for His own glory chose each one of you as firstfruits for the purpose of experiencing salvation by means of sanctification through the personal agency of the Spirit and correspondingly, by means of faith in the truth. 14 As a result of which, He correspondingly effectually called and every one of you through the proclamation of our gospel for the purpose of experiencing as a permanent possession the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Lecturer’s translation)

The second half of 2 Thessalonians 2:14 is composed of another prepositional phrase eis peripoiēsin doxēs tou kyriou hēmōn Iēsou Christou (εἰς περιποίησιν δόξης τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ), “for the purpose of experiencing as a permanent possession the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

It presents the purpose for which the Father effectually called each member of the Thessalonian Christian community through the proclamation of the gospel.

It asserts that the Father effectually called them through the proclamation of the gospel “for the purpose of” experiencing and sharing as a permanent possession the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ when they receive their resurrection body at the rapture of the church and rewards for faithful service at the Bema Seat Evaluation of the church.

The noun peripoiēsis pertains to the experience of an event or state which has been acquired or the experience of an acquisition and it pertains to the act of gaining possession of something.

This word appeared in 1 Thessalonians 5:9 and referred to each member of the Thessalonian Christian community experiencing salvation as a permanent possession and specifically that they will experience the acquisition of their resurrection body as a permanent possession which will complete their salvation.

Now, here in 2 Thessalonians 2:14, it speaks of the Thessalonians experiencing as a permanent possession the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, which not only speaks of the Thessalonians possessing permanently a resurrection body but also rewards for faithful service.

The phrase doxēs tou kyriou hēmōn Iēsou Christou (δόξης τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ), “the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” speaks of Jesus Christ in a resurrection body and seated at the right hand of the Father as a reward for obeying the Father’s will to suffer His wrath in the place of unregenerate humanity.

Therefore, the prepositional phrase eis peripoiēsin doxēs tou kyriou hēmōn Iēsou Christou (εἰς περιποίησιν δόξης τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ), “for the purpose of experiencing as a permanent possession the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” not only speaks of each member of the Thessalonian experiencing as a permanent possession a resurrection body at the rapture but it also refers to them experiencing rewards for faithful service.

Thus, this prepositional phrase is alluding to the perfective stage of the believer’s salvation when they will be perfected in a resurrection body at the rapture of the church and experiencing rewards for faithful service.

Therefore, the causal clause in 2 Thessalonians 2:13 and Paul’s statement here in 2 Thessalonians 2:14 not only correspond to each other because they are speaking of the Thessalonians’ justification but they are also speaking of salvation.

The former speaks of the positional stage of their salvation whereas the latter speaks of the perfective stage of salvation.

The noun kurios (κύριος), “Lord” indicates the following about Jesus Christ: (1) His equality with the Father and the Spirit. (2) His joint-rulership with the Father over the entire cosmos. (3) His highest ranking position as Chief Administrator in the divine government. (4) His absolute sovereign authority as Ruler over all creation and every creature. (5) His victory over the sin nature and Satan and His kingdom.

In His deity, Jesus Christ is “Lord” (See Luke 20:42). However, in His human nature He received this title as a result of His obedience to the Father’s will, which called for Him to suffer a spiritual and physical death on the cross as a substitute for every member of the human race-past, present and future (See Philippians 2:5-11).

The noun kurios emphasizes the victory that Jesus of Nazareth, who is the Christ, accomplished for the believer through His spiritual and physical deaths and resurrection. His spiritual death solved the problem of personal sins, which are produced by the sin nature through the function of human volition.

His physical death solved the problem of the sin nature, which resides in the genetic structure of the human body. His resurrection guarantees the believer that he or she will receive a resurrection body at the rapture of the church, which will be immortal and minus the sin nature.

The noun Christos, “Christ” emphasizes that Jesus of Nazareth, the incarnate Son of God delivered the believer from the sin nature, personal sins, the devil and his cosmic system, spiritual and physical death and eternal condemnation through His substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths and resurrection.

Thus, this word is a technical word designating Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Savior for all of sinful humanity who is unique as the incarnate Son of God and totally and completely guided and empowered by the Spirit as the Servant of the Father.

Consequently, the word denotes the Messiahship of Jesus of Nazareth, thus He is the deliverer of the human race from eternal condemnation, condemnation from the Law, enslavement to sin, Satan and his cosmic system, personal sins, spiritual and physical death.

Therefore, if we compare the causal clause at the end of 2 Thessalonians 2:13 and Paul’s statement here in 2 Thessalonians 2:14, we can see that there is a correspondence between them.

This correspondence is between the Father choosing the Thessalonians as firstfruits for the purpose of experiencing salvation and the Father effectually calling them through the gospel for the purpose of them experiencing as a permanent possession the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.

They correspond to each other because both took place when the Father declared them justified through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

Also, they correspond to each other because they both speak of salvation.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 speaks of the positional stage of salvation while on the other hand, 2 Thessalonians 2:14 speaks of the perfective stage of salvation.

This interpretation is supported by the fact that in 2 Thessalonians 2:13 Paul describes salvation as being accomplished by means of sanctification through the personal agency of the Spirit and correspondingly by means of faith in the truth.

This as we noted refers to the positional stage of sanctification which came about through the baptism of the Spirit which took place the moment the Thessalonians trusted in the truth about Jesus Christ as communicated in the gospel.

On the other hand, in 2 Thessalonians 2:14, Paul speaks of salvation in relation to the Thessalonians experiencing as a permanent possession the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, which speaks of the Thessalonians receiving a resurrection body at the rapture of the church and receiving rewards for faithful service at the Beam Seat Evaluation of the church.

So therefore, 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 would provide a tremendous encouragement and great comfort for the Thessalonian Christian community who were experiencing undeserved suffering in the form of persecution when they received this second letter from Paul, Silvanus and Timothy.

In these verses, Paul is reassuring them that the undeserved suffering they were experiencing has a purpose in the plan of the Father.

Just as the Father rewarded the undeserved suffering His Son suffered on the cross as a substitute for all humanity by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand, so the Thessalonians would receive a resurrection body at the rapture and reward for faithful service at the Bema Seat Evaluation of the church.

In other words, despite the fact that they were experiencing great persecution because of their faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, the Father would reward them and vindicate them like He did with His Son by not only giving them a resurrection body at the rapture but also rewards for faithful service at the Bema Seat Evaluation of the church.

This future glory of the believer that is mentioned here in 2 Thessalonians 2:14 by the apostle Paul is also mentioned or alluded by him in other places in his writings as well as by the apostle John.

Romans 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness to our human spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Furthermore, if and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument, we are children. Of course, we are! Then, we are also heirs: On the one hand, we are God’s heirs while on the other hand, we are joint-heirs with Christ, if in fact, and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument, we are, at the present time, suffering with Him (Of course, we are) in order that we also would be glorified with Him. 18 In fact, I am always of the firm conviction that the sufferings during this present distinct period of history, are by no means worthy to be compared with the future glory to be revealed on behalf of us. (Lecturer’s translation)

2 Corinthians 4:17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (ESV)

Colossians 3:1 Therefore, if, and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that each and every one of you have been raised up with Christ and we agree that this is true. Then, continue to make it your habit of diligently seeking after the things above, where Christ is, as an eternal spiritual truth existing in a state of being seated at God’s right hand. 2 Each and every one of you continue making it your habit of concentrating on the things above, not on the things on earth 3 because each and every one of you has died. Consequently, the life of each and every one of you is concealed with Christ by means of the power of God the Father. 4 When Christ, the life of each and every one of you, enters into the state of being revealed, then, at that time, each and every one of you will, as a certainty be revealed with Him in a state of glory. (Lecturer’s translation)