“For because,” says he, “they received not the love of the truth.” For He was both, and came
for the sake of both, both as loving men, and on behalf of things that were true.1072
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“But had pleasure,” he says, “in unrighteousness.” For he came to the destruction of
men and to injure them. For what will he not then work? He will change and confound all
things, both by his commandments, and by the fear of him. He will be terrible in every way,
from his power, from his cruelty, from his unlawful commandments.
But fear not. “In those that perish” he will have his strength.1073 For Elijah too will then
come to give confidence to the faithful, and this Christ says; “Elijah cometh, and shall restore
all things.” (Matt. xvii. 11.) Therefore it is said, “In the spirit and power of Elijah.” (Luke i.
17.) For he neither wrought signs nor wonders, as Elijah did. For “John,” it is said, “did no
miracle, but all things which John spake of this Man were true.” How then was it “in the
spirit and power of Elijah”? That is, he will take upon him the same ministry. As the one
was the forerunner of His first Coming, so will the other be of His second and glorious
Coming, and for this he is reserved. Let us not therefore fear. He has calmed the minds of
the hearers. He causes them no longer to think present things dreadful but worthy of
thankfulness. Wherefore he has added,
Ver. 13. “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of
the Lord, for that God chose you from the beginning unto salvation, in sanctification of the
Spirit and belief of the truth.”
How unto salvation? By sanctifying you through the Spirit. For these are the things that
are the efficient causes1074 of our salvation. It is nowhere of works, nowhere of righteous
deeds, but through belief of the truth. Here again, “in” is used for “through.” “And through
sanctification of the Spirit,” he says,
Ver. 14. “Whereunto He called you through our Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of
our Lord Jesus Christ.”
This too is no little thing, if Christ considers our salvation His glory. For it is the glory
of the Friend of man that they that are saved should be many. Great then is our Lord, if the
Holy Spirit so desires our salvation. Why did he not say faith first? Because even after
sanctification we have yet need of much faith, that we may not be shaken. Seest thou how
He shows that nothing is of themselves, but all of God?
Ver. 15. “So then, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye were taught,
whether by word, or by Epistle of ours.”
Hence it is manifest, that they did not deliver all things by Epistle, but many things also
unwritten, and in like manner both the one and the other are worthy of credit. Therefore
1072 Compare John xviii. 37.
1073 He seems only to refer to the words of ver. 10, with the general sense of the context.
1074 τὰ συνεκτικὰ; lit. “the things that keep together.”
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2 Thessalonians 2:6-9