Paul does not, however, teach any of the doctrines that are being claimed as Pauline and Reformed in the current discussion. There is in Paul no two-stage doctrine of salvation, wherein one is initially justified sola gratia, sola fide and finally saved through faith and works. The salvation in view here is present. The Thessalonians are not said to be beloved of the Lord because they have been obedient. God is not said to have chosen them (either from the beginning or to be first fruits) on the basis of anything in them or done by them.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:13 Paul wrote, “And we ought to give thanks to God for you brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you (to be) the first fruits¹ unto salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and in faith of the truth.”² Discussion of this verse has arisen in the context of the claim that there are (1) two stages of salvation, justification sola gratia, sola fide and a “final salvation”; (2) that initial justification is maintained through good works; (3) the instruments of “final salvation” are faith and works.

Paul’s language here of salvation “in” (ἐν) or “through” sanctification or holiness (ἁγιασμῷ) and in or through faith (πίστει) in or of the truth (ἀληθείας) is teaching essentially these same doctrines or should be interpreted in the context of a similar two-stage doctrine in which good works are co-instrumental in salvation. It has also been suggested that this “two-stage” reading of 2 Thessalonians 2:13 is the traditional Reformed view.

Thus Calvin’s commentary on this passage is illuminating:

In sanctification of the spirit, says he, and belief of the truth. This may be explained in two ways, with sanctification, or by sanctification. It is not of much importance which of the two you select, as it is certain that Paul meant simply to introduce, in connection with election, those nearer tokens which manifest to us what is in its own nature incomprehensible, and are conjoined with it by an indissoluble tie. Hence, in order that we may know that we are elected by God, there is no occasion to inquire as to what he decreed before the creation of the world, but we find in ourselves a satisfactory proof if he has sanctified us by his Spirit,—if he has enlightened us in the faith of his gospel. For the gospel is an evidence to us of our adoption, and the Spirit seals it, and those that are led by the Spirit are the sons of God, (Rom. 8:14,) and he who by faith possesses Christ has everlasting life. (1 John 5:12.) These things must be carefully observed, lest, overlooking the revelation of God’s will, with which he bids us rest satisfied, we should plunge into a profound labyrinth from a desire to take it from his secret counsel, from the investigation of which he draws us aside. Hence it becomes us to rest satisfied with the faith of the gospel, and that grace of the Spirit by which we have been regenerated. And by this means is refuted the wickedness of those who make the election of God a pretext for every kind of iniquity, while Paul connects it with faith and regeneration in such a manner, that he would not have it judged of by us on any other grounds.³

Pace those who have argued (to me on the HB) that Calvin did not do text criticism, just above these comments he wrote that he preferred the reading, “from the beginning” (απ’ αρχης) rather than the reading that appears in most modern editions of the New Testament, “first fruits” (ἀπαρχὴν). He argued that “from the beginning” fit the passage better than “first fruits” but that it did not change his reading of the passage fundamentally.

Notice that, for Calvin, sanctification serves as “tokens” or evidence of our election. He did not take sanctification as the instrument of our salvation.

Grammatically, the preposition ἐν (in) could be taken as a locative, i.e., as an indication of place (so the 1901 ASV) or it may be taken instrumentally, as most modern English translations do. In favor of the latter is that the preposition controls both “sanctification” and “faith” and the latter could be instrumental.

Paul does not, however, teach any of the doctrines that are being claimed as Pauline and Reformed in the current discussion. There is in Paul no two-stage doctrine of salvation, wherein one is initially justified sola gratia, sola fide and finally saved through faith and works. The salvation in view here is present. The Thessalonians are not said to be beloved of the Lord because they have been obedient. God is not said to have chosen them (either from the beginning or to be first fruits) on the basis of anything in them or done by them.

Second, sanctification is not good works. Justification and sanctification (or collectively, salvation) produces good works or better, God the Spirit graciously produces good works in those whom Christ as justified and whom the Spirit is sanctifying. He is the Reformed definition of sanctification from the Westminster Shorter Catechism:

Q. 35. What is sanctification?

A. Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.

It is not a sound handling of Scripture to find a passage where the words sanctification, through, and salvation, and faith occur and treat them as if they are saying something that they are not. Paul is discussing these topics together but he relates them differently than is being suggested.

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