Commentary on Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians Thessalonians Timothy Titus and Philemon John Calvin
John Calvin themselves, also, recognize him and his colleagues as having been raised up by God.
By the term power some understand miracles. I extend it farther, as referring to spiritual energy of doctrine. For, as we had occasion to see in the First Epistle to the Corinthians, Paul places it in contrast with speech 673 --- the voice of God, as it were, living and conjoined with effect, as opposed to an empty and dead eloquence of men. It is to be observed, however, that the election of God, which is in itself hid, is manifested by its marks---when he gathers to himself the lost sheep and joins them to his flock, and holds out his hand to those that were wandering and estranged from him. Hence a knowledge of our election must be sought from this source. As, however, the secret counsel of God is a labyrinth to those who disregard his calling, so those act perversely who, under pretext of faith and calling, darken this first grace, from which faith itself flows. ``By faith,'' say they, ``we obtain salvation: there is, therefore, no eternal predestination of God that distinguishes between us and reprobates.'' It is as though they said --- ``Salvation is of faith: there is, therefore, no grace of God that illuminates us in faith.'' Nay rather, as gratuitous election must be conjoined with calling, as with its effect, so it must necessarily, in the mean time, hold the first place. It matters little as to the sense, whether you connect {ὑπὸ} with the participle beloved or with the term election 674
5 As ye know. Paul, as I have said before, has it as his aim, that the Thessalonians, influenced by the same considerations, may entertain no doubt that they were elected by God. For it had been the design of God, in honoring Paul's ministry, that he might manifest to them their adoption. Accordingly, having said that they know what manner of persons they had been, 675 he immediately adds that he was such for their sake, by which he means that all this had been given them, in order that they might be fully persuaded that they were loved by God, and that their election was beyond all controversy.
1 Thessalonians 1:6-8
1 Thessalonians 1:6-8 6. And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
6. Et vos imitatores nostri facti estis et Domini, dum sermonem amplexi estis in tribulatione multa, cum gaudio Spiritus sancti: 673See Calvin on the Corinthians, vol. 1, pp. 100, 101. 674"Au reste, les mots de ceste sentence sont ainsi couchez au texte Grec de Sainct Paul, Scachans freres bien-aimez de Dieu, vostre election: tellement que ce mot de Dieu, pent estre rapporté a deux endroits, ascauoir Bien-aimez de Dieu, ou vostre election estre de Dieu: mais c'est tout vn comment on le prene quant au sens;" — "Farther, the words of this sentence are thus placed in the Greek text of St. Paul; knowing, brethren beloved of God, your election: in such a way, that this phrase of God may be taken as referring to two things, as meaning beloved of God, or, your election to be of God; but it is all one as to the sense in what way you take it."
675"Quels auoyent este St. Paul et ses compagnons;" — "What manner of persons St. Paul and his associates had been."