Commentary on Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians Thessalonians Timothy Titus and Philemon John Calvin (continued)
John Calvin
et fide veritatis:
14. Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
14. Quo vocavit vos per evangelium nostrum, in possessionem gloriae (vel, gloriosam) Domini nostri Iesu Christi.
13 But we are bound to give thanks. He now separates more openly the Thessalonians from the reprobate, that their faith may not waver from fear of the revolt that was to take place. At the same time, he had it in view to consult, not their welfare only, but also that of posterity. 855 And he does not merely confirm them that they may not fall over the same precipice with the world, but by this comparison he extols the more the grace of God towards them, in that, while they see almost the whole world hurried forward to death at the same time, as if by a violent tempest, they are, by the hand of God, maintained in a quiet and secure condition of life. 856 Thus we must contemplate the Judgments of God upon the reprobate in such a way that they may be, as it were, mirrors to us for considering his mercy towards us. For we must draw this conclusion, that it is owing solely to the singular grace of God that we do not miserably perish with them.
He calls them beloved of the Lord, for this reason, that they may the better consider that the sole reason why they are exempted from the almost universal overthrow of the world, was because God exercised towards them unmerited love. Thus Moses admonished the Jews ---
did not elevate you so magnificently because ye were more powerful than others, or were numerous, but because he loved your fathers.'' (Deuteronomy 7:7-8.)
For, when we hear the term love, that statement of John must immediately occur to our mind --- Not that we first loved him. (1 John 4:19.) In short, Paul here does two things; for he confirms faith, lest the pious should give way from being overcome with fear, and he exhorts them to gratitude, that they may value so much the higher the mercy of God towards them.
Hath chosen you. He states the reason why all are not involved and swallowed up in the same ruin --- because Satan has no power over any that God has chosen, so as to prevent them from being saved, though heaven and earth were to be confounded. This passage is read in various ways.
The old interpreter has rendered it first-fruits, 857 as being in the Greek {ἀπαρχήν}; but as almost all the Greek manuscripts have {απ᾿} {ἀρχὢς}, I have in preference followed this reading. Should any one prefer first-fruits, the meaning will be, that believers have been, as it were, set aside for a sacred offering, by a metaphor taken from the ancient custom of the law. Let
855"Mais aussi pour les autres fideles, qui viendroyent apres;" — "But also for other believers, who should come after."
856"En vn estat ferme et paisible, qui mene a la vie;" — "In a secure and peaceable condition, which leads to life."
857Primitias. Wiclif (1380) following, as he is wont, the reading of the Vulgate, renders it "the first fruytis."