beginning
chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and
belief of the truth." The question then is, does this passage prove
eternal and unconditional election? As to its being eternal, the
only portion of the verse that bears on this is the phrase "from the
beginning." Barnes says the words mean "from eternity." But the
words themselves do not prove this. When the Jews asked Jesus who He
was, He answered, "Even the same that I said unto you from the
beginning." It clearly does not mean "eternity" here. Again, in 1
John ii. 7, it is written: "The old commandment is the word which ye
have heard from the beginning." Here, also, it is evident that the
words cannot mean from "eternity," since they did not exist in
eternity. But supposing the words did refer to eternity, then their
meaning could only denote the purpose of God, since they had in
eternity no real existence. We take the words to signify the
commencement of the Christian cause in Thessalonica. Whedon's
paraphrase is: "From the first founding of the Thessalonian church."
Watson takes them to denote, "The very first reception of the Gospel
in Thessalonica." Whatever view is taken of the words, the idea of
an _actual_ eternal election is excluded.

Dr. Payne depends upon the verse as supporting his view of
unconditional election. In concluding his criticism of the passage
he says, "The election, then, here spoken of is not an election of
future glory founded on foreseen faith and obedience; but an
election to faith and obedience as necessary pre-requisites to the
enjoyment of this glory, or perhaps, more correctly speaking, as
partly constituting it" (pp. 84, 85.) Unfortunately for this
argument the apostle uses the word "_through_" (en), not "_to_"
(eis). He says that they were chosen to salvation or glory through
sanctification of the Spirit on God's part and belief of the truth
on theirs; or, in other words, he contemplates the Christians at
Thessalonica as objects of future glory, and they had come to occupy
this position by God's gracious Spirit dealing with them through the
truth, and by their believing the truth thus brought to them. The
passage shows the means by which they had become chosen or elected
persons. They believed the TRUTH, and you may do the same.

ELECTION AND FOREKNOWLEDGE.--1 Peter i. 1, is appealed to in support
of Calvinistic election. It reads thus: "Elect according to the
foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanc