Commentary on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians

Comm on Phil, Col, Thes
He calls his doctrine a testimony, because the Apostles are Christ’s witnesses. (Acts 1:8.) Let
us learn, therefore, that the promises of God are ratified in us, when they gain credit with us.
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
11. Wherefore also we pray always for you, 11. In quam rem etiam oramus semper pro
that our God would count you worthy of this vobis: ut vos habeat dignos vocatione Deus
noster, et impleat omne beneplacitum bonitatis,
et opus fidei cum potentia 634
calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his
goodness, and the work of faith with power:
12. That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ 12. Quo glorificetur nomen Domini nostri
may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according Iesu Christi in vobis, et vos in ipso, secundum
to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. gratiam Dei nostri, et Domini Iesu Christi.
11 On which account we pray always. That they may know that they need continual help from
God, he declares that he prays in their behalf. When he says on this account, he means, in order
that they may reach that final goal of their course, as appears from the succeeding context, that he
would fulfill all the good pleasure, etc. It may seem, however, as if what he has mentioned first
were unnecessary, for God had already accounted them worthy of his calling. He speaks, however,
as to the end or completion, which depends on perseverance. For as we are liable to give way, our
calling would not fail, so far as we are concerned, to prove sooner or later vain, if God did not
confirm it. Hence he is said to account us worthy, when he conducts us to the point at which we
aimed.
And fulfill. Paul goes to an amazing height in extolling the grace of God, for not contenting
himself with the term good pleasure, he says that it flows from his goodness, unless perhaps any
one should prefer to consider the beneficence 635 as arising from this good pleasure, which amounts
to the same thing. When, however, we are instructed that the gracious purpose of God is the cause
of our salvation, and that that has its foundation in the goodness of the same God, are we not worse
than mad, if we venture to ascribe anything, however small, to our own merits? For the words are
in no small degree emphatic. He might have said in one word, that your faith may be fulfilled, but
he terms it good pleasure. Farther, he expresses the idea still more distinctly by saying, that God
was prompted by nothing else than his own goodness, for he finds nothing in us but misery.
Nor does Paul ascribe to the grace of God merely the beginning of our salvation, but all
departments of it. Thus that contrivance of the Sophists is set aside, that we are, indeed, anticipated
by the grace of God, but that it is helped by subsequent merits. Paul, on the other hand, recognizes
in the whole progress of our salvation nothing but the pure grace of God. As, however, the good
pleasure of God has been already accomplished in him, referring in the term subsequently employed
by him to the effect which appears in us, he explains his meaning when he says — and work of
faith. And he calls it a work, with regard to God, who works or produces faith in us, as though he
had said — “that he may complete the building of faith which he has begun.”
634 “Auec puissance, ou puissamment;” — “With power, or powerfully.”
635 “Ceste bonté et beneficence;” — “This goodness and beneficence.”
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John Calvin