Paul contrasts the followers of Christ in Thessalonica with the followers of Antichrist in the Tribulation.
In the second chapter of 2 Thessalonians so far we have seen the following contrasts between the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ and the followers of the man of lawlessness:
Followers of the Lord Jesus Christ | Followers of the "man of lawlessness" |
Those who are loved and chosen by God from eternity (2 Th 2:13) | Those who [by their own choice] perish (2 Th 2:10) |
Those who put their faith in the Truth (2 Th 2:13) | Those who do not receive the love of the truth (2 Th 2:10), but put their faith in falsehood (2 Th 2:11-12) |
Followers of the Lord Jesus Christ | Followers of the "man of lawlessness" |
Those who are sanctified by the Holy Spirit (2 Th 2:13) | Those who are deceived by Satan (2 Th 2:9), so that wickedness seems good to them (2 Th 2:12) |
Those who are called through the gospel (2 Th 2:14) | Those who reject the gospel which could have saved them (2 Th 2:10) |
Those who are destined for glorification (2 Th 2:14) | Those who are destined for condemnation (2 Th 2:12) |
FACT | IMPLICATION |
God has chosen or elected them to salvation | The doctrine of election is true |
This was from "the beginning" -- from eternity (see John 1:1; Eph 1:4; 3:9-11) | The doctrine of eternal election is true |
This involved choosing the individuals to whom Paul speaks in this letter | The doctrine of individual election is true |
Paul again puts the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father on an equal plane of deity.