Because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, &c.— The apostle saw the full evidences of God's intention of mercy and goodness towards them. The original word ειλετο signifies a voluntary favourable designation, appointment, and choice of a person to any particular purpose and end; not such a choice as necessarily secures the end, or is inconsistent with the refusal of the person so chosen to accept the favour intended him. In this sense one of the historians* uses the word, where he tells us "that when Antonine, the son of Severus the Roman emperor, was killed, the soldiers chose (the word the apostle here uses) Audentius for emperor; butthat he, alleging old age in excuse, refused to accept the empire: they offered him the honour, but he would not accept of it." Thus God chose the Thessalonians to the gospel salvation, offered them the benefit of it, and called them to the means of it, and made it fully appear that he intended and designed them this invaluable favour. The choice here spoken of, is evidently such a one, as had grounds of certainty attending it; for the apostle speaks of it with full assurance, as a matter that he knew, and for which he was bound in duty to return thanks to God: and by consequence cannot relate to any such absolute and eternal choice of every one of the Thessalonian converts to eternal salvation, as should necessarily, and infallibly, and finally secure that event. This the word never signifies; nor could St. Paul know it without such a revelation from God, as we have no ground to think he was ever favoured with. The choice of God therefore here spoken of, is such a free and gracious designation and appointment of them to the gospel salvation, as carried its own certainty and proof with it, and, according to the proper meaning of the original word, implies only his graciously making the offers of it; giving them the choice of it; calling them to the means of obtaining it, and making it fully appear to them that he intended them this invaluable blessedness; a benefit they could never have expected or obtained, but from the merciful assurance and voluntary offer of God:and this they had from the beginning; he hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation; that is to say, "not from eternity, which has no beginning, but from the beginning of my preaching the gospel among you, and your being called by it to the knowledge and belief of the truth." Thus St. John, 1 John 2:7. I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning: and again, 1 John 2:24. Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning; that is to say, "from the first publication of the gospel doctrine:" so here, God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation: "It appears from the time of my first entrance among you, and preaching the gospel to you, that God intended you the benefit of this great salvation, and chose you by his mercy to this invaluable favour." But how did this appear? How did God choose them to this great salvation?—Through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth. This was both the means and the evidence of that choice; so that this choice cannot possibly refer to any eternal secret choice of God, but to the actual choice of them, by the gift of the Spirit, and their belief of the gospel truth.
[* Herod. iv. 14. 3, 4.]