2 Thes. 2:8-13 Facts and Challenges

⁸ And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: ⁹ Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,¹⁰ And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.¹¹ And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: ¹² That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. ¹³ But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: ¹⁴ Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thes. 2:8-13)

1) This text was cited in the Black Rock Address as supportive of eternal salvation.
2) The salvation of v.13 is the product of election.
3)  The salvation unto which the people are called (v.14) is the same as the one contextually described (v.13).
4) There is no change of eternal to temporal in the context between the salvation described (v.13) and how it is received (v.14).
5) "Whereunto" preserves the connection between v.13 and v.14.  The salvation demonstrated here is thus ONE, not TWO.
6)  The salvation of v.13-14 rescues one from the damnation described in v.9-11.
7) The salvation of v.13-14 involves human responsibility.

      8) The salvation of v.13-14 involves the subjective side of salvation.

      9) The objective side of salvation (election) is wedded with the subjective side (sanctification, belief).

     10) The objective side of salvation is obtained through the means of the subjective side.

     11) The salvation of v.13-14 is eternal salvation.

     12) The salvation of v.13-14 is effectual, despite gospel and human instrumentality.

     13)  Eternal salvation involves sanctification of the Spirit.

     14) Eternal salvation involves belief of the truth.

     15) Eternal salvation involves receiving the love of the truth.

     16) The expression 'by our gospel' is indicative of means.

     17) Credit is here given to God for this salvation, despite the involvement of the gospel and those who preached it.

     18) The kind of damnation described in v.9-11 (eternal) is the same as the kind of salvation described in v.13-14 (eternal).

     19) The cause of damnation involves lack of human responsibility and failure to attain the subjective side of salvation (not receiving the love of the truth).

     20) The damnation described in v.9-11 is eternal.

My Hardshell brethren are hereby challenged to refute these facts, and are further challenged to prove the following points which their anti-means doctrine would demand.

1) The Black Rock brethren cited 2 Thes. 2:13 to support time salvation.

2) The context of this passage concerns temporal consequences.
3) The coming of the Wicked One is to usher in temporal damnation.
4) ‘Believing not the truth’ here characterizes regenerated children of God.
5) Having ‘pleasure in unrighteousness’ here characterizes regenerated children of God.
6) ‘Them that perish’ is describing regenerated children of God who are not converted.
7) God shall send strong delusion to many of his regenerated children.
8) The damnation of v.9-11 is temporal.
9) The salvation of v.13-14 refers to time salvation.
10) Time salvation is the product of election.
11) Time salvation requires that God needs the ‘help’ of the gospel.
12) Men receive the glory of Jesus Christ in time salvation.
13) Time salvation rescues a person from the damnation described v.9-11.