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DOES 2 TIMOTHY 1:9 TEACH CALVINISM?
Let us begin this study in God’s word by reading 2 Timothy 1:9 out of its context. I will emphasize some words that are focused upon by Reformed Theology Christians.
2 Timothy 1:9.
“Who has SAVED US, and called us with a holy calling, NOT according to OUR WORKS, but according to HIS OWN purpose and GRACE, which was GIVEN US in Christ Jesus BEFORE the world began,”
And Calvinist or Reformed Christians interpret this verse to mean that God chose of his OWN purpose BEFORE the world began to give his IRRESISTIBLE GRACE to the ELECT whom he chose to be saved BEFORE the foundation of the world.
Now, let us read this verse again with the emphasis on some different words.
2 Timothy 1:9.
“Who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and GRACE, which was given us IN Christ Jesus before the world began,”
So then, what God has chosen before the world began was that his GRACE is to be given to ALL of mankind IN his Son Jesus Christ.
Now, how do we know that this is the correct interpretation of this verse? We compare scripture with scripture. And we keep the verse in its CONTEXT. I usually cover the context first and then I compare scripture with scripture. But this time I feel led to first have you read another verse about the grace of God and then we will come back to the context.
Please read Titus 2:11-13.
“For the GRACE of God that BRINGS salvation has appeared to ALL MEN,
12. TEACHING us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;”
So then, the GRACE that appeared to bring salvation to ALL of mankind is the anointed Son of MAN, Jesus, the Son of the living God, who suffered and died for the sins of the whole world. The GRACE of God, who first appeared to twelve men, TAUGHT them the love of God. Jesus BEGAN to teach the world about God’s so great a salvation to his disciples. It is the GOSPEL about Jesus Christ that BRINGS salvation.
Let us go back and read the context of 2 Timothy 1:9 to see how the GOSPEL is the power of God that is saving us who BELIEVE and endure unto the end to be saved.
Please read 2 Timothy 1:7-15.
“Wherefore I put you in remembrance that YOU stir up the gift of God, which is in you by the putting on of my hands. (This is speaking of not neglecting to take time to pray in other tongues. You see, just as the Holy Spirit does not force us to pray in our own understanding the same is true when it comes to praying in other tongues. God will use us as intercessors if WE first make ourselves AVAILABLE to be used of God. Please read the study “STIR UP THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT IS WITHIN YOU!”)
7. For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
8 Be NOT you therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be you partaker of the afflictions of the GOSPEL according to the POWER OF God; (Or the gospel AFTER the MANNER of the POWER of God)
9. Who has saved us (Or is SAVING us, as in, we are BEING saved), and called us with an holy calling, NOT according to our works (Which we do in our own strength), but according to his own purpose and GRACE, which was given us IN Christ Jesus before the world began,
10. But is NOW made manifest BY the APPEARING of our Savior Jesus Christ, WHO has abolished death, and has brought life and immortality to light THROUGH the GOSPEL:
11. Whereunto I am appointed a PREACHER, and an apostle, and a TEACHER (Of the GOSPEL of God’s GRACE IN Jesus Christ that has now appeared to ALL men and not just the chosen children of Israel as it was before under the old covenant. And that is why Jesus commissioned me as a preacher of the gospel) of the Gentiles.
12. For the which cause I also suffer these things (by the persecution of the Jews): nevertheless, I am not ashamed: for I know WHOM I have BELIEVED, and am persuaded that he is able to KEEP that which I have committed unto him against that day. (I sincerely believe that any Christian can become fully persuaded in their own mind and heart that if they commit the keeping of their souls to God and his Son to be saved that they can know and have full assurance that God will keep them from being deceived and falling away from God. But I do not believe that our salvation is AUTOMATICALLY guaranteed the moment we believe the gospel to be forgiven of all our past sin to be placed in the new covenant.)
13. Hold FAST the form of SOUND words, which you have heard of me, in faith and love which is IN Christ Jesus. (Some Christians simply ASSUME that what their church denomination teaches them is what the apostle of Jesus taught. But I assure you that the apostle of Jesus Christ never taught the man-made doctrine of once saved always saved. The Apostles of Jesus taught us to HOLD FAST to SOUND Biblical teaching so that we will not LOSE our so great a salvation. Please read the studies “CAN A CHRISTIANS LOSE THEIR SALVATION?” and “IS ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED BIBLICAL?”)
14. That good thing (Speaking of the SOUND WORDS of the GOSPEL of GRACE that is IN Jesus Christ) which was committed unto you keep by the Holy Ghost which dwells in us.
15. This you know, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me;(Or turn away from the SOUND WORDS of the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ that I taught to them) of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.”
The Greek word translated as “ACCORDING TO” in verse 8 also means “AFTER THE MANNER OF”. So then, the last part of verse 8 and the first part of verse 9 could have just as easily been translated as follows.
2 Timothy 1:8b and 9a.
“...the GOSPEL AFTER THE MANNER OF THE POWER OF God is saving us”
And this more literal translation agrees perfectly with Romans 1:16,17 that also agrees with Titus 1:11-14 where the grace of God TEACHES us about godliness and righteousness.
Romans 1:16,17.
“For I am not ashamed of the GOSPEL of Christ: FOR (Or BECAUSE) IT ( The GOSPEL of Jesus Christ) is the POWER OF God UNTO salvation to EVERYONE that BELIEVES; to the Jew first, and ALSO to the Greek.
17. For THEREIN (Speaking of the IN the GOSPEL of salvation being IN God’s Son, Jesus, the anointed Son of man, that was ordained by God’s GRACE to be given to ALL men before God ever created mankind) is the righteousness of God REVEALED from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”
And that is the TRUE meaning of 1 Timothy 1:9 according to the whole word of Almighty God. You see my dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ, the apostle of Jesus did NOT teach the predestination that Calvinism has perverted to wrongly mean that God has only chosen certain select individuals to be saved before they were ever born while at the same time God predestined everyone else to be lost. The Bible itself clearly teaches us that the grace us God is given to ALL of mankind. And then WHOSOEVER of any human being who BELIEVES the TRUE gospel of Jesus Christ unto the END shall be saved.
Let us now compare this interpretation of 2 Timothy 1:9 that what God chose before the world began was the HOW that he would save as many of mankind who would believe IN or INTO his Son, Jesus, the Christ.
Please read Ephesians 1:4.
“According as he has CHOSEN us IN HIM before the foundation of the world, THAT (Or so that or in order that) we should be HOLY and WITHOUT BLAME before him in LOVE. Having predestined us UNTO (Predestined UNTO WHAT? UNTO) the adoption of children (HOW? How are we predestined to be the sons and daughters of Almighty God our creator?) BY Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will.”
So then, it was the WILL of Almighty God the Father that ALL of mankind be saved BY, THROUGH, and IN his Son Jesus the Christ. Again, the predestination part of God’s word of TRUTH is that we are foreordained to be God's children BY or through our FAITH in God’s Son Jesus. And the CHOSEN part of God’s word of TRUTH is the fact that Almighty God has CHOSEN or foreordained that WAY OF SALVATION would be IN HIM as referring to his Son Jesus.
And the US part in God’s word of TRUTH is the ENTIRE world, as in, all of mankind who BELIEVE. So you see my dear brothers and sister in our Lord Jesus Christ, the truth of the matter is that we are actually chosen WHEN we make the CHOICE to believe and follow in his steps. That is WHEN we actually BECOME the ELECT of God. That is WHEN we are given the POWER to BECOME the eternal sons and daughters of God. We must always interpret verses in context and ALSO in the LIGHT of the rest of God’s word.
The NEXT VERSE we will study is Romans chapter 9 in the study called Romans Chapter 9 Explained in the Light of the WHOLE Word of God!
Thanks for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus.
Once Christians, Jews, Muslims, and even atheists understand the REASON that Yahweh CREATED the Son of MAN, Jesus, was to have DOMINION over the work of Yahweh’s hands.
And after you understand that the REASON that Yahweh did that is to STILL His ENEMIES, Satan and the fallen angels.
Then you can understand that God made His human Son to become “a” Lord, “a” King, and “a” God, under and subject to his God and Father in order to JUDGE Satan and the fallen angels.
For a deeper understanding of this WAR that Lucifer and one third of the angels waged against the throne of Almighty God, please read the studies under the subject category called ** Q-0 Why Are We Here? Is God at WAR? **.
More studies are coming in this SHORTER Biblical Unitarian view of who Jesus is according to the WHOLE word of God.
If you have a PARTICULAR verse of Scripture that you would like to know the sound Biblical Unitarian meaning, then please email me at MarkatAMatterOfTruth@Gmail.com and let me know.
For further and more in-depth studies on this subject of Jesus being created to STILL the enemies of Yahweh, please read the studies called D-25. A NEW LOOK at JOHN 1:1, In the BEGINNING!
And also read the study called D-28. The PRE-ADAMIC LUCIFERIAN FLOOD!
At the top of my homepage, there are subjects or categories which contain compiled lists of ** ALL Studies! ** I have written on that particular subject. So, if a link within a study is broken, then click on ** ALL Studies! ** to find the suggested study.
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Thanks again for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus.
And again, for ALL of the studies on the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus, please click on the subject heading ** D-0 The BIBLICAL UNITARIAN VIEW of Jesus! **
And for the SUBJECT on the true foundation of the church, please click on the subject heading ** C-0 The TRUE FOUNDATION of the Church! **
This way you can just send ONE link to those who you want to share the TRUE sound Biblical FOUNDATIONAL teachings of the church that Jesus and his Apostles taught in the first century church.
Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ,
Brother Mark.
My heartfelt prayer is that all Christians RETURN to the TRUE FOUNDATION of the church that is taught by the very Apostles of Jesus in the first century.
So let us all come into the UNITY of the faith and return to what Jesus and his Apostles taught us in SIMPLICITY in the New Testament.
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