John Calvin Commentary 2 Timothy 1:9

"who 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 times eternal," — 2 Timothy 1:9 (ASV)

Who hath saved us. From the greatness of the benefit, he shows how much we owe to God, for the salvation which He has bestowed on us easily swallows up all the evils that must be endured in this world. The word saved, though it can have a general meaning, is here limited by the context to denote eternal salvation. So then, he means that those who, having obtained through Christ not a fading or transitory, but an eternal salvation, would spare their fleeting life or honor rather than acknowledge their Redeemer, are excessively ungrateful.

And hath called us with a holy calling. He places the sealing of salvation in the calling; for, as the salvation of humanity was completed in the death of Christ, so God, by the gospel, makes us partakers of it. To place the value of this “calling” in a stronger light, he pronounces it to be holy.

This should be carefully observed. For, just as salvation must not be sought anywhere but in Christ, so, on the other hand, He would have died and risen again without any practical advantage to us, unless He calls us to participate in this grace. Thus, after having procured salvation for us, this second blessing remains to be bestowed: that, by grafting us into His body, He may communicate His benefits for us to enjoy.

Not according to our works, but according to his purpose and grace. He describes the source both of our calling and of our entire salvation. We had no works by which we could anticipate God; rather, the whole depends on His gracious purpose and election. For in the two words purpose and grace there is the figure of speech called Hypallage, and the latter must have an adjectival force, as if Paul had said: “according to His gracious purpose.”

Although Paul commonly uses the word “purpose” to denote God’s secret decree (the cause of which is in His own power), for fuller explanation, he chose to add “grace,” so that he might more clearly exclude all reference to works. The very contrast loudly proclaims that there is no room for works where the grace of God reigns, especially when we are reminded of God’s election, by which He anticipated us when we had not yet been born. On this subject, I have spoken more fully in my exposition of Ephesians chapter 1; at present, I do nothing more than briefly touch on what I have treated there more extensively.

Which was given to us. From the order of time, he argues that by free grace, salvation was given to us, which we did not at all deserve. For, if God chose us before the creation of the world, He could not have regarded works, of which we had none, since we did not then exist. As for the sophists' objection—that God was moved by the works He foresaw—it does not need a lengthy refutation. What kind of works would those have been if God had passed us by, since election itself is the source and beginning of all good works?

This giving of grace, which he mentions, is nothing other than predestination, by which we were adopted as sons of God. On this subject, I want to remind my readers, because God is frequently said to actually “give” His grace to us when we experience its effect. But here Paul sets before us what God purposed within Himself from the beginning. Therefore, He gave that which, not prompted by any merit, He appointed to those who were not yet born, and kept stored in His treasures, until He made known by the event itself that He purposes nothing in vain.

Before eternal ages. He uses this phrase in the same sense in which he elsewhere speaks of the uninterrupted succession of years from the foundation of the world (Titus 1:2). For that ingenious reasoning which Augustine develops in many passages is totally different from Paul’s intention. The meaning, therefore, is: “Before times began their course from all past ages.” Besides, it is noteworthy that he places the foundation of salvation in Christ; for, apart from Him, there is neither adoption nor salvation, as was indeed said in the exposition of Ephesians chapter 1.