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Here are two translations of 2 Thessalonians 2:13:
[2Th 2:13 LSB] 13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
[2Th 2:13 NKJV] 13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,
Some manuscripts have "first fruits" and some manuscripts have "from the beginning". Which one is correct? What is the original wording? There is a big difference theologically. Being chosen as "first fruits" limits God's decision to just the immediate readers of Paul's letter. Everyone can't be part of the group that is "first". But if God chose them "from the beginning" that means from before there was time, God already had those in mind who would trust and receive salvation. And that does not place any limit but includes all readers of Paul's letter.
Here is the interlinear that the LSB is based on (the GNT)
www.blueletterbible.org
"Aparche"
ἀπαρχή, -ῆς, ἡ, (from ἀπάρχομαι:
a. to offer firstlings or first-fruits;
b. to take away the first-fruits; cf. ἀπό in ἀποδεκατόω), in Sept. generally equivalent to רֵאשִׁית; the first-fruits of the productions of the earth (both those in a natural state and those prepared for use by hand), which were offered to God; cf. Winers RWB under the word Erstlinge [BB. DD. under the word First-fruits]: ἡ ἀπαρχή namely, τοῦ φυράματος, the first portion of the dough, from which sacred loaves were to be prepared (Numbers 15:19-21), Romans 11:16.
Hence, in a transferred use, employed
And here is the interlinear that the NKJV is based on
www.blueletterbible.org
"ap arches"
ἀρχή, -ῆς, ἡ, [from Homer down], in the Sept. mostly equivalent to רֹאשׁ, רֵאֹשִׁית, תְּחִלָּה;
1. beginning, origin;
a. used absolutely, of the beginning of all things: ἐν ἀρχῇ, John 1:1f (Genesis 1:1); ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς, Matthew 19:4 (with which cf. Xenophon, mem. 1, 4, 5 ὁ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ποιῶν ἀνθρώπους), Matthew 19:8; John 8:44; 1 John 1:1; 1 John 2:13; 1 John 3:8; more fully ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς κτίσεως or κόσμου, Matthew 24:21; Mark 10:6; Mark 13:19; 2 Thessalonians 2:13 (where L [Tr marginal reading WH marginal reading] ἀπαρχήν, which see); 2 Peter 3:4; κατ’ ἀρχάς, Hebrews 1:10 (Psalm 101:26 (Ps. 102:26)).
Very similar Greek words. But very different meaning. So which is it?
ܡܢ ܪܫܝܬܐ
For the answer you have to check out the Aramaic Peshitta. The word used in Aramaic can have BOTH meanings . Yes, that's right. Another example of a "split word". This is a word in Aramaic which has multiple meanings and the Greek translator when presented with the word had to make a choice of which definition he felt was most appropriate. In one case, the Greek translator of the original Aramaic text chose the first meaning. But another Greek translator of the same Aramaic manuscript chose the other meaning. The ends up with two different Greek translations.
According to the Aramaic lexicon it can mean one of 4 things:
1 beginning Syr. --(a) ܡܢ ܪܝܫܝܬܐ : from the beginning, at first, originally Syr. (a.1) for ܒܪܝܫܝܬ : the Beginning Syr.
2 (often pl.) first-fruits; Heb. תְּרוּמָה JLAtg, Syr.
3 head, top of the head Syr.
4 highest part Syr. --(a) main part Syr.
link:
Notice that if the word is plural it most often means "first fruits". But if singular, it means "beginning". In this verse, the Aramaic occurs as the singular form, so "from the beginning" is the right interpretation of what Paul is saying.
So Paul is not limiting his words to just the initial readers of his letter. But he is assuring all readers that their decision of trusting for salvation has been chosen by God from the beginning of time.
[2Th 2:13 LSB] 13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
[2Th 2:13 NKJV] 13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,
Some manuscripts have "first fruits" and some manuscripts have "from the beginning". Which one is correct? What is the original wording? There is a big difference theologically. Being chosen as "first fruits" limits God's decision to just the immediate readers of Paul's letter. Everyone can't be part of the group that is "first". But if God chose them "from the beginning" that means from before there was time, God already had those in mind who would trust and receive salvation. And that does not place any limit but includes all readers of Paul's letter.
Here is the interlinear that the LSB is based on (the GNT)
Greek Interlinear Layout for 2 Thessalonians 2:13 (MGNT • NASB95)
This Bible layout provides an inline view of the Bible text with MGNT or TR Greek inflections, parsing codes, and Strongs data in the Greek word order.
www.blueletterbible.org
ἀπαρχή, -ῆς, ἡ, (from ἀπάρχομαι:
a. to offer firstlings or first-fruits;
b. to take away the first-fruits; cf. ἀπό in ἀποδεκατόω), in Sept. generally equivalent to רֵאשִׁית; the first-fruits of the productions of the earth (both those in a natural state and those prepared for use by hand), which were offered to God; cf. Winers RWB under the word Erstlinge [BB. DD. under the word First-fruits]: ἡ ἀπαρχή namely, τοῦ φυράματος, the first portion of the dough, from which sacred loaves were to be prepared (Numbers 15:19-21), Romans 11:16.
Hence, in a transferred use, employed
And here is the interlinear that the NKJV is based on
Greek Interlinear Layout for 2 Thessalonians 2:13 (TR • KJV)
This Bible layout provides an inline view of the Bible text with MGNT or TR Greek inflections, parsing codes, and Strongs data in the Greek word order.
www.blueletterbible.org
ἀρχή, -ῆς, ἡ, [from Homer down], in the Sept. mostly equivalent to רֹאשׁ, רֵאֹשִׁית, תְּחִלָּה;
1. beginning, origin;
a. used absolutely, of the beginning of all things: ἐν ἀρχῇ, John 1:1f (Genesis 1:1); ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς, Matthew 19:4 (with which cf. Xenophon, mem. 1, 4, 5 ὁ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ποιῶν ἀνθρώπους), Matthew 19:8; John 8:44; 1 John 1:1; 1 John 2:13; 1 John 3:8; more fully ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς κτίσεως or κόσμου, Matthew 24:21; Mark 10:6; Mark 13:19; 2 Thessalonians 2:13 (where L [Tr marginal reading WH marginal reading] ἀπαρχήν, which see); 2 Peter 3:4; κατ’ ἀρχάς, Hebrews 1:10 (Psalm 101:26 (Ps. 102:26)).
Very similar Greek words. But very different meaning. So which is it?
ܡܢ ܪܫܝܬܐ
For the answer you have to check out the Aramaic Peshitta. The word used in Aramaic can have BOTH meanings . Yes, that's right. Another example of a "split word". This is a word in Aramaic which has multiple meanings and the Greek translator when presented with the word had to make a choice of which definition he felt was most appropriate. In one case, the Greek translator of the original Aramaic text chose the first meaning. But another Greek translator of the same Aramaic manuscript chose the other meaning. The ends up with two different Greek translations.
According to the Aramaic lexicon it can mean one of 4 things:
1 beginning Syr. --(a) ܡܢ ܪܝܫܝܬܐ : from the beginning, at first, originally Syr. (a.1) for ܒܪܝܫܝܬ : the Beginning Syr.
2 (often pl.) first-fruits; Heb. תְּרוּמָה JLAtg, Syr.
3 head, top of the head Syr.
4 highest part Syr. --(a) main part Syr.
link:
Notice that if the word is plural it most often means "first fruits". But if singular, it means "beginning". In this verse, the Aramaic occurs as the singular form, so "from the beginning" is the right interpretation of what Paul is saying.
So Paul is not limiting his words to just the initial readers of his letter. But he is assuring all readers that their decision of trusting for salvation has been chosen by God from the beginning of time.
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