As was customary in the first century, Paul identifies himself at the beginning of his letter. In several of his letters he calls himself an apostle of Jesus Christ. Here, Paul omits the term, likely because he did not have to defend his apostleship to this particular group. His readers were confident that God had called Paul to be an apostle. Silvanus (Silas) and Timothy had been with Paul when he preached in Thessalonica (Acts 17:4, 10, 14) and were with him when he wrote 1 Thessalonians. Now, they are with him as he writes 2 Thessalonians. Silas, Paul's missionary companion, had been imprisoned with Paul at Philippi (Acts 16:19–40). Timothy, also Paul's missionary companion, was from Lystra. His mother was Jewish, but his father was a Gentile. He joined Paul in missions after Paul circumcised him (Acts 16:1–3).

Paul addresses 2 Thessalonians to "the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." The word "church" in the original language is ekklesia, meaning "called out ones" or "assembly." God had called the Thessalonian believers out of the world to be in Him and in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In John 17:16, when Jesus prayed to the Father on behalf of His followers, He stated, "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world."

Second Thessalonians 1:1–4, as is customary in Paul's letters, begins with identification. He also names the two co-missionaries who are with him. His salutation of grace and peace are typical of the salutations in his other letters. In verses 3 and 4 he expresses thanks for his readers. Paul compliments them on their increasing faith, love, and steadfastness in the midst of their persecutions and afflictions.

The apostle Paul received word that some Thessalonian believers did not understand clearly what he had written about the day of the Lord. Paul had told them in his first letter that Christians were exempt from the judgment and tribulation of the day of the Lord. However, some of the Thessalonians thought the day of the Lord had already begun, because they were undergoing fierce persecution. Here, Paul seeks to relieve those misunderstandings. He also addresses the matter of idleness and tells the church how to deal with those who are idle. Paul commends the believers for perseverance and faith, encouraging them to live according to the teachings he had given them.

Second Thessalonians opens with Paul's typical greetings, then shifts into encouragement. In his prior letter, Paul had explained the nature of death, for a Christian believer, and given a description of Christ's eventual return for His people. Now, the Thessalonian believers were experiencing persecution. Though they seem to be enduring it well, Paul reminds them that judgment before God awaits all people. Those who are persecuted for His sake will be part of His kingdom, while those who reject Him will face fire and vengeance. After this, Paul returns to the subject of Christ's return, and the rapture, seemingly to combat misunderstandings which linger despite his earlier letter.

Second Thessalonians follows Paul's earlier letter to the same group of Christian believers. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul had praised them for their faithfulness and given them reassurances about the day of the Lord. This included teachings on the rapture and a description of death as ''sleep'' from a Christian viewpoint. In this second letter, Paul corrects possible misunderstandings about those ideas. Among his teachings here are the importance of a good work ethic and God's impending judgment on sin, including judgment on those who persecute the Christian church. Paul also provides the Thessalonians with reassurances that they have not somehow missed out on Christ's return.

Accessed 11/23/2024 4:13:54 PM

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