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Introduction to  2 Thessalonians

THE CITY OF THESSALONICA

See the Introduction to 1 Thessalonians.

THE FOUNDING OF THE CHURCH AT THESSALONICA

See the Introduction to 1 Thessalonians.

THE OCCASION OF 2 THESSALONIANS

A few months had passed since Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians. Though unable to visit them (1 Thess. 2:18), the apostle had maintained contact with the church. He was generally pleased with their progress (2 Thess. 1:3–4), yet there were still some issues that needed to be resolved. In his second inspired letter, Paul addressed three essential matters. The persecution, which had begun while Paul was there, was still ongoing. In chapter 1, he encouraged the Thessalonians to stand firm and remain faithful to the Lord despite their suffering.

Paul had instructed the Thessalonians about the end times while he was with them (2 Thess. 2:5), and in 1 Thessalonians (4:13–5:11). Yet they were still confused, fearing they had missed the Rapture and were in the Day of the Lord. Though the severity of the persecution they were undergoing contributed to that mistaken belief, the main reason for their confusion came from some false teachers who taught that the Day of the Lord had arrived. Those lying deceivers claimed Paul, Silas, and Timothy now taught that, even producing a forged letter supposedly from the apostle Paul to support their claim. Paul wrote chapter 2 to calm the Thessalonians’ fears, clarify his teaching, and thus reassure them that the Day of the Lord had not arrived.

Finally, the problem of idleness Paul had addressed in his first epistle (1 Thess. 4:11–12) had escalated. Some, expecting the Lord to return at any moment, had stopped working altogether. The apostle sternly dealt with those idle loafers and the related issue of church discipline in chapter 3.

THE AUTHOR OF 2 THESSALONIANS

As he did in 1 Thessalonians, Paul twice identified himself as the author of this epistle (1:1; 3:17). Despite the clear statement of the inspired text, some have challenged Paul’s authorship of 2 Thessalonians. Critics claim that there is a contradiction between the eschatological teaching of the two epistles. They argue that while 1 Thessalonians stresses the suddenness and unexpectedness of the Lord’s return, 2 Thessalonians teaches that signs will precede it. But Paul had in mind two distinct phases of the Lord’s return: 1 Thessalonians points out that the Rapture will come suddenly and unexpectedly. Second Thessalonians, written to counter the false teaching that the Day of the Lord had already arrived, notes that a specific event will precede that Day. That event, the arrival and unveiling of the final Antichrist, does not obviate the unexpectedness of the Day of the Lord. Despite its precursors, “the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night” (1 Thess. 5:2).

Equally gratuitous is the assertion that Paul could not have written 2 Thessalonians because he does not mention the man of lawlessness (2 Thess. 2:3) elsewhere in his writings. But why should a writer’s veracity be questioned merely because he mentions a topic only once? Further, Paul taught the Thessalonians about the man of lawlessness while he was in Thessalonica (2 Thess. 2:5). Finally, Paul’s teaching on the man of lawlessness (the Antichrist) is in harmony with that of both the Old Testament prophets and the Lord Jesus Christ (see the discussion of this point in chapter 23 of this volume).

Second Thessalonians was widely accepted by the early church as an inspired writing of Paul. In addition to the witnesses to the Pauline authorship of 1 Thessalonians (see the Introduction to 1 Thessalonians in this volume), Polycarp, Justin Martyr, and possibly the Didache and Ignatius affirm that Paul wrote 2 Thessalonians.

As with 1 Thessalonians, the style and vocabulary of 2 Thessalonians are consistent with Paul’s other inspired writings.

THE DATE AND PLACE OF THE WRITING OF 2 THESSALONIANS

Second Thessalonians was written from Corinth a few months after 1 Thessalonians (see discussion of the date and place of the writing of 1 Thessalonians in the Introduction to 1 Thessalonians in this volume).

OUTLINE

  1. Salutation (1:1–2) II. Comfort in Persecution (1:3–12)

    1. Encouragement (1:3–4)

    2. Exhortation (1:5–12)

  2. Correction of Prophetic Error (2:1–17)

    1. Crisis (2:1–2)

    2. Correction (2:3–12)

    3. Comfort (2:13–17)

  3. Practical Exhortations (3:1–15)

    1. Regarding Prayer (3:1–5)

    2. Regarding Undisciplined Living (3:6–15)

  4. Benediction (3:16–18)