Who wrote 2 Thessalonians, and when?
Paul, with Silvanus and Timothy. About AD 51–52, shortly after the first letter.
2 Thessalonians names Paul, Silvanus and Timothy as its senders, just like the first letter, and closes with Paul's own handwritten greeting as a mark of authenticity (see 3:17). Traditionally it was written a few months after 1 Thessalonians, still from Corinth, in about AD 51 or 52. Many scholars accept this. Others think the letter was written later, by a follower of Paul, because its tone is cooler and its teaching on the end times seems to differ from the first letter. The church has always received it as Paul's, and most conservative and many other scholars still do. The dispute does not change the plain sense of its instructions.
Who was 2 Thessalonians written to?
The church in Thessalonica, still persecuted and now unsettled by claims that the day of the Lord had already come.
The readers were the same young church in Thessalonica, still facing persecution from their neighbours. In the short time since the first letter, something had gone wrong. Someone had convinced them, perhaps through a spoken message or a letter claiming to be from Paul, that the day of the Lord had already arrived. The result was panic for some and idleness for others. A few members had stopped working altogether, living off the generosity of the church while they waited, and were becoming a nuisance. The believers were sincere and still loyal to Paul, but they were shaken, tired from suffering and confused about what they had been taught.
What was happening at the time?
Someone, perhaps by a forged letter, had convinced the Thessalonians that the day of the Lord was already here. Some had stopped working. Paul assures them that God will repay their persecutors, that the man of lawlessness must be revealed first, and that anyone unwilling to work should not eat.
Why was 2 Thessalonians written?
To correct confusion about the day of the Lord and to call for steadfastness and responsible living.
Paul wrote to calm the church, correct a false idea and restore order. He assures them that God sees their suffering and will bring justice when Jesus is revealed, so their endurance is not wasted. He explains that the day of the Lord cannot already have come, because certain things must happen first, including the appearing of a figure he calls the man of lawlessness. He then tells the idle members firmly to go back to work and tells the rest not to grow weary of doing good. In the wider story of the Bible, 2 Thessalonians shows that hope for Christ's return should produce steady, responsible living, not frantic waiting.
How to read 2 Thessalonians today
Read it straight after 1 Thessalonians so you can see the change in the situation. It is only three chapters. Chapter 1 gives comfort to the persecuted, chapter 2 corrects the false teaching, and chapter 3 deals with the idle. Chapter 2 is the hardest part of the letter and has been read in many different ways by Christians; Paul refers to things he had explained in person that we no longer have, so do not force an exact identification of the man of lawlessness. Watch instead for the words stand firm and do not grow weary. As you read, pray for the patience to keep doing ordinary good work while waiting for the Lord.
The key verse in 2 Thessalonians
Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.
Passages worth knowing in 2 Thessalonians
- 2 Thessalonians 1
Persecution and the coming judgment
Rest for the afflicted when the Lord is revealed.
- 2 Thessalonians 2
The man of lawlessness
That day will not come until the falling away first.
- 2 Thessalonians 3
Work and do not grow weary
If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.
The main themes of 2 Thessalonians
- The day of the Lord
- Persecution and justice
- Standing firm
- Work
- God’s faithfulness
An outline of 2 Thessalonians
| Section | Chapters |
|---|---|
| Encouragement under persecution | 1 |
| The day of the Lord | 2 |
| Prayer and discipline | 3 |