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2 Thessalonians, Anticipation

1 and 2 Thessalonians largely deal with the same issues. This is largely due to the fact that they were written to the same group of Christians at about the same time. Paul, who is staying in Corinth, is sending these letters with Timothy as he journeys back and forth to report on the status of the churches.

While they deal with the same overarching theme, the second coming of Jesus, they are still both unique. 1 Thessalonians was generally more positive and gave more advice on how to live the Christian life. 2 Thessalonians, as we shall see, addresses how the return of the Christ will solve the problems of persecution afflicting the believers.

Background

The background of 2 Thessalonians is very similar to 1 Thessalonians. Paul was in Corinth for over a year and a half, and during that time he sent Timothy and Silas out to the congregations they had previously founded. They returned with reports and Paul would write letters to the churches. 2 Thessalonians was written shortly after 1 Thessalonians, around AD 50.

Themes

Once again the dominating theme is the second coming of Christ. In 2 Thessalonians, however, Paul goes into much more detail about what this means for the enemies of Christianity. When Jesus returns he shall punish those who stand opposed to him and reward those who have been faithful. 

The language echoes a lot of what we have seen in the prophets. There will come a day when the righteous shall be lifted up and the wicked shall receive justice. In the meantime there will be evil that attacks the faithful, but there is nothing to fear so long as they remain faithful to Jesus Christ.

Theological Point

For Christians the second coming is a day of great rejoicing. We should be anticipating that day with every fiber of our being. We should yearn for the vindication of the righteous. We should rejoice to see God's justice flow out over all creation. Yet we should also be working hard to spread the Gospel of Jesus to those who do not believe, for the second coming is also a day of wrath.

Conclusion

2 Thessalonians is a short letter with a very simple point. Next week's book is much longer and typically viewed as far more complex. Next week we shall examine what is possibly the most read and studied book in the Bible; Romans.

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