2 Thessalonians
Summary[i]
Writer: The Apostle Paul (2Th_1:1).
Date: Second Thessalonians was
evidently written very soon after Paul's first letter to that church. The
occasion may well have been the return of the bearer of the former Epistle and his
report.
Theme: The theme of Second
Thessalonians is, unfortunately, obscured by a mistranslation in the A.V. of 2Th_2:2 where "day of Christ is at
hand"
See Scofield
- 1Co_1:8) should be, "day
of the Lord is now present"
See Scofield
- Isa_2:12, ref). The
Thessalonian converts were "shaken in mind" and "troubled,"
supposing, perhaps on the authority of a forged letter as from Paul, that the
persecutions from which they were suffering were those of the "great and
terrible day of the Lord," from which they had been taught to expect
deliverance by "the day of Christ, and out gathering together unto
him" (2Th_2:1).
The present letter, then, was
written to instruct the Thessalonians concerning the day of Christ, "and
our gathering together unto him" 1Th_4:14-17
and the relation of the "day of Christ" to the "day of the
Lord." First Thessalonians had more in view the "day of Christ";
the present Epistle the "day of the Lord."
The Epistle is in five divisions:
1. Salutation (2 Thessalonians 1:1-4).
2. Comfort (2 Thessalonians 1:5-12).
3. Instruction concerning the day of the Lord
and the man of sin (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12).
4. Exhortations and apostolic commands (2
Thessalonians 2:13 - 3:15).
5. Benediction and authentication (2 Thessalonians 3:16-18).