The Second Epistle To The Thessalonians. Part 1

Church History: Paul writes 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians From Corinth A.D. 50-51

This epistle appears to have been written soon after the first, and from the same place--Corinth. The proof of this indeed is not certain, for there are no marks of time or place in the epistle by which these points can be determined. The probability rests upon these grounds:
(1.) That the same persons--Paul, Silas, and Timothy--are associated in both epistles, and are mentioned as being together at the time when they were written, (1Thessalonians 1:1; 2Thessalonians 1:1;) but as there is reason to believe that they did not continue long together, it is to be presumed that one epistle was written soon after the other.

(2.) Paul refers to an error which had grown up, apparently in consequence of a misunderstanding of his first epistle, (1Thessalonians 2:1-2) an error which he regarded as of great magnitude, and which was producing very unhappy results, (2Thessalonians 3:11-12), and it was natural that he should hasten to correct that error as soon as possible.

(3.) There is some probability that the epistle was written before the troubles came upon him at Corinth, under the administration of Gallio, (Acts 18:12-16); and yet the fact that he saw that the storm was approaching, and hints at it in (2Thessalonians 3:2), "And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men." If so, this epistle was written but a few months at most, after the first. We may regard the evidence, therefore as sufficiently clear, that this epistle was written at Corinth sometime during the latter part of A.D. 53, or the beginning of A. D. 54.

There is little doubt as to the reason for which it was written. Either by a false interpretation of his former epistle, or by an epistle forged in his name and sent to them, the opinion had become prevalent in the church at Thessalonica, that the Savior was about to appear, and that the end of the world was at hand. (2Thessalonians 2:2). To correct this impression was the main reason for this epistle. Some had become alarmed, and were suffering from unnecessary apprehension, (2Thessalonians 2:2), and some, under the natural belief that labor then was useless, and that property was of no value, had given up all attention to their worldly concerns, (2Thessalonians 3:10-11); and it was of the utmost importance that the error should be corrected. This was done in this second epistle; and, in doing it, Paul, as was usual, intermingled several other points of importance, adapted to the condition of those to whom he wrote.