Filed under: Bible | Tags: apocalypse, apocalyptic Judaism, authorship, Christ, Christ's return, church organization, comforting, eschatological confusion, judgment, Macedonia, Messianic, pastoral, Paul, Persecution, Second Coming, Silas, suffering, Thessalonians, Timothy
Paul’s main concerns in his two letters to the Thessalonian believers, if indeed he did write the second letter, relate to Christ’s second coming. In his first letter, the believers are concerned and despairing over the long delay of Christ’s return. Paul affirms their fame which has spread beyond Macedonia, even though there is apparently little formal church organization. Paul writes to assuage their concerns in Christ’s delayed return, especially their concern for those who have died.
In his second letter, Paul addresses the Thessalonians’ anxiety that Christ may have already returned, a festering eschatalogical confusion. In this letter, he is comforting those suffering under persecution and uncharacteristically speaks of the coming wrath and judgment. This is partially the reason the authorship of this second letter is in question. Paul is primarily addressing apocalyptic issues, which are consistent with his background in apocalyptic Judaism.
The apocalypse will occur with suddenness. Observable events will precede the Messianic coming, Paul assures. Paul writes with an intimate pastoral concern, especially in his first letter. He not only teaches and corrects, he also admonishes with advice regarding behavior. He is writing to the whole community in a letter that has a shared authorship with Timothy and Silas, which he defends carefully to assure that it is written “with his own hand.”
