New Testament · Letter · book 53 of 66 · 1 min read
The book of 2 Thessalonians
A follow-up letter written because somebody had told the church the day of the Lord had already come, and some of them had stopped working.
“But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.”
At a glance
- Chapters
- 3
- Author
- Paul, though authorship is debated
- Written
- Shortly after the first letter, around 50 to 51 AD
- Written for
- The same church, now with a rumour problem
- Themes
- patience, false alarms, work, perseverance
What it is about
The problem in the second letter is the mirror image of the first. There, people worried the dead had missed the return; here, someone has claimed it has already happened, possibly in a forged letter carrying Paul's name.
So the letter slows things down: certain things have to happen first, and the church should not be shaken by every report. It is the New Testament's most direct instruction not to be alarmed by end-times claims.
The practical consequence being addressed is unusual and specific. Some members had stopped working, presumably because the end was imminent, and were living off others. Paul's response is blunt: anyone unwilling to work should not eat.
Where to start
Chapter 3, which is short, practical, and the part with lasting bite.
The chapters worth knowing
- 2 Thessalonians 2 — Do not be shaken by any report that the day has already come.
- 2 Thessalonians 3 — The instruction about those who had stopped working because they thought the end had arrived.
What people get wrong about it
That the working instruction is about the poor. It addresses people who had stopped working on purpose because they believed the world was ending, and were being supported by the congregation.
Questions
Why was 2 Thessalonians written?
Because a claim was circulating — possibly in a forged letter — that the day of the Lord had already arrived, and some members had stopped working as a result.
What does if anyone will not work, let him not eat mean?
It addresses people who had deliberately stopped working because they thought the end had come and were living off the congregation. It is not a comment about people unable to find work.