Paul wrote this letter a short time after his first letter to this church.
Perhaps there were only a few months or half a year between sending the first and the second letter. It is no wonder then that it is possible to point to many similarities between the two. And it is highly unlikely that Paul, within such a short time, would want to make changes to what he had written in the first letter. Yet there are many who think that the apostle makes improvements in the second letter. Especially in the matter of the imminent return of the Lord Jesus. More needs to be said about this when discussing chapters 2 and 3. But it is of importance now to remember that both letters were written shortly after each other.

1. The second letter to Thessalonica⤒🔗

Paul is still in Corinth, on his second missionary journey. Silvanus and Timothy, who first remained behind in Macedonia, were still working with him and had rejoined him. That is why, just as in 1 Thessalonians 1:1, they are also mentioned as co-senders of the letter. In such a joint opening you can see how Paul also knew that co-operation amongst office-bearers is necessary and that in the church, when things are right, one does not work and write in isolation.

The congregation of Thessalonica to which these co-operating missionary workers send their writing (2 Thessalonians 1:1) is the young congregation in the big capital city of Macedonia (northern Greece). As in the first letter, much good can be said about this church. Because the Church's good works are gifts of Christ, the church does not need to be old to be flourishing. A church does not grow gradually towards a certain maturity. A church is blessed by God with virtues of faith, hope and love. And God can give quickly.
Therefore we must not think that time will improve a church, and that long years will bring what is lacking in our good works today.
A church does not flourish as a result of evolution (development), but through grace. This is evident from the fact that such glowing words of praise can be spoken about such a young and inexperienced church. This shows us the way when a long-established church is perhaps dead and withered. We must then look to heaven today for revival and not trust to a far distant future.

The second letter to Thessalonica starts with words of thanks (1:3), in which Paul becomes quite lavish (1:5 - 1:12). Then in 2:13 he picks up the thread of thanksgiving again (compare 2:13 with 1:3) and develops it further. It is only in 3:6-15 that Paul mentions a matter in which he obviously refers to a certain situation in Thessalonica. It is possible that, for the missionaries in Corinth, the first urge to pick up a pen and write again so soon lies in the problems mentioned in chapter 3. See the outline on 2 Thessalonians 3 about this.¹

2. Introduction to chapter 1←⤒🔗

It is obvious that the Church in Thessalonica is stilt being persecuted. The first letter deals repeatedly with opposition against the congregation (see outline 3).

Here Paul refers to it again. The situation has not changed in the short time since the first letter was sent. It has rather worsened.
There is mention of "all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure" (verse 4): the devil has many arrows of tribulations to his bow, many forms of opposition, both overt and covert.

Fortunately the believers in Thessalonica realised that these attacks of the devil on the young church were signs of hatred against the kingdom of God. God made His kingship evident through the believers in Macedonia. The devil does not want God to be honoured as Lord and Father. He hates that Kingdom. And therefore he also hates those who have been called to that kingdom and enter it through faith. He persecutes them. But the believers know that they suffer for the Kingdom of God: one could suffer for a less worthy cause! (see verse 5).

Behind the opposition to believers there is hatred against our gracious God. Therefore the persecutors of the Church encounter the King of the Church. He will always protect His citizens. He will punish those who attempt to thwart the Church. That is God's justice (verse 6). But His justice has two sides: it punishes and it saves. It avenges and sets free. In the same way, the Allied Forces in the Second World War could only be liberating' armies by being 'deadly' armies to Hitler's troops at the same time. So also God shall liberate oppressed believers on this earth by bringing the oppressors to eternal perdition (verses 7-9). The outlook was bleak for the people in Thessalonica. It seemed to be the age of great powers that did not belong to Christ. But. Paul entourages with the certainty that great powers become dead powers, and that powerless believers become glorified rulers together with Christ. A war often has a different outcome from that presumed at its beginning. The war between God and the seed of the serpent will finish very differently to what people today may think. At all turns we are confronted with talk about outdated Christianity and the triumph of superior human thought and existence.

That is why this is a time of perseverance for the church. Paul is thankful that this is so in Thessalonica (verse 4b). And he reminds us that of ultimate importance in life is whether faith has been preserved throughout all the various attacks (verse 10).

 

Only the Lord can give us perseverance in faith. That is why chapter 1 ends in a prayer (verses 11 and 12). It is the petition, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." Paul describes this prayer positively: Lead us to all good works and grant that our life may honour the name of Christ.

It is a pity that the translation of verse 12 does not clearly show that Paul calls the Lord Jesus God here. Literally the end of verse 12 is "...according to the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ".
Those who deny that Jesus is God often appeal to Paul, who, they assert, hardly ever talks of Jesus as God. But this text is one of the proofs, of which even a very liberal theologian admitted that when correctly translated, Jesus is here called God and Lord. Because Paul gives the Father and the Son equal honour concerning their godhead, he can speak in verse 6 about the last judgment in such a way that it can hardly be distinguished whether Paul speaks about the Father or about the Son. Jesus and the Father are one, also in the deliverance of the persecuted church and the retribution to the oppressors.

3. The central idea of chapter 1←⤒🔗

Chapter 1 speaks about God's judgment (see verse 5). With that terminology, we usually think exclusively of the Last Day. Now it is true that on the Last Day God's judgment will be clearly visible to everyone and no one can escape it (see verse 7). However, that does not mean judgment only starts on that day, and that God only becomes Judge on that day, that God does not work as Judge and Protector today. On the contrary: God's judgment is already active. God is already busy as Judge today. The Last Day will bring to light the work that the Judge is doing now. The big decisions are being made today. God exercises His justice today. For the good of believers, for their preservation and protection. To the detriment of the unbelievers, for their downfall and punishment. This justice of God, saving and punishing, will end in the great act of the last judgment. But this last judgment is the final word in a long history during which God has been busy judging. When Christ returns, the case is closed and the sentences are handed out.

It is especially the apostle John who emphasises this very strongly in his gospel. Read for instance John 3:18-19; 5:22-29; 16:7-11.
The decision rests with being for or against Jesus, for or against the Gospel. The Gospel forces the world to its final decision 'for' or `against'. The judgment is in progress. And accordingly the sentences will be brought down later.

This is also said by Paul in this concise first chapter of 2 Thessalonians. The heart of this chapter is verse 4b -5. There Paul speaks about proof, about evidence of the righteous judgment of God.
What is this proof, or evidence? It refers to verse 4b. There it mentions endurance in persecutions. This endurance, this remaining standing in persecutions, is proof of the righteous judgment of God. Paul says to the people in Thessalonica, "You can notice, with joy, how God elects you to His kingdom, because He gives you endurance and keeps you standing". Paul does not dwell on the visible: a church bowed down and a strong opposition. Behind that, he sees how the Gospel came to Thessalonica a short while ago as a determining word of God. He also knows that the important issue is not whether there is prosperity or adversity, happiness or sorrow, but whether there is faith or unbelief. And he sees how faith prevails in the Church in Thessalonica. Also in persecutions. That is a proof of God's righteous judgment. He does not forsake His elect. In those persecutions He provides the proof of His election.

In oppression He will uphold those whom He has brought to faith through the Gospel. When they become aware of this, believers may experience, with diffidence and joy, the truth of their calling to God's kingdom. In connection with this read Canons of Dort chapter V, paragraphs 9 and 10.

Because of all this, Paul was able to start with a prayer of thanksgiving in verse 3. The Church continues to stand in faith and love, despite the pain of adversity. That is God's doing. Therefore it is right to thank Him. We probably read past verse 3 a little too quickly. But just imagine hearing about a small church in Leningrad, which was being mercilessly persecuted. If you were going to write a letter to that church, would you start with thanksgiving to God for their perseverance, and would you then dare to comfort them with the remark, "The fact that you remain standing, despite the terror of atheism is proof of God's righteous judgment?"

Or would you be inclined to start with lamentation and commiserations? We have not experienced persecution for quite some time, and therefore run the risk of speaking rather naively and full of pathos about persecuted Christians. Paul himself was often persecuted. That experience prepared him, in accordance with the will of the Holy Spirit, to strike the right note: God be praised!

4. The discussion of chapter 1←⤒🔗

When the introducer has worked out the first three points in more detail, it could be beneficial to spend some more time discussing our own day and age. What is the value of the age in which we live?
We see so many different trends and developments and new influences, But what is the most important? Is it in economics, or in polities, or in philosophy? It is important for us as Christians to realise that the main theme of our times is that God is preparing the indictments for the last day. If the western world and communism continue to turn away from the Gospel (verse 8), then the judgment will descend upon those parts of the world which have known the Gospel. When insignificant churches of believers still maintain the faith, then that will bring about God's judgment. He is faithful and He preserves citizens for His Kingdom.