31 July. Paul writes a second letter to the believers in Thessalonica
"From Paul, Silas and Timothy,
To the church in Thessalonica in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."
"We must always thank God for you, brothers and sisters. This is only right, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love that every one of you has for each other is increasing."
"So we boast about you to the other churches of God. We tell them about the way you continue to be strong and have faith even though you are being treated badly and are suffering many troubles."
"This is proof that God is right in his judgement. He wants you to be counted worthy of his kingdom for which you are suffering..."
"That is why we always pray for you, asking our God to help you live the kind of life he called you to live. We pray that, with his power, God will help you do the good things you want, and perform the works that come from your faith."
"We pray all this so that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ will have glory in you, and you will have glory in him. That glory comes from the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."
(2 Thessalonians 1:1-12)
This second letter to the believers in Thessalonica was, like the first letter, written from Corinth during Paul’s second missionary journey of 50 – 52AD. It was probably written in 52AD about six months after Paul’s First letter to the Thessalonians. Paul is writing again to the church he had established in Macedonia (northern Greece) about a year earlier before moving south to Achaia (southern Greece) (see Acts 17:1-9 & 18:1).
Paul had written a few months earlier (see 1 Thessalonians 1:1) and is writing again in response to further information he has received about the new church. The person who delivered this second letter is again uncertain, but as with the first letter, it was unlikely to have been Timothy or Silas (see 2 Thessalonians 1:1), who may have scribed the letter while Paul dictated.
In this letter, Paul clears up some confusion that has arisen about the second coming of the Lord Jesus. Paul confirms that the ‘Day of the Lord’ has not yet come and will be preceded by a time of persecution and evil under a powerful leader whom Paul refers to as the ‘Man of Evil’.
Paul opens his letter by sending greetings from himself and from Silas (Latin, ‘Silvanus’) and Timothy (who are staying in Corinth with Paul at the home of Aquila and Priscilla – see Acts 18:1-3 & 5).
Paul thanks God that the new believers in Thessalonica are growing in their faith despite constant persecution by the Jewish community. He assures them that those who persecute them will suffer eternal separation from the risen Lord Jesus when he returns to earth in might with the angels on the ‘Day of the Lord’ (1 Thessalonians 1:9).
The photo (by G.Garitan) shows the 4th century Rotunda of Galerius in Thessalonica.
You can read more from Paul's Second Letter to the Thessalonians @ https://www.thebiblejourney.org/…/pauls-2nd-letter-to-thes…/