Letter 9 of 14 · Overview available
2 Thessalonians
Stand firm: the Day of the Lord has not yet come, and God will set things right.
Some were alarmed by a message — perhaps a letter claiming to be from Paul (2:2) — that the Day of the Lord had arrived. Paul says certain events must come first, including "the rebellion" and the revealing of "the man of lawlessness," now restrained (2:3–8). The identity of the restrainer is one of the most debated questions in Paul.
He also warns those living in idleness: "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat" (3:10).
- Date
- c. AD 51
- Written from
- Corinth
- Recipients
- The church of the Thessalonians
- Chapters
- 3
- Stage
- Second journey (Corinth)
- Author
- Paul the Apostle
Written from Corinth a few months after 1 Thessalonians.
Scholarly note: Received without question by the early church (Polycarp, Irenaeus); some modern scholars question it on grounds of tone. Sources
Why Paul wrote it
Confusion about the end and disorderly conduct.
Why it matters today
It steadies believers against panic and speculation.
Related Acts passages
- Acts 17:1–9
The World Behind the Letter
Persecution continued (1:4).
Purpose and Problems
Literary Structure
- 1
Encouragement in persecution · 1:1–12
- 2
The Day of the Lord · 2:1–17
- 3
Prayer and work · 3:1–18
Key passages
Passage-by-Passage
Theological Themes
Explore across letters
My Notes
Sources
- Charles A. Wanamaker, The Epistles to the Thessalonians (NIGTC, 1990)