Introduction

The City of Thessalonica. It was founded by Cassander, King of Macedon 315 B. C., and was about a hundred miles west of Philippi. It was a great commercial center of Paul's time, the inhabitants being Greeks, Romans and Jews. It still exists under the name of Saloniki, and has a population of from 75,000 to 85,000 about half of whom are Jews.

The Church of Thessalonica. Upon being delivered from prison at Philippi. Paul continued his second missionary journey to Thessalonica, having also Silas and Timothy with him (Acts 17:1-5). He spent three Sabbaths there, but on account of the persecution of the Jews, went from there to Berea, then to Athens, and then to Corinth where he spent 18 months. The first letter bears testimony to the splendid Christian character of these new converts from heathenism.

Second Thessalonians.

This letter was also written from Corinth and during the same year. It is the shortest letter Paul wrote to any church and is characterized by its lack of special salutations and for its general idea of patient waiting for our Lord. The occasion seems to be to correct their wrong views of the second coming of Christ and the errors of life growing out of it. It may be that they had misunderstood his own teaching to be that the day of the Lord was already at hand (2:2).

Analysis.

     Introduction, 1:1-2.

I. Thanksgiving and Prayer for in View of The Second Coming of Christ, 1:2 end.

II. Warnings about Christ's Second Coming. 2:1-12.

III. Their Escape at His Coming, 2:13 end.

IV. Practical Matters, 3:1-15.

1. Their prayers for each other, 1-5.
2. Discipline for the disorderly, 6-15.

     Conclusion, 3:16 end.

For Study and Discussion. (1) Things commendable in the church, 13-14. (2) Moral disorders of the church, 3:7-11. (3) How to deal with the disorderly, 3:6, 14, 15. (4) How to deal with the idle, 3:12. (5)Facts concerning Christ's second coming, from the whole book. (6) Facts concerning the judgment of the wicked.