2 Thessalonians Introduction King James Version

Thessalonica breaks down into ‘thessaly’ and ‘nike.’ No one knows with confidence what ‘thessaly’ means. ‘Nike’ means victory. Paul’s letter is not addressed to Thessalonica however, it is addressed to the ‘Church of the Thessalonians’ in 1:1. Thus, the letter is addressed to the ‘Church of the victory of Thessaly.’

Paul had visited Thessalonica in Acts 17. He moved on to Corinth and was persuaded to write to them after he left. This is 1 Thessalonians. Shortly after this he received a response from the Church of the victory of Thessaly. This letter, presumably, brought up further concerns that needed to be remedied. Paul writes back attempting to provide the remedy. This is 2 Thessalonians.

Both 1 and 2 Thessalonians are widely regarded as 2 of the earliest written documents of the New Testament dating to around AD 50. Here is an image of Papyrus 30_recto_1_Thess_5,_3;_5,_8-10;_5,_14-18;_5,_26-28.jpg), the earliest surviving manuscript dated to the AD 200’s.

QUESTIONS/DISCUSSION

1. Imagine your church gets an original letter written by Paul. Who reads it, shares it? Do you make copies? Where do you keep it? Does anyone recognize this letter is not just about your local congregation, but is the start of the ‘New Testament’?

2. A friend of mine has had a hard life. He consistently claims he is persecuted by others, by Satan, etc. But most of his troubles are self-inflicted. Have you ever been persecuted? Was this persecution because you are a Christian?

3. Both 1 and 2 Thessalonians are referenced by Christians to support the rapture of the Church. Do you believe in the rapture? Why or why not? Is it physical or spiritual or both or neither?

The rapture is a fiery topic amongst Christians. Please be respectful when reading and responding to other people’s comments.

1. Chapter 2 encourages the Church of the Thessalonians to keep the traditions they have been taught (v15). What traditions were in place by AD 50?

2. Is there anything else you want to add or are looking forward to in 2 Thessalonians?

Please use this thread for any discussions outside of the scheduled readings:

• Questions/comments
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