n. TUESSALOXIANS
n. THESSALONIAJSrS
747
(2°), and Paul confirms the whole with his auto- graph at tlie end (3"). ii. Analysis. —
11- S Greeting. ▲. Gratitude jot their gpiritual state, especially lor their loyal endurance under persecution (3- *). 8trenj,'theninj; of them bv the thought of
(1) the justice of Go<i {&) ;
(2) theepecial manifestation of that justice, which
will accompany the Appearance of the Lord Jesus (H-10).
Prayer to God to complete their Christian life, that Ciirisl may be gloriUed in them on * that day ' (ii- 1^). B. F\UUr tt-acliiiuj about that day.
Warning au'ainst beint; milled into thinking it immcdi. ately at band (21- -), and a reminder of Paul's past teaching (*), which implied (a) a mystery of lawk-ss- ness and of error already at work ; {b) a, restraining power or person ; (c) a removal of that restraint at some future date ; (d) a great apostafjy ; {>•) the appearance of the man of sin ; {/) the appearance of the Lord destroying the man of sin and all who have been deceived by him (3- *■ **-l2).
Thanksgiving to God that He saved them from this doom ('3. li).
E.xhortution to abide lovally by their past teaching
Prayer to God to comfort and to steady them (I6- 17). 0. liequent for their intercession (31- 2). .A.ssurance of God's faithfulness (^), and of their teacher's faith in them (■").
Prayer to God to pive them love and patience (5). IX lt'''jutation o/ their covninvnft!i-l\fe.
They are to shun all disorderly brethren (^) ; for such disorder is contrary to tlie example which tlieir teachers had set (7-^), and tlieir repeated command O**). Such brethren must earn Ineir own bread (11. 12). The rest must be forbearing, but yet break off mtercourse with any one who persists in disobeying this written command t'^1^).
Praver to the Cod of peace to give peace to them all
('■«). Autograph salutation in Paul'i own handwriting (17). Benediction ("*).
iii. Literary Dependence. — (1) The Epistle presupposes the existence of 1 Thessalonians. For II 2" explains itself readily by reference to I 4'"' 5'-'"; II :)» to I 4" ; 11 3", perhaps, liut less prob- ably, to I 4"'"''- ; and II 2- may imply a misunder- standing of I 4" 5"^ Further, there is a remark- able similarity of structure, e.g., in the form of tTeeting (I 1', II !••=), of thank.s<,'ivinK (I l\ II P), of [irayers (I 3'i 5==, II 2'« 3i'), of transition (I 4', II 3'). And this extends to many verbal points, as will be seen by a comparison of the following places : —
1 1^ with II IS. I IJ irilb II 2". I 1'! wilb II H. I ISOwith II 1*. I 2*11 with II 39.
I -i'^ with II 1». I v;^ with II 2>7. HI 10 ,',11 with tit*. I .19 witli II •»*. I 6H li with H 313.
The writer of 2 Thess. must have latel.v written 1 Thess., or have known it as a piece of literature.
(2) Prcvions apocalyptic teaching is also pre- supposed. No one pas.sage of the OT is appealed to, but the ajiocalyjitic descriptions I""'" 2^"'- weave together phrases from Is 2i''''"-'' 11* [found in a similar context in Ps-SoI 17"- "] 49" GG"- '*, Jer 10=*, F,zk 28'-, and Dn ll"*. There are also striking re- somljlaiices between the language here and that of our Lord's escliatological discourse ; cf. 1" with Mt 25»'-'"i ; 2' with iMt 24»' {fmavi'diouati') ; 2^ with Mt 24« (BpouaOai, here and Mk 13' only in NT) ; 2-' with Mt 24" ; 2* witli Mt 24" (^» t6wv iylv), Mk 13i< {4(TTriK6Ta Srou oi Su) ; 2' with Mt 24'" (di-o^ifo) ; 2" with Mt 24". Such similarities may be due to the fact that each draws independently from the common stock of ajiocalyptic imagery, and they do not prove a literary dependence on anj' written (Gospel, but they make probable a knowledge of some oral tradition of that dis- course.
(3) A knowledge of other Gospel sayings may lie behind l»=Mt 5'», 3» = Mt G". Tlie command in 31" is a quotation of a Rabbinical saying, but possibly it had been already used by our Lord
Himself, and may have been taken by St. Paul from Him (ef. Kcsch, Agraplia, pp. 128 and 240).
iv. AuTlIoiisHlP. — Church tradition universally ascribed the Epistle to St. Paul. It is directly attributed to him by Polycarp (c. xi.), who quotes 1*, though by mistake he quotes it as addressed to the Phillppians. Keminiscences of the apocalyptic language may underlie Justin Martyr, Dial, xxxii. ex. ; Didache, c. IG ; and more prob. E/>. Vicnne and Lyons, ap. Eiis. v. I (iv{(!Kr}\j/ev 6 avTiKet)ievo;, irpoot- fita^b^ivo^ ij^Tj TT)v fi^Wovaav ^treadat irapovo-iav ai>roO . . . XpKTrbi . . . KarapYwv rby avriK^iaevov . . . oi v\o\ Tt)? airuXcias), but in no case can the reference be called undoubted. Marcion included the Epistle in his Canon as Pauline, and so did the Latin and Sj'riac translators.
The internal evidence on the whole supports this view. The general structure of the Epistle, the style and pliraseology, the afi'ectionate tone, the frequent intercession tor the readers, the request for their prayers, the appeal to his own teaching and examjile, the sharp insistence on his own authority in a matter of discipline, are all characteristic of St. Paul. Cut two main objections are raised.