I 2. THE OccASION OF THE EPisTL&. The persons to whom this Epistle was written were "the Church of the 'l'hessalonians" ( eh. i. 1 ), or the Christian converts in the city of Thes~a- lonica. We have already fully discussed this point in the introductory remarks to the First Epistle. In order to understand this Second Epistle, we must endeavour to ascer- tain the condition of the Thessalonian Church when the apostle vrote to them. Paul had been compelled to leave the Thessalonians only partially instructed in Uhristianity; they were defective both in the knowledge of its doctrines and in the practice of its precepts. He had written them an Epistle to correct abuses and to supply what was lacking in their faith (I These. iiL 10). The intelligence brought back to the apostle by the bearer of the First Epistle, or through some other channel, was the occasion of this Epistle. The apostle received a good report of the TheBBalonians, and is enabled to express his joy and thankfulness to Gorl that their faith grew exceedingly, and the love of every one toward each other abounded (eh. i. 3). But still the erroneous views concerning the advent, and the consequent disorders to which he had adverted in the First Epistle, had rather increased than diminished. The Lord Jesus Christ had left ;he world only twenty years before. He had promised to return at an uncertam date, and therefore nothing waa more natural than that the Church in general should have expected his immediate return. Various circumstances, both in the Church and in the world, heightened this expectation. Such a view of an immediate advent had taken possession of the minds of the Thessalonian converts. Their anxiety for the loss of their deceased relatives, who, they thought, would lose all the benefits occurring at the advent, had indeed been assuaged by the former Epistle, but the expecta- tion of the immediate advent itself had grown in strength. The Thessa- lonians, it would seem, from misapprehending some passages of the First Epistle, considered that the day of Christ was at hand ( eh. ii. 2). Mistaken a.ml enthusiastic men had also nourished this deception by appee.ling to visions and to the traditiona1-y sayings of the apostle; and it would even appear that an Epistle had been forged in the name of the apostle. The Church was thrown into e. state of wild excitement; an impatient and fanatical longing for the instant when Christ would come seized upon one portion, whilst fear and consternation 11t the 1nvful11ess of the event over- whelmed another. The consequence was that many of the Thessaloniaus were neglecting their secular business and living idle and useless lives, conceiving that there was no use of wo1·king in a world which was so soon 6 jy INTRODUCTION TO
to be destroyed, or of performing the o.uties belonging to a. state of things which was so soon to terminate. Their only duty tht:.f felt was to be in readiness for the imrue,liate coming of their Lord. According·ly the design of the apostle, in writing this Epistle, was to correct the error which the Thes:-alonians entertained ooncerning the immediate a.dvent, and to rectify those abuses to whioh that error ha,l given rise. The main object of the apo::-tle was to warn the Thessalonians against thinking that the day of the Lord was imminent. 'l'he apostle reminds them of his former instructions on this point, and tells them that a 110ries of event&---the manifestation and destruction of the man of sin-- would intervene. "Now we beseeoh you concerning the advent of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together unto him, that ye be not ~oon shaken from your mind, or be troubled, neither by :spirit, nor by word. nor by letter as from us, 11,1, that the day of Christ is pret.ent" (oh. ii. 1, 2). And, along with this correction of error, was the correction of the disorders occasioned by it. There were among the Thessalonians some who walked disorderly, working not at all; them he enjoined to return to their employ- ments, to do their work with quietnet1s, and to eat the bread of honest labuur ( eh. iii. 10-12). With regard to its contents, the Epistle is divided into three parts, nearly corresponding to the three chapters in our version; the first part is eucharistic, the second apocalyptic, and the third practical. The apostle, after saluting the Thes~alonians, renders thanks to God for the good report which he had receiYed of them, for the increase of their faith and love, and for their great patience under prolonged persecution; he comforts them under t.heir sufferings by the prospect of rest and recompense at the advent of the Lord Jesus, and prays for their continuance in the faith, and for the glory of Christ's name through their steadfastness and holiness (eh. i.). He then proceeds tc, the principal object which he had in view-the correo- tion of their error in supposing that the day of Christ was imminent. He admonishes them not to suffer themselves to be led away by excitement as if Chri,;t would immediately appear, he reminds them of his former oon- ver,.;ations with them on this subject, and he describes the coming of the man of sin which must precede the coming of Christ ( eh. ii. 1-12). He then exhorts them to attend to the admonitions he had given them, whether by word or by his Epistle; he prays that the Lord might direot their minds to a patient waiting for the advent of Christ; he especially warns them against that unsteadiness and idlene88 which prevailed among them ; he enjoins them to di1<co11ntenance and admonish o.11 those who would not be per~uaded by his i 1,_j II nctions; and he concludes his Epistle by appendiu~ with hi" own hand his ap01,tolic benediction, a.Iii a token of it.a genuinenflllS ( eh. ii. 13--iii.). • THE SECOND EPISTLE TO '!'HJ<; Tlil<;SSALO.NlA.NS. V