Hi James and Ellen,
2 Thessalonians is the second letter that was sent in 51 A.D. to the emergent Christ-follower fellowship of guys and gals that was in the city of Thessalonica. This three chapter communiqué was penned by a missionary whose name was Paul from the city of Tarsus. Paul was the guy who initiated the startup of the Christ-follower community of guys and gals that was in the city of Thessalonica. Paul was on route during his second missionary journey – which was possibly in early 51 A.D., from the city of Achaia to the city of Philippi, when he decided to stop in the city of Thessalonica. Two cohorts – whose names were Silas and Timothy, were with him. Because the city of Thessalonica was on a well-traveled Roman road and next to the Aegean Sea, the city of Thessalonica had become a strategic military center and a major commercial port of entry. About 200,000 guys, gals and kids were calling the city of Thessalonica their home when Paul, Silas and Timothy arrived in the city of Thessalonica. When Paul persisted in teaching and/or preaching in the synagogue that was in the city of Thessalonica about a new belief paradigm that Jesus was the awaited for Messiah, old Jewish hardliners decided that Paul had to go. This opposing faction of guys to Paul’s teaching and/or preaching had these guys taking Paul to the local city magistrates with the charge that Paul was fomenting – through his teaching and/or preaching, an insurrection against Caesar – who was the Roman Emperor at this time. Instead of provoking even more violent controversy through his teaching and/or preaching, Paul and his two traveling companions left for the town of Berea and then on to the city of Athens and then on to the city of Corinth. Paul penned 2 Thessalonians while he was in the city of Corinth.
The first letter that Paul penned to the Christ-follower guys and gals who were living the city of Thessalonica was about two months earlier couriered to them by Timothy. Paul’s first letter may have acerbated the consternation and angst that the guys and gals who were Christ-follows who were living in the city of Thessalonica were feeling. Apparently not long before the guys and gals who were Christ-follows who were living in the city of Thessalonica received Paul’s first letter, they received a letter that was purportedly sent to them by Paul that Paul had not penned and which may have been in conflict with the Good News message that Paul had taught them. At the time that they received Paul’s first letter, a number of the Christ-follower guys and gals who were living in the city of Thessalonica were having to put up with harsh bullying from guys who were Jews who were traditionalists who were refusing to stop following the worship regulations and life rules that are in the Torah. Other Christ-follow guys and gals who were living in the city Thessalonica had become apprehensive because of the teachings of Paul regarding when the last days were to arrive. Because Paul communicates in 2 Thessalonica of being ticked off when Timothy – after Timothy took Paul’s first letter to the Christ-follower guys and gals who were living in the city of Thessalonica, told him that some of the guys and gals were associating with guys and gals who were spending their days sitting around doing nothing and/or acting out, your grandpaa thinks that Timothy’s report may have triggered Paul to immediately send a second letter to the Christ-follower guys and gals who were living in the city Thessalonica to sternly advise them to stay clear of any guy or gal who was living and/or acting out in irresponsible, irreprehensible ways.
2 Thessalonians is the second or the third known letter that was penned by Paul that was sent to guys and gals who had become Christ-followers because of Paul’s teaching and preaching. Because of today’s sociopolitical and socioeconomic climate throughout the world having ethnic minority, lifestyle, environmental, union, etc. sub-groups of guys and gals dictating political decisions that do not reflect the desires of the majority of guys and gals, the noise of a critical mass that is made up of all the sub-groups that are depending on and demanding entitlements from their country’s government to survive is growing into a loud uproar for cultural and monetary fixes. Exactly what Paul in 2 Thessalonians was hammering on about lazy and unruly guys and gals is happening all over today on planet Earth. A woke mantra that promises change meant and/or means to these guys and gals that they have been given or will be given the right to do whatever they want in their pursuit of self-gratification and their belief that wealth that has been accrued by others is theirs. What stands out in what Paul penned to the guys and gals who are Christ-followers who were living in the city of Thessalonica in this second letter that he sent them is that apostasy led by a lawless one is going to happen. What really concerns your grandpaa today about the Christ-follower fellowships that are in the United States is their tendency to first condone a sub-group clamor, then give open arms inclusion to a sub-group, then make holistic helps the outreach of choice and then do blame casting on the wealthy or the government for their not . . . and not on themselves or a religious network for not being blessed. Your grandpaa thinks that if fellowships of Christ-followers in the United States invest again into their youth through Bible knowledge driven, experiential learning discipleship – without bringing up debauchery, inequities and hate which Satan uses to delude, that the Christ-follower fellowships that are in the United States will once again have a zeal that is grounded in Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians