SECOND THESSALONIANS
                    FROM CORINTH A.D. 50 OR 51

                      BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION

        It is plain that First Thessalonians did not settle all
the difficulties in Thessalonica. With some there was precisely
the opposite result. There was some opposition to Paul's
authority and even defiance. So Paul repeats his "command" for
discipline ( 2Th 3:6 ) as he had done when with them ( 3:10 ). He
makes this Epistle a test of obedience ( 3:14 ) and finds it
necessary to warn the Thessalonians against the zeal of some
deceivers who even invent epistles in Paul's name to carry their
point in the church ( 2:1f. ), an early instance of
pseudepigraphic "Pauline" epistles, but not for a "pious"
purpose. Paul's keen resentment against the practise should make
us slow to accept the pseudepigraphic theory about other Pauline
Epistles. He calls attention to his own signature at the close of
each genuine letter. As a rule he dictated the epistle, but
signed it with his own hand ( 3:17 ). Paul writes to calm
excitement (Ellicott) and to make it plain that he had not said
that the Second Coming was to be right away.

        This Epistle is a bit sharper in tone than the First and
also briefer. It has been suggested that there were two churches
in Thessalonica, a Gentile Church to which First Thessalonians
was sent, and a Jewish Church to which Second Thessalonians was
addressed. There is no real evidence for such a gratuitous
hypothesis. It assumes a difficulty about his sending a second
letter to the same church that does not exist. The bearer of the
first letter brought back news that made a second necessary. It
was probably sent within the same year as the first.