AD 52-53 – 2 Thessalonians

36 (Galatians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, and 1 & 2 Corinthians). Paul’s epistles were placed more in the order of size and importance of content, rather than chronologically.

Soon after Paul arrived in Thessalonica, the Jewish community there stirred up a persecution, which threatened to kill Paul. So Paul was escorted out by his fellow Christians, and went to Berea where he found a more noble-minded group of Jewish folks.

There were some Thessalonian Christians who evidently were killed in the local persecution there, and the living Christians were worried that the dead ones would miss out on all the benefits that would come to the living saints at the Parousia. Paul reassured them that their departed loved ones would not miss out on any of the benefits, but instead would be raised first before the living got any benefits, and then together with the living and remaining saints would be caught up to be with Jesus. The living saints would be reunited with their resurrected loved ones at the Parousia when both the resurrected dead and the changed living saints were caught up together as one group to meet Jesus in the unseen spiritual realm at His Parousia. This reunion idea forces the conclusion that the living would be changed (without physical death) into the unseen realm, where they would join with the resurrected dead to be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air, and then remain there with Him forever. Paul tells them to comfort one another with these words. If they had to wait until their death to be reunited, this language here about the living saints being gathered together as one group with the resurrected dead makes no sense. In order for there to be a real reunion at the Parousia with their departed loved ones, the living would have to be changed (1 Cor. 15:51-54) and caught up together with them into the presence of Christ, where they would remain forever afterwards (1 Thess. 4:17-18).

One of the more fascinating features of the two Thessalonian epistles is their similarities with Matthew’s version of the Olivet Discourse (a.k.a. Matthew 24). In our comments about the date of Matthew’s gospel above, we documented those similarities between Matthew 24 and 1 Thess 4-5; 2 Thess 2. Those connections are numerous and unmistakable, leaving little room for doubt that Matthew’s gospel was written and in circulation before Paul wrote to the Thessalonians in AD 51-53.

AD 52-53 – 2 Thessalonians.

Paul wrote Second Thessalonians while still at Corinth (on his second missionary journey). 2 Cor. 1:19; Acts 18:18-21. He was in Corinth for a year and a half (two Winters and the year between). Knowing the date of these two epistles to Thessalonica helps tremendously in interpreting their eschatological content. Paul had taught them about a great tribulation that would usher in the Day of the Lord (Second Coming, Resurrection, Judgment).

Because the Thessalonians were experiencing a heavy persecution at that time (but it was only a local persecution, not empire-wide), they were tempted to think that the Day of the Lord must have arrived (2 Thess. 2:2). But Paul reminded them of all the things that were still yet to happen before the Day of the Lord could come.

There would first have to be an “apostasy.” The commentaries are split over what this word “apostasy” (Gk. apostasia) means. Some think it is referring to the Great Tribulation upon the whole church scattered throughout the empire (i.e., the Neronic persecution in AD 64-66), not just a local persecution like they were experiencing there in Thessalonica in AD 51. That empirewide persecution would tempt many to turn away from the faith (apostatize). There are no critical problems with that approach, since it falls within the same historical time-frame.

But others (including this writer) think this “apostasy” may be talking about the revolt of the Jews in AD 66. We point out that this word “apostasy” (Gk. apostasia) is translated “rebellion” or “revolt” in Josephus [e.g., War 7.82, 7.164, and Life 43]. Several bible translations also render it as “rebellion” or “revolt” (e.g., NET, NIV, CEB, CEV, NJB, REB, ESV, GWord, CENT, CNT, NRSV, et al). It is only used twice in our NT (Acts 21:21 and 2 Thess. 2:3). In Acts 21:21 the Judaizers were accusing Paul of teaching Jewish Christians outside Palestine to abandon (rebel against)