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II Thessalonians
From A Storehouse of Knowledge
The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians is a letter written by St Paul to the early Christians in Thessalonica (in modern-day Greece). It was written after the First Letter to the Thessalonians, and is included in the Bible alongside Paul's other letters in the New Testament.
It seems that at the time the letter was written, the Christians in Thessalonica were suffering trials and persecution but flourishing despite them, for which Paul gives thanks. It also seems that certain people were saying that the Second Coming of Jesus had already happened, but Paul assures the Thessalonians that it has not (2 Thess 2:2-3). Following this, he goes into some detail about the circumstances that will surround the eventual Second Coming, and exhorts the Thessalonians to continue following his teachings in readiness for that event.
The letter ends with a warning against idleness; 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 provides an interesting commentary on the problem of people taking unfair advantage of a system of common ownership and mutual generosity.
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| New Testament | |
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| Prophecy | The Revelation to John |
