2 Thessalonians

The letter names Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy as senders to the church in Thessalonica, encouraging believers under persecution, correcting claims that the Day of the Lord has already arrived, and confronting disruptive idleness. It promises God’s justice, describes rebellion and a “lawless one” before Christ’s coming, calls readers to stand firm in received teaching, and orders able members to work quietly rather than burden others. Authorship is disputed: if Paul and his coworkers wrote it soon after 1 Thessalonians, Corinth around AD 51–52 and the Acts 17–18 setting are likely; many scholars instead see a later writer using Pauline authority, perhaps around AD 70–95. Its greeting and structure resemble 1 Thessalonians, while its account of events before Christ’s return differs. These features fuel the authorship debate: a rapid clarification by Paul’s team or a later community’s application of Pauline teaching.