2 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians is the fifty-third book of the Bible. It is traditionally attributed to Paul and is generally dated to around AD 51 to 52, written from Corinth not long after 1 Thessalonians. The letter responds to a follow-up problem in the Thessalonian church: a teaching had spread, possibly through a forged letter attributed to Paul, claiming that the day of the Lord had already arrived.

Paul writes to correct this. He thanks them for their continued faith under persecution and assures them that their persecutors will face judgment. He then addresses the false teaching directly.

The middle chapter is the most distinctive in the letter. Paul describes a sequence of events that must happen before the day of the Lord: a great rebellion, the revealing of "the man of lawlessness" who will set himself up as God in the temple, and a final defeat of this figure by the Lord Jesus. The passage is difficult to interpret and has been read in many ways across Christian history.

The closing chapter turns to a practical problem. Some in the church, perhaps believing the end was imminent, had stopped working and were being supported by others. Paul tells them firmly to get back to work, citing his own example of working with his hands while he was among them.