What situation does 2 Thessalonians address, and what is debated about its setting or authorship?
The relation of the letter to First Thessalonians depends on how its authorship and literary dependence are judged.
Acts 16:6-10 · Acts 16:11-40; Phil 1:5 · Acts 17:1-9; 1 Thess 1-3 · Acts 17:10-15 · Acts 17:16-34 · Acts 18:1-11; 1 Thess 3:1-6 · Acts 18:12-17
What remains uncertain
On a direct-Pauline reading, AD 51–52 and probably Corinth are traditional reconstructions near First Thessalonians during the second journey; the letter itself names no writing city.
If the letter was written later in Pauline tradition, that date and place no longer describe its composition.
The authorship of 2 Thessalonians is debated. Some scholars read it as Paul clarifying his earlier teaching; others see its style and presentation of the day of the Lord as evidence of a later writer working in Pauline tradition.
A later work in Pauline tradition: Many scholars regard Second Thessalonians as a later work in Pauline tradition, citing differences in style and the treatment of the day of the Lord. The letter would not belong in the Corinthian stay and would need a later historical setting.
Sources: An Introduction to the New Testament · The Pauline letters · The Acts of the Apostles · Pauline Letters chronology · Paul: A Critical Life
Sources
Acts 16:6-10 · Acts 16:11-40; Phil 1:5 · Acts 17:1-9; 1 Thess 1-3 · Acts 17:10-15 · Acts 17:16-34 · Acts 18:1-11; 1 Thess 3:1-6 · Acts 18:12-17
- An Introduction to the New Testament
Raymond E. Brown, An Introduction to the New Testament (Doubleday, 1997). Chapter 26, “Second Letter to the Thessalonians,” “General Analysis of the Message”; Chapter 26, “Second Letter to the Thessalonians,” “Summary of Basic Information,” “DATE”; Chapter 26, “Second Letter to the Thessalonians,” “Summary of Basic Information,” “FROM”; Chapter 26, “Second Letter to the Thessalonians,” “The Purpose of II Thessalonians”; Chapter 26, “Second Letter to the Thessalonians,” “Did Paul Write II Thessalonians?”
- The Pauline letters
Romans through Philemon, World English Bible (public domain).
- The Acts of the Apostles
Acts 7–28, World English Bible (public domain).
- Pauline Letters chronology
The project’s 67-row chronology, cross-referencing Acts and the letters and labeling debated dates.
- Paul: A Critical Life
Jerome Murphy-O’Connor, Paul: A Critical Life (Oxford University Press, 1996). Chapter 1, “The Chronological Framework,” “The Evidence from the Pauline Letters” and “The Evidence from the Acts of the Apostles”
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