Greetings. 2 Thessalonians 1:1-2.
Dear Saints,
We begin our meditations in Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians. This letter was written, not long after the first letter and is a response to some false teachers’ claims that the day of the Lord had already come. This obviously worried the Christians, some of whom thought that they had missed the coming of the Lord. Paul explains to the Christians what they should expect before the day of the Lord. The problem of people not working, in the name of waiting for the Lord’s coming, seems to also have grown. Paul addresses this as well, as he also again deals with the unrelenting persecution that the believers were facing.
Fellowship (v. 1). This verse is identical to the first verse of 1 Thessalonians. This is indicative of a pattern in Paul’s style. It also points to the fact that the evangelists’ unity had prevailed.
With Colleagues (v. 1a). Paul enjoins Silvanus (Silas) and Timothy in his letter, as he did previously. This demonstrates the oneness of purpose that these men shared. It is easy for people to start something together. Finishing together is a totally different matter. The proliferation of churches that have broken away from other churches is evidence of the general inability of people to remain in one mind.
With Charges (v. 1b). This letter is addressed to the church of the Thessalonians, but note that Paul uses the first person “our” in his address. As he enjoins his colleagues, he also enjoins his charges, the believers in Thessalonica. The unifying factor is “God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”Fellowship must be based on something held in common. Excluding those of contrary faith is not unfair – it is practical.
Favor (v. 2). As in the first letter (and in most of his letters) Paul wishes the Christians Grace. As we have seen before, this was a typical Greek salutation and Peace. An equally typical Hebrew/Jewish greeting. The difference in Paul’s greetings is the addition of the phrase “from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” This makes all the difference because grace and peace without God are empty wishes.
With God, they are assured, as the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf and the peace that comes from God when we receive Christ as Saviour, clearly demonstrates. Without God, a lot of wishes end in disappointment. With God, wishes have a good chance of becoming horses.
Your Loving Pastor Chris.