2 Thessalonians 1:1

PAUL'S SECOND LETTER TO THE THESSALONIANS

2 THESS. 1

This chapter has Paul's salutation: (1) and thanksgiving for the Thessalonians because of the manner of their acceptance of the gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:2-11).

Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ; (2 Thessalonians 1:1)

Paul and Silvanus and Timothy ... As the Thessalonian church was constituted largely of Gentiles, there had been no contradiction of his apostolic authority; and whatever slanders had been leveled against him had "risen over Paul's character."[1] Paul's true character was of such noble quality that it formed the natural fountain of his moral and religious authority without any appeal to the apostolic office which was rightfully his. Besides that, "Paul was on such intimate terms with the readers that it was natural to omit it."[2] The title was also omitted in other letters, as from Philippians and Philemon, where the same love and friendship for Paul prevailed.

Silvanus ... is "the Latin form of Silas."[3] This was the man chosen by Paul following the dispute with Barnabas over taking John Mark on the second missionary tour (Acts 15:40), the reasons for such a choice probably lying in the good reputation Silas had (Acts 15:41), and the additional fact of his being a Roman citizen (Acts 16:48). Paul's mention of him here, ahead of Timothy, was appropriate because of the share Silas had in the conversion of the Thessalonians; also, Silas had been chosen somewhat before Timothy was enlisted at Lystra.

Timothy ... Neither Timothy nor Silas may be understood in any sense as co-authors of this letter. See under 2 Thessalonians 1:3. The mention of these two faithful workers was simply a matter of friendship and courtesy on the part of the apostle.

In God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ ... The theological thrust of this expression is boundless. The oneness of the Father and the Son, the deity of Christ, as well as the whole doctrine of the incarnation are securely anchored in a text like this. As Cousins said, "Here, incidentally, is a powerful witness to the faith of the primitive church in the full deity of the Son."[4]

In God ... Just as human beings live in the atmosphere, and at the same time the atmosphere is in them, just so the spiritual life of Christians is "in God" and "in Christ," both God and Christ also being likewise in them.

[1] James Moffatt, The Expositor's Greek New Testament, Vol. IV (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967), p. 23.

[2] Ronald A. Ward, Commentary on 1,2Thessalonians (Waco, Texas: Word Book Publishers, 1973), p. 21.

[3] Peter E. Cousins, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 492.

[4] Ibid.