I Thessalonians 2
Dear RTB’ers,
I posted yesterday on a bit of the background to the Thessalonian letters. Paul mentions in today’s second verse a bit that I had left out, that Paul had come to Thessalonica from Philippi where he and Silas had been badly treated, not by the Jews this time, but by the town merchants who were afraid of losing their markets as people turned away from their idols to the true God Whom Paul was preaching. The miracle of their release surely emboldened Paul to preach all the more strongly wherever he went. Clearly the Thessalonians were the recipients of this powerful message.
As we read through today’s second chapter we get the sense that Paul has built a very strong relationship with the Thessalonian believers: So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. (v. 10) In fact, however, Paul had spent only three sabbaths there! (Acts 17:2) But those three weeks must have been powerful times for him with them – so powerful that he had felt the need to send Timothy back to check up on them, and then to revisit them himself nearly two years later on a major detour as he was headed to Jerusalem.
In my comments on chapter 1 four years ago I had mentioned how often in Paul’s letters we will see him writing in triads – three items typically tied together by the conjunction “and” or some other connector. There were two yesterday, in I Thes. 1:3 (faith, love and hope) and in I Thes. 1:9b-10a (turned, to serve, to wait.) Today we see five: I Thes. 2:5-6; 2:10; 2:11; 2:13-14 (a bit hidden); and in I Thes. 2:19. Look back and find them all yourself; it’s a fun exercise!
Blessings!