Paul's letters to the Thessalonians

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Yesterday and today the first readings come from the second letter of St Paul to the Thessalonians. Paul's mission to Thessalonika began when he received a vision from someone from Macedonia who begged him to, ''Come over to Macedonia and help us.'' Paul, Silas and Timothy went to the large, Influential city of Thessalonika in Macedonia and although Paul was only there for three weeks, he was able to convert a number of both Jews and Gentiles to follow Jesus. But Jewish leaders were so angry that they drove Paul and his followers from the city. But Paul was anxious to find out if the recent converts were remaining faithful so he wrote his first letter to them. Both letters were written between 49 and 51 AD and so make them the earliest texts of the New Testament. They appear to have been written closely to each other in time.

 

So why were there two letters? The answer seems to be that when Paul wrote in the first letter that although no one knows when the Lord will return they must stay awake and alert always as the Lord will come like a thief in the night. Some interpreted those words as if the second coming of the Lord was so imminent that they stopped working. When Timothy brought that news to Paul he immediately wrote his second letter urging those people to settle down and start working for a living. Paul urges us constantly to recognize that Jesus is present at all times in all we do. Not only in prayer or Mass but when we are at school, work or resting at home. ''Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God,the Father, through him.'' (Colossians 3: 17)