Contents.— These letters are peculiar in that two of Paul's fellow-workers, Silas and Timothy, are associated with him in the address (i, 1), though it is plain that in composition and hi thought as well as in personal relations it is definitely his own letter. In 1 Thess., he first gives an explanation of his failure to return to them, adding an assurance of his strong affec tion for them and an assurance of his confidence in their affection for him and their continuing faith in Christ, all so put as to answer any mis representations of him and his work which might be current (i, 2-iii, 13). Then come va rious moral injunctions, first, to chastity, and then to brotherly love, with which is associated the duty of diligent labor (iv, 1-12). There follows the correction of the painful misun derstanding of sotne of the Christians as to their friends who had lately died, by the as surance that through their resurrection they would be at no disadvantage when Christ should return, and encouragement for all in reference to the same return (iv, 13-v, 11), and, finally, warnings against various disorders, couched in brief injunctions, and a few salutations (12-28).
In the second letter, after a brief greeting (i, 1, 2), Paul' gives utterance to a remarkable expression of thanksgiving and prayer (i, 3-12) ; then corrects the misunderstanding of what he had said in his first letter, assuring them that before the ((Day of the Lord* there was much history to be made, including a great apostacy (ii, 1-12) ; a brief encouragement to faint hearted brethren follows cii, 13-iii, 5), and warnings to the idle and dissolute (iii, 6-15), the Epistle ending with a word of explanation of how the Apostle added to his dictated let ters a certificate in his own handwriting and the benediction with which he commonly closed his letters (iii, 16-18).
Bibliography.— Frame, J. E., (Commentary on the-Epistle of Saint Paul to the Thessalo nians) (International Critical Commentary, 1912) ; Lake, K., (The Earlier Epistle of Saint Paul) (1911) ; Milligan, George, (Saint Paul's Epistle to the Thessalonians) (1908) ; Moffatt, James, (First and Second Epistles to the Thes salonians) (Expositor's Greek Testament, 1910).