Paul’s time-line and location regarding Thessalonians:
| No. | Location and journey | Ref. |
| 1. | Paul and Silas fled from Thessalonica to Berea. | Acts 17:10 |
| 2. | Timothy joined Paul and Silas in Berea. | Acts.17:14 |
| 3. | Paul left for Athens due to Berean persecution. Silas and Timothy stayed back in Berea | –do– |
| 4 | Timothy joined Paul at Athens, but he was sent back to Thessalonica. Silas may have gone to Philippi. | 1Thes.3:1-2 |
| 5. | Silas and Timothy joined Paul in Corinth. | Acts 18:5
1 Thes.3:6 |
| 6 | Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians and sent to the Church | AD 51 |
| 7. | Paul wrote 2 Thessalonians letter and sent to the church with more clarification about the rapture and return of the Lord Jesus Christ |
AD 52. |
We can see some differences in the themes of 1 and 2 Thessalonians:
| 1 Thessalonians | 2 Thessalonians |
| Jesus Christ comes in the air for the church (4:13-18) | Jesus Christ comes to earth with His church. |
| Event takes place in the present age of grace. | The event takes place in the future day of the Lord. |
| Holy Spirit is working in the church | Satan will be working in the world (mystery of iniquity) |
| Paul reminded them of what he had taught to them. | Corrected false teaching that the Day of the Lord had already taken place. |
Key verses:
“We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing” (1:3)
“Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come” (2:1-2).
“For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming” (2:7-8).
Contents:
- The Revelation of Jesus Christ. (chap.1)
- The Rebellion of Anti-Christ. (chap.2)
- The Responsibility of Christians. (chap.3)