Walk Through The Bible: II Thessalonians
Text for Sermon: II Thessalonians 1:1-4, 6-7, 10-12; 2:13-15; 3:11-13
Introduction.
The last shall be first.
We have come to the last of Paul’s nine letters to churches in the NT. But it is one of his very first. Since II Thessalonians deals with the same issues as his first letter to the Thessalonians, it was probably written soon after the first which would make them Paul’s two very earliest writings.
It truly is remarkable that we have these two-thousand-year-old documents so well preserved by the Holy Spirit. There are very few complete and well-preserved documents of any other secular writings from this time in ancient history.
The New Testament is unique among ancient literature. There are over 25,000 surviving ancient copies and fragments of manuscripts. On other ancient literature comes even close.
God is at work here preserving and protecting His Word. This is His gift to His Church. This is the trustworthy, eternally true, unchanging truth of the living God. We should not neglect so great a gift.
Paul is the writer, but the author is the Holy Spirit, which is why we still read it today to our benefit.