World English Bible · Under Rome
2 Thessalonians 1
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, Silvanus, and , to of the Thessalonians in and : to you and peace from and . We are bound to always give thanks to for you, brothers, even as it is appropriate, because your grows exceedingly, and the love of each and every one of you toward one another abounds, so that we ourselves boast about you in the assemblies of for your and in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which you . This is an obvious sign of of , to the end that you may be counted worthy of Kingdom, for which you also suffer. For it is a thing with to repay affliction to those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted with us when is from with his mighty in flaming , punishing those who don't know , and to those who don't the of our , who will pay the penalty: from and from the of his might, when he comes in that day to be glorified in his and to be admired among all those who have , because our to you was . To this end we also always for you that our may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every of goodness and work of with , that the name of our may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the of our and .
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Christians read this chapter differently
- What happens to those who are finally lost? · 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10
Every view at its strongest, with who holds it and what it has to answer for.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.