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The greater part of men do and devise all things with a view to ingratiate themselves with rulers, and with those who are greater than themselves; and they account it a great thing, and think themselves happy, if they can obtain that object. But if to obtain favor with men is so great an advantage, how great must it be to find favor with God? On this account he always thus prefaces his Epistle, and invokes this upon them, knowing that if this be granted, there will be nothing afterwards grievous, but whatever troubles there may be, all will be done away. "Grace to you and peace," he says, "from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

This blessed man therefore saw how great is the grace of God, and on this account he invokes it upon them. And another thing also he effects, wishing to render them well-disposed to the remaining part of the Epistle; that, though he should reprove and rebuke them, they might not break away from him. For this reason he reminds them before all things of the grace of God, mollifying their hearts, that, even if there be affliction, being reminded of the grace by which they were saved from the greater evil, they may not despair at the less, but may thence derive consolation. As also elsewhere in an Epistle he has said, "For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by His life."

The beginning of the letter starts with the usual form of words, and the three men in whose name it is written are the same as in the first letter.

The first letter that was written to the them, where it comes to the place where the Apostle speaks of the role of the elect who are still alive on the Day of Judgment, saying, "Then we who are still alive, who are left, suddenly will be caught up with them to meet Christ in the air" (1 Thess 4:17), they were upset and utterly terrified, since they thought that the Apostle was saying that in his own lifetime, and thus in theirs, too, the Lord would come in judgment. They were afraid that they would be cast into the dungeon of eternal punishment with the Devil, because, as latecomers to the faith, they were imperfect. So the Apostle wrote this second letter to them as soon as he learned of their despair. In it he indicated to them that the Day of Judgment was not yet imminent in their lifetime. He also announces the coming and the death of the Antichrist.

And in the first epistle there is the same beginning. Therefore, all that we said there, apply here.

This epistle is divided into the greeting and the epistolary narration, at "we are bound to give thanks." And first the persons greeting are set out; second, the persons greeted; third, the good things wished. Now they are the same persons as those in the first letter to the Thessalonians. And three persons are listed as sending greetings so that the epistle's authority may appear the stronger. "A threefold cord is not easily broken" (Eccl 4:12). "To the church of the Thessalonians." "Church" names a congregation, which should be in God—otherwise it is bad. A Psalm says of the good congregation, "gather his holy ones to him" (Ps 50:5). "In Christ," that is, in the faith of Christ. "Through whom we have access through faith into this grace" (Rom 5:2).