1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus are traditionally called the Pastoral Epistles, due to their aims and contents: they provide instructions for pastoral oversight of congregations, giving considerable attention to the qualifications and duties of congregational leaders who function as pastors. Some commentators have judged these epistles harshly, claiming that they reflect a version of Christianity concerned with organization and structure. These letters are said to lack the earlier zeal for the Gospel, the freedom of life in the Spirit, and the sense of the church as the dynamic people of God in pilgrimage.
As Arland J. Hultgren shows, the Pastoral Epistles are the work of a faithful witness to the Gospel, setting forth a synthesis of Christian doctrine and moral teaching. They keep the church faithful to its calling under the lordship of Christ, and serve as primary documents for studies in the doctrine of the church and its ministry.
The book of 2 Thessalonians, containing only three chapters, is the shortest in the New Testament with the exception of Philemon. Yet because of its subject matter, is remains one of the most interesting, and has enjoyed an extensive, influential, and even controversial history of interpretation. In 2 Thessalonians, Paul encourages the persecuted, warns against idleness, and describes the Day of the Lord. Roger Aus’s commentary on 2 Thessalonians contains an outline, bibliography, and chapter-by-chapter exegetical and interpretive analysis of the entire epistle.
