# 2 Thessalonians 01 General Notes

#### Structure and formatting

Verses 1-2 formally introduce this letter. Letters in the ancient Near East commonly had introductions of this type.

#### Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter

##### Paradox

A paradox is a true statement that appears to describe something impossible. A paradox occurs in verses 4-5: "We talk about your patience and faith in all your persecutions. We talk about the afflictions that you endure. This is a sign of God's righteous judgment." People would not normally think that believing in God while being persecuted is a sign of God's righteous judgment. But in verses 5-10, Paul explains how God will reward those who believe in him and how he will judge those who afflict them. ([2 Thessalonians 1:4-5](./04.md))
## Links:

* __[2 Thessalonians 01:01 Notes](./01.md)__

* __[2 Thessalonians intro](../front/intro.md) | [>>](../02/intro.md)__