The Skeptics' Overrated Bible on Thessalonians

as analyzed by Sheila Rangslinger

1 Thessalonians Highlights

1:4 The elect and the damned are predestined by God. Not in a way that precludes their own responsibility. See here.

2:3 Was Paul without guile? See here.

2:10 Paul with his usual modesty, proclaims that he is holy, just, and blameless. Modesty of this sort is a modern value. The ancients contrarily expected this sort of commentary as a defense.

2:14-16 Paul accuses "the Jews" of killing Jesus, persecuting the prophets, displeasing God, and being "contrary to all men." He concludes that the wrath of God will "come upon them to the uttermost. And SAB of course has proven that they did none of these things, to say nothing of not being too informed about ancient rhetoric. See here.

2:18 Paul would have arrived earlier, but Satan hindered him. And the problem, other than SAB's begged question against the supernatural, is what?

3:13 Paul expects Jesus to return within the lifetime of his lifetime. See here especially article on Paul.

4:4 Paul says everyone "should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor." I'll bet Paul's vessel was in good hands. And the point is, what?

4:6 Is it OK to steal?. Once again SAB thinks that the Jews of the Exodus stole, rather than asked for reparations that were owed them.

4:15, 17 Paul thought he would live to see the rapture. Not exactly. See above.

4:16 "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel...." JW issue. We pass.

5:14-16 Be kind to one another. He likes it.

5:21 Paul gives some good advice in this verse, saying "prove all things; hold fast to what is good." But should we "prove all things," as Paul says in this verse, or "believe all things," as he says in 1 Cor.13:7? See here.

5:23 Paul prays that the Thessalonians will be good until Jesus returns. Of course this implies that he expected this to happen within their lifetimes. See above.

2 Thessalonians

1:7-9 Jesus will take "vengeance on them that know not God" by burning them forever "in flaming fire." Mere argument by outrage.
2:2 "The day of Christ is at hand." Paul believed that he would see Jesus' return. See above.
2:8 Jesus will "consume" the wicked "with the spirit of his mouth." More outrage only.
2:9 This verse says that Satan, not God, is all-powerful. Just like Mark says Jesus taught "all things" including presumably calculus. The word "all" here though can mean "every kind" and is no more universal in scope that someone who says a zoo has "every kind" of animal when they mean they have a large variety.
2:11-12 God will cause us to believe lies so that he can damn our souls to hell. See here.
2:13 God selects those who are to be saved (or damned) "from the beginning." It therefore makes no difference how good, kind, honest, or loving we may be; if god hasn't chosen us, we will be damned. See above, first link.
3:6, 14 Those who disagree with Paul are to be shunned. And of course SAB can prove Paul was wrong and that the shunning was unwarranted....he hasn't?
3:10 Paul said that those who will not or cannot work should starve to death. He must have been a Republican. SAB must be a liberal and in that case needs to turn 100% of his wages over to the government to feed the poor. If he has a TV, we'll take it and sell it. Does he have decent living quarters? We'll sell them and feed the poor. A conservative is a liberal who has just been mugged.
3:16 See Ex.15:3 for an example of what "the Lord of Peace" can do. See here. In this day BTW peace meant everything was being set right -- not, "no war". How did Rome keep the Pax Romana? by military force.