The Authenticity of the Second Letter to the Thessalonians

The debate over the authorship of Second Thessalonians centers on its similarities to First Thessalonians, with scholars divided on whether Paul wrote it or if it is a later imitation. William Wrede's influential study highlights numerous shared words and phrases, establishing strong parallels between the two letters. His findings, which identify exact matches and related passages, significantly shape the argument for the letter's pseudonymous nature, making his work a cornerstone of scholarly analysis in this area.