Paul begins this second epistle much the same way as he did the first epistle. The church at Thessalonica is not yet quite a year old and already the saints were maturing rapidly and the church was flourishing. Paul said that he was bound to thank God always for them. We ought to always thank God for our family in Christ. Paul expresses his gratitude for their growing faith, their abounding love and their patience in the midst of the persecution and tribulations they were enduring.