C. Reversal of Order 26
Both epistles tell us that the senders were "Paul, Silas, and Timothy." Throughout both letters "we" tends to be used rather than "I" (though there are some exceptions). It has been suggested accordingly that we might find a solution to our problems by thinking of one or other of Paul's helpers as being the writer of one or both of the letters, Silas usually being favored.
Now it is obvious that if we think of either Silas or Timothy as being responsible for both letters, we are in no better case than if we think of Paul as having written them both.52 Indeed, the case is rather worse, for we are then faced with the problem of accounting for the similarity of style, language, and theology to those of other letters certainly written by Paul.
It is more plausible to think of one of Paul's helpers as having a larger place in 2 Thessalonians than in 1 Thessalonians. As we saw earlier, there is practically no disputing that Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians; what doubts there are center around the second letter. But against such a solution are three considerations. The first is the similarity of style, language, and theology. How did Silas or Timothy achieve this? The second is the statement that Paul signed the letter (2 Thess. 3:17). The third is Paul's intense personal interest in his converts. The Corinthian correspondence shows that it was his habit to deal in person with even comparatively unimportant matters. It is not easy to think of him as delegating to another the responsibility for dealing with a situation like that at Thessalonica.
Thus while this view is superficially attractive, it will not bear critical examination. The facts point us to Paul as the author of both epistles.