With relief, Paul turns from discussing the delusion of those who are perishing to give thanks again for those who are being saved. The structure of this thanksgiving is almost identical with that of the introductory thanksgiving of this and other letters. So much so, indeed, that some suggest that this could be the remnant of another epistle that has been incorporated into this (see Schmithals, pp. 193f.). Nothing can be proven, of course, and it is better therefore to regard these verses as simply resuming the earlier thanksgiving (1:3f.) in much the same way as 1 Thessalonians 2:13 takes up again the introductory thanksgiving of that letter. In the closing verses of this section (vv. 16–17), thanksgiving turns to petition (another so-called wish-prayer, see disc. on 1 Thess. 3:11–13), …