No Cross or Resurrection?!!?

2 Thessalonians has no explicit mention of the cross or resurrection of Jesus. 

Why doesn't Paul fit into the paradigms that we have created from his writings?

Variations in Paul's Writing

Having been so deeply encouraged by Paul's Christ-centered, gospel-centered exhortations to husbands and wives in Ephesians 5:22-33, I was surprised this morning to see that Paul gives the same exhortation to the church in the city of Colossae WITHOUT the Christ-centered, gospel-centered backdrop in Colossians 3:18-19.  It's true that Colossians is full of wonderful descriptions of the impact of the death and resurrection of Jesus (and Colossians 3:1-17 does have a wonderful explanation of the implications of the death and resurrection of Jesus for our personal growth).  But it was startling to read Paul's "bare exhortations" in this all important area of life when I've been so used to being moved by the image of Christ's relationship with the church.

The implications of this are either:

1.  Maybe Paul doesn't feel compelled to offer the gospel after EVERY SINGLE exhortation that he makes (though he does seem to do this in Ephesians 4-6).

2.  Maybe we need to learn to read the letters of Paul as entire letters, not cutting out verses as though they are not connected to what Paul says earlier or later.