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2 Thessalonians 2:7-12

Context
2:7 For the hidden power of lawlessness 1  is already at work. However, the one who holds him back 2  will do so until he is taken out of the way, 2:8 and then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord 3  will destroy by the breath of his mouth and wipe out by the manifestation of his arrival. 2:9 The arrival of the lawless one 4  will be by Satan’s working with all kinds of miracles 5  and signs and false wonders, 2:10 and with every kind of evil deception directed against 6  those who are perishing, because they found no place in their hearts for the truth 7  so as to be saved. 2:11 Consequently 8  God sends on them a deluding influence 9  so that they will believe what is false. 2:12 And so 10  all of them who have not believed the truth but have delighted in evil will be condemned. 11 

1 tn Grk “the mystery of lawlessness.” In Paul “mystery” often means “revealed truth, something formerly hidden but now made widely known,” but that does not make sense with the verb of this clause (“to be at work, to be active”).

2 tn Grk “the one who restrains.” This gives a puzzling contrast to the impersonal phrase in v. 6 (“the thing that restrains”). The restraint can be spoken of as a force or as a person. Some have taken this to mean the Roman Empire in particular or human government in general, since these are forces that can also be seen embodied in a person, the emperor or governing head. But apocalyptic texts like Revelation and Daniel portray human government of the end times as under Satanic control, not holding back his influence. Also the power to hold back Satanic forces can only come from God. So others understand this restraint to be some force from God: the preaching of the gospel or the working of the Holy Spirit through God’s people.

3 tc ‡ Several important witnesses of the Alexandrian and Western traditions, as well as many other witnesses, read ᾿Ιησοῦς (Ihsous, “Jesus”) after κύριος (kurios, “Lord”; so א A D* F G Lc P Ψ 0278 33 81 104 365 1241 2464 pc latt sy co). But there is sufficient evidence in the Alexandrian tradition for the shorter reading (B 1739 1881), supported by the Byzantine text as well as Irenaeus. Although it is possible that scribes overlooked ᾿Ιησοῦς if the two nomina sacra occurred together (kMsiMs), since “the Lord Jesus” is a frequent enough appellation, it looks to be a motivated reading. NA27 places ᾿Ιησοῦς in brackets, indicating some doubts as to its authenticity.

4 tn Grk “whose coming,” referring to the lawless one. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek construction, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

5 tn Grk “every miracle.”

6 tn Grk “deception for/toward.”

7 tn Grk “they did not accept the love of the truth.”

8 tn Grk “and for this reason.”

9 tn Grk “a working of error.”

10 tn Grk “that.” A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

11 tn Grk “be judged,” but in this context the term clearly refers to a judgment of condemnation (BDAG 568 s.v. κρίνω 5.b.α; cf. KJV “that they all might be damned”). CEV views the condemnation as punishment (“will be punished”).



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