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| 1 We entreat and you, brethren, concerning the presence of the Lord of us Jesus Anointed, and of us assembling to him, |
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| 2 in order that not quickly to be shaken you from the mind, nor to be alarmed neither by a spirit, nor by a word, nor by a letter as by means of us, as that has come close the day of the Lord. |
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| 3 No one you should delude by any turn; because, if not may come the falling away first, and may be revealed the man of the sin, the son of the destruction, |
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| 4 he opposing and lifting up himself above all being called a god or an august object, so that him into the temple of the God to be seated, openly showing himself, that he is a god. |
He as God sitteth in the temple of God – The Church (nominal, which for most of the Gospel Age contained also the True church.)
Shewing himself that he is God – Consider the following from the book "Letters in the Roman Catholic Controversy" by William Craig Brownlee (1834) – page 44
And hence the titles of the pope, on the pages of these writers, who advocate this doctrine. He is “Deus alter in terra,” “another god on earth;” “the lord our god the pope.” “Idem est dominium Dei ac Papa;” “The dominion of God and the pope are the same!” “The infallible one.” And pope Clement VII. and his cardinals, in their letter to king Charles VI., say, “as there is only one God in heaven, so there cannot, and there ought not, to be but one God on earth!” — meaning himself. See Troisard, tom. 3. p. 147. Mussus, bishop of Bitonto, called the pope, “him who is to us as our God;” and the bishop of Grenada styled him, “a god on earth, not subject to a council.” And in Bellarmine’s noted saying, we have this doctrine, (lib. iv. de Rom. pont. c. 5:) “But if the pope should err by enjoining vice, and forbidding virtues, the church, teneretur credere, &c., would be bound to believe vices to be good, and virtues to be wicked, unles she would be willing to sin against conscience!” Pope Leo X., in his Brief of Nov. 9th, 1512, declared that “as vicar of Christ on earth, he had power to forgive, by virtue of the keys, the guilt and punishment of actual sins, &c.” See Dupin. vol. iv. p. 17.
These sentiments seem so monstrous, that many of my good natured readers, I dare say, actually think that we exaggerate. Hence I shall give a few more quotations from their approved writers in order to exonerate myself. “Estiment papam,” &c. They esteem the pope to be God alone; unicum Deum esse, “who has all power in heaven and in earth.” Gerson and Carron, p. 34; Giannon, Hist. Nap. X. 12. St. Bernard, Oper. 1725, says, — “Prater Deum, &c. — None is like unto the pope in heaven or earth, except God!” Pope Innocent III. avowed “that the pope holds the place of the true God.” — Papa locum Dei tenet in terris. Papa vicem non puri hominis, sed veri Dei gerens in terra.” See Pithou 29; Gilbert vol. ii. p. 9. “Papa et Christus, &c.—The pope and Christ make one consistory: so that, sin excepted, the pope can almost do all things which God can do.” See Jacobatius, De Concilio, Venet, Edit. 1728, Edgar Var. p. 161. |
| 5 Not remember you, that still being with you, these things I said to you? |
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| 6 and now the restraining thing you know, in order that to be revealed him in the of himself season.
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| 7 The for secret thing already works of the lawlessness, only the one restraining now till out of midst it may be; |
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| 8 and then will be revealed the lawless one; whom the Lord Jesus will consume with the breath of the mouth of himself, and will make powerless by the appearing of the presence of himself; |
Brightness – Ephiphania, bright-shining.
Coming – Parousia, presence.
Adjusting this for English sentence structure, this verse might better be rendered:
"And then shall be revealed the wicked one, whom the Lord will abolish by the spirit of his mouth and render him usless by the brightness of his presence."
Perhaps the most interesting difference between the KJV and the actual Greek is in the word "destroy" (G2673.) Some of the ways it is translated (in the KJV) include: "without effect;" "make void;" "made of none effect;" "bring to naught;" etc. These all carry the thought that this man of sin is to have his influence become useless, of no effect, etc. In other words he remains on the scene but his influence becomes less and less until, eventually, he is completely without influence. |
| 9 of whom in the presence, according to an energy of the adversary, with all power and signs and wonders of falsehood, |
Coming – Parousia, presence. |
| 10 and with every deception of the iniquity, in those perishing; because as the love of the truth not they received in order that to be saved them. |
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| 11 And because of this will send to them the God a strong working of deceit, in order that to believe them the falsehood; |
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| 12 so that may be judged all those not having believed the truth, but having delighted in the iniquity. |
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| 13 We but are bound to give thanks to the God always concerning you, brethren being beloved by Lord, because chose you the God from a beginning for salvation in sanctification of spirit and belief of truth; |
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| 14 into which he called you by means of the glad tidings of us, for obtaining glory of the Lord of us Jesus Anointed. |
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| 15 So then, brethren, stand you, and hold you fast the traditions, which you were taught, whether through a word or by a letter of us. |
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| 16 Himself but the Lord of us Jesus Anointed, and the God and Father of us he having loved us and having given a consolation age-lasting and a hope good by favor, |
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| 17 may comfort of you the hearts, and may establish you in every word and work good. |
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