2 Thessalonians 2
Concerning the coming of the Lord and our gathering to him — do not be shaken or alarmed by a spirit, a word or a letter as if from us, as though the day of the Lord is present. First the departure must come and the man of lawlessness be revealed, the son of destruction — exalting himself over everything called god, sitting in God’s sanctuary, demonstrating himself God. You know what is holding; the mystery of lawlessness already works, and when the one holding is out of the midst the lawless one is revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will do away with by the spirit of his mouth and abolish by the appearing of his coming. His coming is by Satan’s working, in power, signs, wonders and deceit of the lie — to those who did not receive the love of the truth God sends a working of deception, that those pleased with unrighteousness be judged. But you, beloved by the Lord, God chose as firstfruits and called through the gospel: stand and hold the traditions. A wish — may the Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father console your hearts and strengthen you in every good work and word.
Why this rendering
2Thess.2.2 Observation
Syntactic observation
Ἐρωτῶμεν δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί, ὑπὲρ τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἡμῶν ἐπισυναγωγῆς ἐπ’ αὐτόν, εἰς τὸ μὴ ταχέως σαλευθῆναι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ νοὸς μηδὲ θροεῖσθαι μήτε διὰ πνεύματος μήτε διὰ λόγου μήτε δι’ ἐπιστολῆς ὡς δι’ ἡμῶν, ὡς ὅτι ἐνέστηκεν ἡ ἡμέρα τοῦ κυρίου. μή τις ὑμᾶς ἐξαπατήσῃ κατὰ μηδένα τρόπον· ὅτι ἐὰν μὴ ἔλθῃ ἡ ἀποστασία πρῶτον καὶ ἀποκαλυφθῇ ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῆς ἀνομίας, ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας — Now we ask you, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering to him, that you not be quickly shaken from your mind nor alarmed, neither through a spirit nor through a word nor through a letter as if through us, as though the day of the Lord is present. Let no one beguile you in any way; for unless the departure comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction — ὑπέρ is ‘concerning’ — the preposition of 2 Cor 1:8 ‘about our affliction’. ἐπισυναγωγή stands here and at Heb 10:25 in the New Testament — the noun of Matt 24:31 · Mark 13:27 ‘gather’ (ἐπισυνάγω) · ‘gathering’. σαλευθῆναι ἀπὸ τοῦ νοός ‘be shaken from your mind’ — the passive of Acts 17:13 ‘shake’ · νοῦς is Phil 4:7 ‘mind’ · θροεῖσθαι is Matt 24:6 · Mark 13:7 ‘be alarmed’ as there (three places in the New Testament) — those two also say ‘the end is not yet’ · ⸀μηδέ is the base text’s reading (the Received Text μήτε). Three μήτε — ‘spirit · word · letter’ · ὡς δι’ ἡμῶν ‘as if through us’ may attach to the letter alone or to all three · left open. ὡς ὅτι ἐνέστηκεν ‘as though it is present’ — the perfect of Rom 8:38 ‘things present’ · ‘the day of the Lord’ is ⸀κυρίου (the Received Text ‘the day of Christ’) · the day of 1 Thess 5:2. ἐξαπατήσῃ is Rom 16:18 ‘beguile’ · κατὰ μηδένα τρόπον ‘in any way’ — the word of Phil 1:18 ‘in every way’. ἐὰν μὴ ἔλθῃ … is a condition broken off without its main clause — rendered with a dash. ἀποστασία is Acts 21:21 ‘departure from Moses’ as there, ‘departure’ (two places in the New Testament) — not glossed as ‘apostasy’ · ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῆς ⸀ἀνομίας ‘the man of lawlessness’ (the Received Text ‘the man of sin’) — Matt 7:23 ‘lawlessness’ · ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας ‘the son of destruction’ — the phrase of John 17:12.
Rendering options · 4
Basis ‘Departure’ as fixed at Acts 21:21 — the noun of ἀφίσταμαι ‘depart’ · the text does not say from what.
Basis The familiar renderings.
Rejected ‘Apostasy’ fills in what is departed from, and cuts the tie to Acts 21:21; ‘rebellion’ is another word.
Basis The text has no main clause — ‘that day will not come’ is not supplied.
Basis ‘Present’ as fixed at Rom 8:38 · 1 Cor 7:26 — not glossed as ‘has come’ or ‘is near’.
Lost in translation
ἐπισυναγωγῆς (v.1) — the noun of Matt 24:31 ‘gather’. ‘Gathering’ carries the root.
ὡς δι’ ἡμῶν (v.2) — the letter alone or all three, left open. Attached to the letter, closed.
ἐὰν μὴ ἔλθῃ … (v.3) — a condition with no main clause. The dash carries the break.
ἀποστασία (v.3) / Acts 21:21 — ‘departure’ shows the same word.
θροεῖσθαι (v.2) — ‘alarmed’ as at Matt 24:6, kept apart from θαυμάζω ‘marvel’.
Why this rendering
2Thess.2.4 Observation
Syntactic observation
ὁ ἀντικείμενος καὶ ὑπεραιρόμενος ἐπὶ πάντα λεγόμενον θεὸν ἢ σέβασμα, ὥστε αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν ναὸν τοῦ θεοῦ καθίσαι ἀποδεικνύντα ἑαυτὸν ὅτι ἔστιν θεός. οὐ μνημονεύετε ὅτι ἔτι ὢν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ταῦτα ἔλεγον ὑμῖν; καὶ νῦν τὸ κατέχον οἴδατε, εἰς τὸ ἀποκαλυφθῆναι αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ ἑαυτοῦ καιρῷ· τὸ γὰρ μυστήριον ἤδη ἐνεργεῖται τῆς ἀνομίας· μόνον ὁ κατέχων ἄρτι ἕως ἐκ μέσου γένηται — the one opposing and over-exalting himself above everything called god or object of worship, so that he sits in the sanctuary of God, demonstrating himself that he is God. Do you not remember that while still with you I was telling you these things? And now you know what is holding, so that he is revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already working; only the one holding now, until he comes to be out of the midst. ὁ ἀντικείμενος is Phil 1:28 ‘those opposing’ · ὑπεραιρόμενος is 2 Cor 12:7 ‘be over-exalted’ (three places in the New Testament — those two and here) · ἐπὶ πάντα λεγόμενον θεὸν ἢ σέβασμα ‘above everything called god or object of worship’ — σέβασμα is Acts 17:23 ‘objects of worship’ (two places in the New Testament). εἰς τὸν ναὸν τοῦ ⸀θεοῦ καθίσαι ‘sits in the sanctuary of God’ — ναός is 1 Cor 3:16 ‘sanctuary’ (kept apart from ἱερόν ‘temple’) · the Received Text adds ‘as God’ (ὡς θεόν) · ἀποδεικνύντα ἑαυτὸν ὅτι ἔστιν θεός ‘demonstrating himself that he is God’ — the verb of Acts 2:22 ‘a man demonstrated to you from God’, here turned on oneself. ταῦτα ἔλεγον is imperfect, ‘I was telling’. τὸ κατέχον (neuter, v.6) / ὁ κατέχων (masculine, v.7) ‘what is holding / the one holding’ — the verb of 1 Cor 11:2 ‘hold’ · the text does not say what it is · neuter and masculine kept apart as ‘what / the one’ · ⸀ἑαυτοῦ ‘his own time’. τὸ μυστήριον … τῆς ἀνομίας has the verb set between its words — ‘the mystery of lawlessness is already working’ · Col 4:3 ‘mystery’ · Col 1:29 ‘work’ (middle). μόνον ὁ κατέχων ἄρτι ἕως ἐκ μέσου γένηται is a clause without its verb — ‘only the one holding now, until …’ keeps the gap · ἐκ μέσου γένηται ‘comes to be out of the midst’ — γίνομαι as it stands.
Rendering options · 3
Basis ‘Hold’ as fixed at 1 Cor 11:2 · 1 Thess 5:21 — neuter and masculine kept apart as ‘what / the one’, and what it is is not supplied.
Basis The familiar gloss.
Rejected ‘Restrain’ hides that κατέχω is the verb of 1 Thess 5:21 ‘hold what is good’ in the same correspondence.
Basis ‘Sanctuary’ as fixed at 1 Cor 3:16 · 2 Cor 6:16 — kept apart from ἱερόν ‘temple’.
Lost in translation
τὸ κατέχον / ὁ κατέχων (vv.6 · 7) — ‘what / the one’ keep neuter and masculine apart.
ἀποδεικνύντα (v.4) / Acts 2:22 ἀποδεδειγμένον — ‘demonstrate’ shows the same verb.
τὸ μυστήριον ἤδη ἐνεργεῖται τῆς ἀνομίας (v.7) — the verb set between the noun and its genitive. Both renderings join them.
μόνον ὁ κατέχων ἄρτι ἕως … (v.7) — a clause without its verb. ‘Only the one holding now, until …’ keeps the gap.
ὑπεραιρόμενος (v.4) / 2 Cor 12:7 — ‘over-exalt’ shows the same word.
Why this rendering
2Thess.2.8 Observation
Syntactic observation
καὶ τότε ἀποκαλυφθήσεται ὁ ἄνομος, ὃν ὁ κύριος Ἰησοῦς ἀνελεῖ τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ καὶ καταργήσει τῇ ἐπιφανείᾳ τῆς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ, οὗ ἐστιν ἡ παρουσία κατ’ ἐνέργειαν τοῦ Σατανᾶ ἐν πάσῃ δυνάμει καὶ σημείοις καὶ τέρασιν ψεύδους καὶ ἐν πάσῃ ἀπάτῃ ἀδικίας τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις, ἀνθ’ ὧν τὴν ἀγάπην τῆς ἀληθείας οὐκ ἐδέξαντο εἰς τὸ σωθῆναι αὐτούς· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πέμπει αὐτοῖς ὁ θεὸς ἐνέργειαν πλάνης εἰς τὸ πιστεῦσαι αὐτοὺς τῷ ψεύδει, ἵνα κριθῶσιν πάντες οἱ μὴ πιστεύσαντες τῇ ἀληθείᾳ ἀλλὰ εὐδοκήσαντες τῇ ἀδικίᾳ — And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will do away with by the spirit of his mouth and abolish by the appearing of his coming — whose coming is according to the working of Satan in all power and signs and wonders of the lie, and in every deceit of unrighteousness for those perishing, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. And for this reason God sends them a working of deception, that they believe the lie, so that all may be judged who did not believe the truth but were well pleased with unrighteousness. ὁ ἄνομος is Luke 22:37 ‘the lawless’ as there · ⸀Ἰησοῦς is the base text’s reading (other editions ‘the Lord’ alone) · ⸀ἀνελεῖ ‘do away with’ (other editions read ‘consume’) — the site-rule of Acts 23:15 · τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ ‘by the spirit of his mouth’ — the picture of Isaiah 11:4 (the breath of his lips), yet πνεῦμα is the word this version threads as ‘spirit’ · not switched to ‘breath’ (recorded) · καταργήσει is Eph 2:15 ‘abolish’ · ἐπιφάνεια is the first of six New Testament places — ‘appearing’ (the other five in the Pastorals) · τῇ ἐπιφανείᾳ τῆς παρουσίας ‘the appearing of his coming’ — two nouns stacked. οὗ ἐστιν ἡ παρουσία ‘whose coming’ — παρουσία is used of the lawless one too (the same word as the Lord’s coming · set face to face) · κατ’ ἐνέργειαν τοῦ Σατανᾶ ‘according to the working of Satan’ — Col 1:29 ‘working’ · δυνάμει καὶ σημείοις καὶ τέρασιν are the three words of Acts 2:22 in that order · ψεύδους ‘of the lie’ reaches all three. ἀπάτῃ ⸀ἀδικίας ‘deceit of unrighteousness’ (the Received Text ‘in deceit of unrighteousness’) — Eph 4:22 ‘deceit’ (ἀπάτη) · v.11 πλάνης ‘deception’ (πλάνη) kept apart. ἀνθ’ ὧν ‘because’ — the phrase of Luke 1:20 · 19:44 · τὴν ἀγάπην τῆς ἀληθείας ‘the love of the truth’ — a love for the truth · εἰς τὸ σωθῆναι ‘so as to be saved’. ⸀πέμπει is present, ‘sends’ (the Received Text future) · ἐνέργειαν πλάνης ‘a working of deception’ — the word of v.9 ‘the working of Satan’ · a working that God sends. ἵνα κριθῶσιν ‘may be judged’ — as at Rom 2:12, God’s judging · εὐδοκήσαντες τῇ ἀδικίᾳ ‘were well pleased with unrighteousness’ — 1 Thess 2:8 ‘be well pleased’ · ⸀πάντες · ⸀τῇ are the base text’s readings.
Rendering options · 4
Basis This version’s rule, ‘spirit’ even at John 3:8 — the ‘breath’ of Isaiah 11:4 is recorded in the analysis.
Basis The picture of Isaiah 11:4 · the familiar rendering.
Rejected Rendering πνεῦμα differently here alone cuts its tie to 2:2 ‘through a spirit’ and 2:13 ‘sanctification of the Spirit’.
Basis The site-rule of Acts 23:15 ‘do away with’ — the base text’s reading · other editions’ ‘consume’ not rendered.
Basis ‘Deceit’ (ἀπάτη, Eph 4:22) · ‘deception’ (πλάνη, Eph 4:14) as fixed — the Korean overlap was recorded at Eph 4.
Lost in translation
πνεύματι (v.8) — the sense ‘breath’. ‘Spirit’ keeps the word and loses the breath.
παρουσία (vv.8 · 9) — the Lord’s coming and the lawless one’s coming in one word. ‘Coming’ twice shows it.
ἐνέργειαν (vv.9 · 11) — Satan’s working and the working God sends, one word. ‘Working’ twice shows it.
ἀπάτῃ (v.10) / πλάνης (v.11) — ‘deceit / deception’ keep two words.
δυνάμει καὶ σημείοις καὶ τέρασιν (v.9) / Acts 2:22 — the three words in the same order.
πέμπει (v.11) — present. ‘Sends’ carries the tense.
Why this rendering
2Thess.2.13 Observation
Syntactic observation
Ἡμεῖς δὲ ὀφείλομεν εὐχαριστεῖν τῷ θεῷ πάντοτε περὶ ὑμῶν, ἀδελφοὶ ἠγαπημένοι ὑπὸ κυρίου, ὅτι εἵλατο ὑμᾶς ὁ θεὸς ἀπαρχὴν εἰς σωτηρίαν ἐν ἁγιασμῷ πνεύματος καὶ πίστει ἀληθείας, εἰς ὃ ἐκάλεσεν ὑμᾶς διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἡμῶν, εἰς περιποίησιν δόξης τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. ἄρα οὖν, ἀδελφοί, στήκετε, καὶ κρατεῖτε τὰς παραδόσεις ἃς ἐδιδάχθητε εἴτε διὰ λόγου εἴτε δι’ ἐπιστολῆς ἡμῶν. Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς καὶ θεὸς ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν, ὁ ἀγαπήσας ἡμᾶς καὶ δοὺς παράκλησιν αἰωνίαν καὶ ἐλπίδα ἀγαθὴν ἐν χάριτι, παρακαλέσαι ὑμῶν τὰς καρδίας καὶ στηρίξαι ἐν παντὶ ἔργῳ καὶ λόγῳ ἀγαθῷ — But we ought to give thanks to God always for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits for salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and faith of the truth, to which he called you through our gospel, for the possession of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand, and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether through word or through our letter. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and gave eternal consolation and good hope in grace, console your hearts and strengthen you in every good work and word. Ἡμεῖς δὲ ὀφείλομεν εὐχαριστεῖν takes up 1:3 — the word order changes and ‘we’ stands first · ἠγαπημένοι ὑπὸ κυρίου ‘beloved by the Lord’ — the pair of 1 Thess 1:4 ‘beloved by God’. εἵλατο is Phil 1:22 ‘choose’ (three places in the New Testament) · ⸀ἀπαρχήν ‘as firstfruits’ — the word of Rom 16:5 · 1 Cor 16:15 (other editions ‘from the beginning’, ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς) · ἐν ἁγιασμῷ πνεύματος ‘in sanctification of the Spirit’ — 1 Thess 4:3 ‘sanctification’ · whether the Spirit or the human spirit the text does not say · πίστει ἀληθείας ‘faith of the truth’ — the genitive left unfolded. εἰς ⸀ὃ ἐκάλεσεν ‘to which he called you’ · εἰς περιποίησιν δόξης ‘for the possession of the glory’ — the word of 1 Thess 5:9 ‘the possession of salvation’. ἄρα οὖν ‘so then’ · στήκετε ‘stand’ — the verb of 1 Thess 3:8 ‘if you stand in the Lord’ · κρατεῖτε τὰς παραδόσεις ‘hold the traditions’ — Col 2:19 ‘hold’ · 1 Cor 11:2 ‘hold the traditions’ had κατέχω — the two verbs kept apart in Korean (붙잡다 / 붙들다) · εἴτε διὰ λόγου εἴτε δι’ ἐπιστολῆς takes up 2:2 ‘word · letter’. Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ κύριος is the construction of 1 Thess 3:11 · 5:23 — here the Lord Jesus Christ comes first · ⸀θεὸς ⸀ὁ πατήρ (the Received Text ‘God, even our Father’) · ὁ ἀγαπήσας … καὶ δούς are two singular participles on two subjects (recorded) · παράκλησιν αἰωνίαν ‘eternal consolation’ — Phil 2:1 ‘consolation’ · one root with v.17 παρακαλέσαι ‘console’ · ⸀στηρίξαι ‘strengthen’ — the verb of 1 Thess 3:2 · 13 · two optatives · ⸂ἔργῳ καὶ λόγῳ⸃ ‘work and word’ (the Received Text ‘word and work’).
Rendering options · 4
Basis ‘Hold’ as fixed at Col 2:19 — a different verb from 1 Cor 11:2 ‘hold the traditions’ (κατέχω); Korean keeps them apart.
Basis Whether the Spirit or the human spirit the text does not say — the genitive is kept.
Basis The familiar gloss.
Rejected ‘Holy’ and ‘by’ are not in the text — it closes the reading as the human spirit.
Basis The base text’s reading — ‘firstfruits’ as fixed at Rom 16:5 · 1 Cor 16:15 · other editions’ ‘from the beginning’ not rendered.
Lost in translation
ὀφείλομεν εὐχαριστεῖν (v.13) / 1:3 Εὐχαριστεῖν ὀφείλομεν — the echo shows in ‘we ought to give thanks’ twice.
κρατεῖτε (v.15) / 1 Cor 11:2 κατέχετε — both come out as ‘hold’.
ὁ ἀγαπήσας … καὶ δούς (v.16) — singular participles on two subjects. ‘Who loved … and gave’ does not mark number.
παράκλησιν (v.16) / παρακαλέσαι (v.17) — ‘consolation / console’ keep one root.
πνεύματος (v.13) — the Spirit or the human spirit. Capital ‘Spirit’ leans one way.
ἔργῳ καὶ λόγῳ (v.17) — the text’s order ‘work and word’ kept.