Robertson's Word Pictures of the NT

2 Thessalonians 2:8

And then

(κα τοτε). Emphatic note of time,then

when the restraining one (ο κατεχων) is taken out of the way, then θε λαwλεσς ονε (ο ανομος), the man of sin, the man of perdition, will be revealed.Whom the Lord [Jesus] shall slay

(ον ο κυριος [Ιησουσ] ανελε). Whether Jesus is genuine or not, he is meant by Lord. Ανελε is a late future from αναιρεω, in place of αναιρησε. Paul uses Isaiah 11:4 (combiningby the word of his mouth

within breath through lips

) to picture the triumph of Christ over this adversary. It is a powerful picture how the mere breath of the Lord will destroy this arch-enemy (Milligan).And bring to naught by the manifestation of his coming

(κα καταργησε τη επιφανεια της παρουσιας αυτου). This verb καταργεω (κατα, αργος) to render useless, rare in ancient Greek, appears 25 times in Paul and has a variety of renderings. In the papyri it has a weakened sense of hinder. It will be a grand fiasco, this advent of the man of sin. Paul here uses both επιφανεια (επιφανψ, elsewhere in N.T. in the Pastorals, familiar to the Greek mind for a visit of a god) and παρουσια (more familiar to the Jewish mind, but common in the papyri) of the second coming of Christ. "The apparition of Jesus heralds his doom" (Moffatt). The mere appearance of Christ destroys the adversary (Vincent).

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Robertson's Word Pictures of the NT

2 Thessalonians 2:8

Old Testament

New Testament