From: Harold R. Holmyard III (hholmyard@ont.com)
Date: Tue Mar 14 2000 - 00:13:48 EST
Dear Chris,
It seems to me that TO KATECON in verse 6 would not mean "the
experience of holding fast" but "that which holds fast," "the thing holding
fast." And GENHTAI does not have the sense of "taken away" by itself but
only in conjunction with EK MESOU. So it might be possible to translate:
"And now you know what holds fast so that he may be revealed in his own
time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only the one
holding fast now (will do so) until he is out of the midst." You may be
able to find a good sense here, but I favor the traditional rendering. The
word KATECW in verse 6 is not necessarily related to the noun APOSTASIA in
verse 3. So the opposition of the word families elsewhere may not apply
here.
Let me say that BAG does not mention a natural interpretation of the
words. "That which restrains" can be the power of God. The One restraining
can be God. He will do so until He is (perhaps "gets") out of the way. It
seems that GINOMAI with EK MESOU could have this sense. The basic meaning
of GINOMAI is to come into a new state of being. See Liddell & Scott under
MESOS, where EIVAI EN MESWi ("to be in the way" of someone) is to present
an obstacle. God has a prophetic plan spelled out in Daniel and Revelation.
The "man of lawlessness" (v. 3) cannot be revealed before it is God's
prophetic time, at which point God will stop restraining evil (cf. Rom
1:24-28).
Yours truly,
Harold
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