Deeper Reflection
THERE IS A “RESTRAINER” KEEPING THE “MAN OF lawlessness” from appearing, and he will appear only when the “restrainer” “is taken out of the way” (vv.6-7). What – “what [neuter] restrains him” (v.6), or who – “he [masculine] who restrains” (v.7), is this restrainer? Paul gives no details about it, because the Thessalonians already knew it: “You know” (v.6). So, we are in the dark. Let’s hear what Bible scholars say that give perspective on the identification of the restrainer.Leon Morris: “This passage is probably the most obscure and difficult in the whole of the Pauline writings and the many gaps in our knowledge have given rise to extravagant speculations.”⁴⁵ G. K. Beale: “It is difficult to determine with probability the precise identification of the ‘restrainer’.”⁴⁶ Gary Shogren: “All our theories must be inferential and based on humble acknowledgement of our lack of evidence.”⁴⁷ Gordon Fee, who refrains from interpreting it: “So, at the end of the day, we should probably leave the sentence as it is – something that he and they both knew, and because they did know, we do not, and most likely never will this side of eternity.”⁴⁸Indeed, there are things in the Bible that we can never know or understand. However, two things are clear about the restrainer: It is something good – since it restrains the greatest evil, and God is behind it – since the restrainer is more powerful than the antichrist.⁴⁹ When the antichrist appears openly and worldwide, such that we cannot miss, we know that the restrainer has been taken away.

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⁴⁵ Leon Morris, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (IVP, 1985), 125 ⁴⁶ G. K. Beale, 217 ⁴⁷ Gary S. Shogren, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Zondervan, 2012), 287 ⁴⁸ Gordon D. Fee, The First and Second Letters to the Thessalonians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Eerdmans, 2009), 288 ⁴⁹ G. K. Beale, 217