For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way.
Parallel translations
- KJV For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
- BSB For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one who now restrains it will continue until he is taken out of the way.
- NKJV For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.
- NASB For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is removed.
- NLT For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The hidden "mystery of lawlessness" is already at work, held back only until the restrainer is removed. Evil is active now but not yet unleashed in full.
Overview
Lawlessness operates secretly in the present age, a foretaste of the open rebellion to come once the restraint is lifted. This explains both the reality of evil now and the reason the final crisis has not yet broken out. Paul's point reassures believers that history unfolds on God's schedule, not according to the apparent triumphs of evil.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- 1 Jn 4:3and every spirit who doesn’t confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God, and this is the spirit of the Antichrist, of whom you have heard that it comes. Now it is in the world already.
- Rev 17:7The angel said to me, “Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.
- 2 Tim 2:17–18and those words will consume like gangrene, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;
- 1 Jn 2:18Little children, these are the end times, and as you heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen. By this we know that it is the final hour.
- Acts 20:29For I know that after my departure, vicious wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
- Rev 17:5And on her forehead a name was written, “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”
- Col 2:18–23Let no one rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshiping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
- 1 Tim 3:16Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Christ will be revealed from heaven in flaming fire, glorified in his saints, overthrowing the lawless one — the certain hope that steadies the suffering church.
How 2 Thessalonians 2:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.