What is the context?
Paul says the readers already know the restraining power, while lawlessness is already at work. The restraint will end and the lawless one will be revealed. His impressive signs are linked with Satan and deception, not with the truth that saves.
The passage does not present evil as Christ’s equal. The Lord destroys the lawless one at His arrival. Those deceived are described as refusing the love of truth and taking pleasure in wickedness; the delusion belongs to the judgment of that refusal.
How is this passage commonly understood?
Wesley identifies the restraining power with Roman rulers. John Walvoord’s explanation, under Removal of the Holy Spirit, identifies it with the Spirit’s restraint and connects its removal with the church’s prior gathering to Christ. He explicitly retains the Spirit’s presence everywhere; his claim is about a change of ministry. These explanations supply identities that Paul’s written paragraph does not name.
The USCCB notes discuss several possibilities, including political authority, angelic restraint, and gospel preaching. This range reflects the difficulty for later readers who did not hear Paul’s earlier explanation. Wesley understands God’s sending of delusion as judicial permission for it to overtake those rejecting truth. That is an explanation of the action; the BSB’s wording still attributes the judgment to God.
Where does this fit in God's plan?
The victory by the breath of Christ’s mouth echoes Isaiah 11:1–5, where the righteous ruler from Jesse’s line judges fairly and slays the wicked with the breath of His lips. This supported biblical connection puts the emphasis on the Messiah’s decisive authority, rather than speculation about who will first identify His enemy.
What is our position?
We don't have a position on this passage yet. When our study reaches a conclusion the text supports, it will appear here.