SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:11
Por tanto, pues, enviar Dios en ellos operacin de error, para que crean a la mentira;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Thessalonians 2:11
Verse 11. God shall send them strong delusion] For this very cause, that they would not receive the love of the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness, therefore God permits strong delusion to occupy their minds; so that they believe a lie rather than the truth, prefer false apostles and their erroneous doctrines to the pure truths of the Gospel, brought to them by the well-accredited messengers of God; being ever ready to receive any false Messiah, while they systematically and virulently reject the true one.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 11. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion , &c.] Or efficacy of error, which God may be said to send; and the Alexandrian copy reads, does send; because it is not a bare permission but a voluntary one; or it is his will that error should be that truth may be tried, and be illustrated by its contrary, and shine the more through the force of opposition to it; and that those which are on the side of it might be made manifest, as well as that the rejecters of the Gospel might be punished; for the efficacy of error is not to be considered as a sin, of which God cannot be the author, but as a punishment for sin, and to which men are given up, and fall under the power of, because they receive not the love of the truth, which is the reason here given: and this comes to pass partly through God's denying his grace, or withholding that light and knowledge, by which error may be discovered and detected; and by taking from men the knowledge and conscience of things they had, (see Romans 1:28). So that they call evil good, and good evil, and do not appear to have the common sense and reason of mankind, at least do not act according to it; and by giving them up to judicial blindness and hardness of heart, and to the god of this world, to blind their minds; and without this it is not to be accounted for, that the followers of antichrist should give into such senseless notions as those of transubstantiation, works of supererogation, &c., or into such stupid practices as worshipping of images, praying to saints departed, and paying such a respect to the pretended relics of saints, &c., as they do; but a spirit of slumber is given them, and eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, because of their rejection of the Gospel: and that they should believe a lie ; that the pope is Christ's vicar on earth, and has power to forgive sins; that the bread and wine in the Lord's supper are transubstantiated into the very body and blood of Christ; with other lying tenets spoken in hypocrisy concerning good works, merit, pardon, penance; &c. with a multitude of lying wonders and false miracles, of which their legends are full; and this is the first and more near end of strong delusion or efficacious error being sent them; the more remote and ultimate one follows.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 5-12 - Something hindered or withheld the man of sin. It is supposed to be the power of the Roman empire, which the apostle did not mention mor plainly at that time. Corruption of doctrine and worship came in by degrees, and the usurping of power was gradual; thus the mystery of iniquity prevailed. Superstition and idolatry were advanced by pretended devotion, and bigotry and persecution were promoted by pretended zeal for God and his glory. This mystery of iniquity was eve then begun; while the apostles were yet living, persons pretended zea for Christ, but really opposed him. The fall or ruin of the antichristian state is declared. The pure word of God, with the Spiri of God, will discover this mystery of iniquity, and in due time it shall be destroyed by the brightness of Christ's coming. Signs an wonders, visions and miracles, are pretended; but they are false sign to support false doctrines; and lying wonders, or only pretende miracles, to cheat the people; and the diabolical deceits with whic the antichristian state has been supported, are notorious. The person are described, who are his willing subjects. Their sin is this; The did not love the truth, and therefore did not believe it; and they wer pleased with false notions. God leaves them to themselves, then sin will follow of course, and spiritual judgments here, and eterna punishments hereafter. These prophecies have, in a great measure, com to pass, and confirm the truth of the Scriptures. This passage exactl agrees with the system of popery, as it prevails in the Romish church and under the Romish popes. But though the son of perdition has bee revealed, though he has opposed and exalted himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; and has spoken and acted as if he were a god upon earth, and has proclaimed his insolent pride, an supported his delusions, by lying miracles and all kinds of frauds still the Lord has not yet fully destroyed him with the brightness of his coming; that and other prophecies remain to be fulfilled before the end shall come.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 δια 1223 τουτο 5124 πεμψει 3992 5692 αυτοις 846 ο 3588 θεος 2316 ενεργειαν 1753 πλανης 4106 εις 1519 το 3588 πιστευσαι 4100 5658 αυτους 846 τω 3588 ψευδει 5579
Vincent's NT Word Studies
11. Strong delusion (energeian planhv). Rev., literally and correctly, a working of error. See on working ver. 9. The phrase is unique in N.T. It means an active power of misleading. For planh error which shows itself in action, see on 1 Thess. ii. 3.
A lie (tw yeudei). Properly, the lie. The article gives the generic sense, falsehood in all its forms. Comp. John viii. 44; Rom. i. 25; Eph. iv. 25. Comp. the contrast of truth and unrighteousness in ver. 12. All wrongdoing has an element of falsity.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
2:11 {And for this reason God sendeth them} (kai dia touto pempei autois ho qeos). Futuristic (prophetic) present of the time when the lawless one is revealed. Here is the definite judicial act of God (Milligan) who gives the wicked over to the evil which they have deliberately chosen (#Ro 1:24,26,28). {A working of error} (energeian planes). Terrible result of wilful rejection of the truth of God. {That they should believe a lie} (eis to pisteusai autous twi yeudei). Note eis to again and twi yeudei (the lie, the falsehood already described), a contemplated result. Note #Ro 1:25 "who changed the truth of God into the lie."
