SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:4
oponindose, y levantndose contra todo lo que se llama Dios, o divinidad; tanto que se sienta en el templo de Dios como Dios, hacindose parecer Dios.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Thessalonians 2:4
Verse 4. Who opposeth and exalteth] He stands against and exalts himself above all Divine authority, and above every object of adoration, and every institution relative to Divine worship, sebasma, himself being the source, whence must originate all the doctrines of religion, and all its rites and ceremonies; so that sitting in the temple of God - having the highest place and authority in the Christian Church, he acts as Godtaking upon himself God's titles and attributes, and arrogating to himself the authority that belongs to the Most High. The words wv qeon, as God, are wanting in ABD, many others, Erpen's Arabic, the Coptic, Sahidic, AEthiopic, Armenian, the Vulgate, some copies of the Itala, and the chief of the Greek fathers. Griesbach has left them out of the text, and Professor White says, Certissime delenda; "They should most certainly be erased." There is indeed no evidence of their being authentic, and the text reads much better with out them: So that he sitteth in the temple of God, &c.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 4. Who opposeth , &c.] Or is an opposer, an adversary of Christ, the antichrist; who opposes him in his kingly office, styling himself the head and spouse of the church, assuming to himself all power in heaven and in earth, taking upon him to dispense with the laws of Christ, and to make new ones; who opposes him in his priestly office, by pretending to offer him up again in the sacrifice of the mass, and by making angels and saints departed, intercessors and advocates; and also in his prophetic office, by teaching for doctrines the commandments of men, and setting up unwritten traditions before the word of God, requiring the worshipping of images, angels, and saints, when Christ requires that the Lord God only should be worshipped and served; and by introducing the doctrine of works and of merit instead of grace, and with a multitude of other things, in which he most manifestly appears to be diametrically opposite and contrary to Christ: and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped .
The Syriac version renders the last clause, aljdw , and religion; and the Greek word does signify religion, worship, or devotion, as it is translated, in ( Acts 17:23) but here the act of worship is put for the object, and is rightly rendered, or that which is worshipped; as it is in the Vulgate Latin version, and in the Arabic version, or that which is to be worshipped; and it was usual with the Jews to call God the object of worship, by the name of worship itself, and by which they used to swear: it is said of R.
Benjamin the just, that he was appointed over the alms chest; one time a woman came to him and said, Rabbi, relieve me; he replied to her, hdwb[h , by the worship (that is, by God who is worshipped) there is nothing in the alms chest: and elsewhere it is said by one, concerning two that were fatherless, for whom the collectors of alms gathered, hdwb[h , by the worship, they go before my daughter: and a little after, hdwb[h , by the worship, these things are holy to thee; where the gloss says, it is an oath: and so here the word is to be understood of Deity itself; and the meaning is, that antichrist would exalt himself above all the gods of the Gentiles, who are only nominally, and not by nature, gods; to these were ascribed, some one thing, to some another; one had the government of heaven, another of hell, another of the seas, and an other of the winds, &c. but this haughty creature antichrist assumes to himself all power, both in heaven, earth, and hell. Angels are sometimes called gods, ( Psalm 8:4) because they are sent of God, and sometimes represent him; the popes of Rome have exalted themselves above these; Pope Clement VI. proclaimed a jubilee, and promised forgiveness of sins to all that should come to Rome; and in his bull for it says, that if any that was confessed should die by the way, he should be free from all his sins; and we do command the angels, that they take such a soul out of purgatory entirely absolved, and introduce it into the glory of paradise: and in a manuscript in the library at Helmsted are these words, we command the angels that they carry such a soul into Abraham's bosom, as soon as it has left the body: kings and civil magistrates are called gods, ( Psalm 82:6) and this monster of iniquity and firstborn of Satan, the popes of Rome, have exalted themselves above these; they have not only took upon them to excommunicate emperors and kings, but to depose them, and take away their crowns from them, and give their kingdoms to others, and absolve their subjects from allegiance and fidelity to them; an emperor has held a pope's stirrup while he alighted from his horse, and was severely reprimanded for holding the left instead of the right stirrup; and the same emperor held another pope's stirrup while he got on his horse, and who set his foot upon his neck when he absolved him, being before excommunicated by him, using these words in ( Psalm 91:13) thou shall tread upon the lion, &c. An emperor and an empress waited at a pope's gates three days barefoot; another emperor and empress were crowned by the Pope with his feet; he took the crown with his feet, and, they bowing down, put it upon their heads, and then kicked it off; and one of our own kings resigned his crown and the ensigns of his royalty to the Pope's legate, who kept them five days; and when he offered a sum of money to the legate as an earnest of his subjection, to show his master's grandeur, he spurned at it; a king was thrown under a pope's table to lick the bones like a dog, while he was eating: so truly has this passage had its accomplishment in that impious and insolent set of men. Rome is by the Jewish writers called Magdiel, which signifies magnifying itself; the reason is, ldgty , because it magnifies itself above all these f6 ; that is, above all kingdoms and states: but what is worse, and most dreadfully blasphemous, follows, so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God ; not in the temple of Jerusalem, which was to be destroyed and never to be rebuilt more, and was destroyed before this man of sin was revealed; but in the church of God, so called, ( 1 Corinthians 3:16 2 Corinthians 6:16) the Ethiopic version renders it, in the house of God; for antichrist rose up out of, and in the midst of the church; and it was a true church in which he first appeared, and over which he usurped power and authority; though it has been so corrupted by him, as now to be only nominally so; here he sits, and has homage done him by his creatures, as if he was a god, and is not only styled Christ's vicar, but a god on earth, and our Lord God the Pope; so in the triumphal arch at the entry of Pope Sixtus IV, these lines were put, oraculo vocis, mundi moderaris habenas, et merito in terris crederis esse Dens; the sense is, that he governed the world by his word, and was deservedly believed to be God on earth; and their canon law says, it is clearly enough shown, that the Pope cannot be loosed or bound by any secular power; since it is evident that he is called God by that pious prince, Constantine, and it is manifest that God cannot be judged by men: and Pope John XXII is expressly called our Lord God the Pope: the Ethiopic version reads, he shall say to all, I am the Lord God; (see Ezekiel 28:2), the Alexandrian copy, and some others, and the Vulgate Latin version, leave out the phrase, as God, but the Syriac retains it: however, the same blasphemy is expressed in the next clause, shewing himself that he is God ; by usurping a power over the consciences and souls of men; by dispensing with the laws of God and man; by assuming to himself all power in heaven and in earth; by taking upon him to open and shut the gates of heaven at pleasure; and by pardoning sin, which none but God can do; this is the mouth speaking blasphemies, ( Revelation 13:5,6).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-4 - If errors arise among Christians, we should set them right; and goo men will be careful to suppress errors which rise from mistaking their words and actions. We have a cunning adversary, who watches to d mischief, and will promote errors, even by the words of Scripture Whatever uncertainty we are in, or whatever mistakes may arise abou the time of Christ's coming, that coming itself is certain. This ha been the faith and hope of all Christians, in all ages of the church it was the faith and hope of the Old Testament saints. All believer shall be gathered together to Christ, to be with him, and to be happ in his presence for ever. We should firmly believe the second coming of Christ; but there was danger lest the Thessalonians, being mistaken a to the time, should question the truth or certainty of the thin itself. False doctrines are like the winds that toss the water to an from; and they unsettle the minds of men, which are as unstable a water. It is enough for us to know that our Lord will come, and wil gather all his saints unto him. A reason why they should not expect the coming of Christ, as at hand, is given. There would be a genera falling away first, such as would occasion the rise of antichrist, tha man of sin. There have been great disputes who or what is intended by this man of sin and son of perdition. The man of sin not only practise wickedness, but also promotes and commands sin and wickedness i others; and is the son of perdition, because he is devoted to certai destruction, and is the instrument to destroy many others, both in sou and body. As God was in the temple of old, and worshipped there, and is in and with his church now; so the antichrist here mentioned, is usurper of God's authority in the Christian church, who claims Divin honours.
Greek Textus Receptus
ο 3588 αντικειμενος 480 5740 και 2532 υπεραιρομενος 5229 5746 επι 1909 {1: παντα 3956 } {2: παν 3956 το 3588 } λεγομενον 3004 5746 θεον 2316 η 2228 σεβασμα 4574 ωστε 5620 αυτον 846 εις 1519 τον 3588 ναον 3485 του 3588 θεου 2316 ως 5613 θεον 2316 καθισαι 2523 5658 αποδεικνυντα 584 5723 εαυτον 1438 οτι 3754 εστιν 2076 5748 θεος 2316
Vincent's NT Word Studies
4. That is called God (legomenon qeon). Above the true God and the false gods. The opposer claims divine honors for himself.
That is worshipped (sebasma). An object of adoration, including things as well as persons. Only here and Acts xvii. 23 on which see note under devotions.
Temple of God. According to some, a figure of the Christian Church. Others, the temple of Jerusalem.
Shewing (apodeiknunta). Publicly asserting divine dignity. Rev. setting himself forth as God.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
2:4 {He that opposeth and exalteth himself} (ho antikeimenos kai huperairomenos). Like John's Antichrist this one opposes (anti-) Christ and exalts himself (direct middle of huperairw, old verb to lift oneself up {above} others, only here and #2Co 12:7 in N.T.), but not Satan, but an agent of Satan. this participial clause is in apposition with the two preceding phrases, the man of Sin, the son of perdition. Note #1Co 8:5 about one called God and #Ac 17:23 for sebasma (from sebazomai), object of worship, late word, in N.T. only in these two passages. {So that he sitteth in the temple of God} (hwste auton eis ton naon tou qeou kaqisai). Another example of the infinitive with hwste for result. Caius Caligula had made a desperate attempt to have his statue set up for worship in the Temple in Jerusalem. this incident may lie behind Paul's language here. {Setting himself forth as God} (apodeiknunta heauton hoti estin qeos). Present active participle (mi form) of apodeiknumi, agreeing in case with auton, {showing himself that he is God}. Caligula claimed to be God. Moffatt doubts if Paul is identifying this deception with the imperial cultus at this stage. Lightfoot thinks that the deification of the Roman emperor supplied Paul's language here. Wetstein notes a coin of Julius with qeos on one side and qessalonikewn on the other. In #1Jo 2:18 we are told of "many antichrists" some of whom had already come. Hence it is not clear that Paul has in mind only one individual or even individuals at all rather than evil principles, for in verse #6 he speaks of to katecon (that which restraineth) while in verse #7 it is ho katecwn (the one that restraineth). Frame argues for a combination of Belial and Antichrist as the explanation of Paul's language. But the whole subject is left by Paul in such a vague form that we can hardly hope to clear it up. It is possible that his own preaching while with them gave his readers a clue that we do not possess.
