ECT Tyndale's Translation of II Thessalonioans 2: 7 Quite Different From KJV

[northwye]

I have been interested in the Tyndale New Testament very different translation of II Thessalonians 2: 7. The difference is probably not due to a variant of the Greek Textus Receptus which Tyndale was using, but was due to Tyndale's different understanding of the meaning of the Greek text.

http://biblehub.com/greek/katecho_n_2722.htm

κατεχων, katecho:

"Strong's Greek 2722,
: katechó
Phonetic Spelling: (kat-ekh'-o)
Short Definition: I hold fast, bind, restrain
Definition: (a) I hold fast, bind, arrest, (b) I take possession of, lay hold of, (c) I hold back, detain, restrain"

http://lexiconcordance.com/greek/2722.html

Thayers for Greek number 2722: "From G2596 and G2192; to hold down (fast), in various applications (literally or figuratively):—have, hold (fast), keep (in memory), let, make toward, possess, retain, seize on, stay, take, withhold."

Tyndale New Testament on "II Thessalonians 2: 3-8, Including verse 7: "Let no man deceive you by any means, for the Lord comes not, unless there come a departing first, and that sinful man be revealed, the son of perdition
which is an adversary, and is exalted above all that is called
God, or that is worshipped: so that he shall sit as God in the temple of God, and show
himself as God. Remember ye not, that when I was yet with you, I told you these
things? And now you know what withholds, that he might be revealed at his time.

For the mystery of that iniquity does he already work, which only locks until it be
taken out of the way. And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the appearance of
his coming."

The construct Paul calls the sinful man, the son of perdition is said to withhold, and locks in place until it is taken out of the way.

The sinful man withholds or hinders the work of Christ, or withholds the Truth of Christ.

The question then is why did the Geneva Bible returned to a verse wording for II Thessalonians similar to that of the Catholic English New Testament in Middle English of Wycliffe, which says "For the private of wickedness worketh now [For why the mystery, or private, of wickedness worketh now]; only that he that holdeth now, hold, till he be done away. "

The Geneva Bible for II Thessalonians 2: 7 says "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he which now withholdeth, shall let till he be taken out of the way."

The translation of both the Geneva Bible and the King James Version were influenced by the Greek and Latin New Testaments published by Theodore Beza, a former Catholic and later a Calvinist.

Here is Theodore Beza's Latin version (1557) of 2 Thessalonians 2: 7: Iam enim mysterium
impietatis hu ^ us; nunc impedimentum, usque ad medium obstat
auferetur." The English translation of Beza'a Latin is " And now we have the mystery of the
impiety huus; only now an obstacle, an obstacle until the middle
taken away." Beza'a obstacle is much like the restrainer in the King James version of II Thessalonians 2: 7, who is to be taken out of the way, so that the prophecy is then fulfilled and the spirit of the anti-Christ is allowed to go to work.

In Tyndale's version the mystery of iniquity which withholds is locked in place all along, In other words, Tyndale's translation of II Thessalonians does not encourage a future spirit of anti-Christ and certainly not a one man anti-Christ.

The King James follows the Geneva Bible in saying that a restrainer restrains the mystery of iniquity until he is taken out of the way. It says " For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

 

[Nick M]

The point is that the departure of the church happens first. There is no such thing as "back sliding" when one is complete in Christ.

 

[northwye]

One of the Internet articles on this issue of Tyndale's very different translation of II Thessalonians 2: 7 suggested that the translation involving a restrainer is a deceptive work of the anti-Christ spirit itself. The opposition to Christ and his doctrines would want to convince Christians that the appearing of that opposition is always in the future and has not gone on before and is not going on now.

That would also mean that the original Catholic translation - in Latin - saying that a restrainer will hold back the appearing of that spiritual opposition to Christ was of the spirit of the opposition. That original Catholic translation saying a restrainer will prevent the opposition to Christ from happening can be seen to have come back in the Geneva and King James translations, after Tyndale translated II Thessalonians 2: 7 quite differently.

See http://speedbible.com/vulgate/B53C002.htm

Jerome's Latin Vulgate for II Thessalonians 2: 7 says "nam mysterium iam operatur iniquitatis tantum ut qui tenet nunc donec de medio fiat"

Using an online translator from Latin to English this says "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be gone."

The Catholic English Douay-Rheims says "For the mystery of iniquity already worketh; only that he who now holdeth, do hold, until he be taken out of the way. "

The New King James, whose committee was made up to a great extent by dispensationalists, says for II Thessalonians 2: 7 "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. "

This is the version saying a restrainer is working to hold back the opposition to Christ until the restrainer is taken out of the way, the same translation as that of he King James and other New Testaments, except for that of Tyndale.

The standard version of II Thessalonians 2: 7, saying a restrainer will hold back the opposition to Christ until he is taken out of the way, protects the church from the revelation that its false prophets are now teaching opposition to the Truth.