Teks -- 2 Thessalonians 2:11 (NET)

2:11 Consequently God sends on them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false.

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Robertson: 2Th 2:11 - And for this reason God sendeth them

And for this reason God sendeth them ( kai dia touto pempei autois ho theos ).

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 (Rom 1:24, Rom 1:26, Rom 1:28).

Robertson: 2Th 2:11 - A working of error

A working of error ( energeian planēs ).

Terrible result of wilful rejection of the truth of God.

Robertson: 2Th 2:11 - That they should believe a lie

That they should believe a lie ( eis to pisteusai autous tōi pseudei ).

Note eis to again and tōi pseudei (the lie, the falsehood already described), a contemplated result. Note Rom 1:25 "who changed the truth of God into the lie."

Vincent: 2Th 2:11 - Strong delusion

Strong delusion ( ἐνέργειαν πλάνης )

Rev., literally and correctly, a working of error . See on working 2Th 2:9. The phrase is unique in N.T. It means an active power of misleading . For πλάνη error which shows itself in action , see on 1Th 2:3.

Vincent: 2Th 2:11 - A lie

A lie ( τῷ ψεύδει )

Properly, the lie. The article gives the generic sense, falsehood in all its forms. Comp. Joh 8:44; Rom 1:25; Eph 4:25. Comp. the contrast of truth and unrighteousness in 2Th 2:12. All wrongdoing has an element of falsity.

Wesley: 2Th 2:11 - Therefore God shall send them

That is, judicially permit to come upon them, strong delusion.

JFB: 2Th 2:11 - for this cause

Because "they received not the love of the truth." The best safeguard against error is "the love of the truth."

JFB: 2Th 2:11 - shall send

Greek, "sends," or "is sending"; the "delusion" is already beginning. God judicially sends hardness of heart on those who have rejected the truth, and gives them up in righteous judgment to Satan's delusions (Isa 6:9-10; Rom 1:24-26, Rom 1:28). They first cast off the love of the truth, then God gives them up to Satan's delusions, then they settle down into "believing the lie": an awful climax (1Ki 22:22-23; Eze 14:9; Job 12:16; Mat 24:5, Mat 24:11; 1Ti 4:1).

JFB: 2Th 2:11 - strong delusion

Greek, "the powerful working of error," answering to the energizing "working of Satan" (2Th 2:9); the same expression as is applied to the Holy Ghost's operation in believers: "powerful" or "effectual (energizing) working" (Eph 1:19).

JFB: 2Th 2:11 - believe a lie

Rather, "the lie" which Antichrist tells them, appealing to his miracles as proofs of it . . . (2Th 2:9).

Clarke: 2Th 2:11 - God shall send them strong delusion

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.

Calvin: 2Th 2:11 - The working of delusion

11.The working of delusion. He means that errors will not merely have a place, but the wicked will be blinded, so that they will rush forward to ruin without consideration. For as God enlightens us inwardly by his Spirit, that his doctrine may be efficacious in us, and opens our eyes and hearts, that it may make its way thither, so by a righteous judgment he delivers over to a reprobate mind (Rom 1:28) those whom he has appointed to destruction, that with closed eyes and a senseless mind, they may, as if bewitched, deliver themselves over to Satan and his ministers to be deceived. And assuredly we have a notable specimen of this in the Papacy. No words can express how monstrous a sink of errors ⁶⁸² there is there, how gross and shameful an absurdity of superstitions there is, and what delusions at variance with common sense. None that have even a moderate taste of sound doctrine, can think of such monstrous things without the greatest horror. How, then, could the whole world be lost in astonishment at them, were it not that men have been struck with blindness by the Lord, and converted, as it were, into stumps?

Defender: 2Th 2:11 - believe a lie

There is a definite article here - the lie. Those who have refused the truth will be given a strong delusion by God Himself when the man of sin is revealed. They will believe his lie, receive him as the god of this age, then perish with him."

TSK: 2Th 2:11 - for // God // that

for : Psa 81:11, Psa 81:12, Psa 109:17; Isa 29:9-14; Joh 12:39-43; Rom 1:21-25, Rom 1:28

God : 1Ki 22:18-22; 2Ch 18:18-22; Isa 6:9, Isa 6:10; Eze 14:9

that : Isa 44:20, Isa 66:4; Jer 27:10; Eze 21:29; Mat 24:5, Mat 24:11; 1Ti 4:1

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Poole: 2Th 2:11 - And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion // That they should believe a lie

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion: we had account in the former verse of such as are deceived by the man of sin, of their sin, and here of their punishment. They were first deluded, which was their sin; and God sends them strong delusion, and that is their punishment. They did not receive the truth in the love of it, which was their sin; and therefore are given up to believe a lie, which is their punishment. Had they received the truth aright, they might have been saved; but not receiving it, they are damned. And they were said to be such as perish, and their perishing is here called damnation. So that though God is not the author of sin or falsehood: Deus non est auctor cujus est ultor, Fulgent.; yet he may in justice give men up to them, which the apostle here calls God’ s sending, &c.; which imports either:

1. Tradition, delivering men to Satan to tempt and deceive.

2. Desertion, withholding or withdrawing that grace that might preserve them.

3. A judicial permission, God purposing not to hinder men to fall into that sin or delusion which he seeth their own hearts incline them to.

God concurs to evil, not positive, but privative; not efficienter, but deficienter; Schoolmen. God in Scripture is often said to do that which he permits to be done; as in the case of Joseph’ s selling unto Egypt, Gen 45:7 , David’ s numbering the people, 2Sa 24:1 , compared with 1Ch 21:1 ; and the ten kings giving their power to the beast, by God’ s putting it into their hearts, Rev 17:17 : and it is not a bare permission, for what evil God permits, he decreed to permit it; and he decreed the circumstances attending it, and the end to which he would order and dispose it, and the degree to which it should break forth. They were deceived into error, and God gave them up to it. And it did work with great efficacy; which either relates to the man of sin, that did lead them strongly into it, or to them that were led by him. When error doth vitiate the life, and one error begets another, and makes men violent against the truth, then it is the efficacy of error. And thus God doth judicially punish sin with sin, and delusion with delusion; and then they are always most operative, and most incurable. But men fall not presently under these judicial acts; men first refitse to see, before God sends blindness, and first harden their own hearts, before God hardens them. These in the text first refused to receive the truth, before they were given up to believe a lie: see Rom 1:24 . So that both God and this man of sin, and themselves also, are concerned in these evils; but they sinfully and unrighteously, but God judicially and in righteousness.

That they should believe a lie: and the lie they were given up to believe, is a doctrinal lie: false speaking is a lie in words, hypocrisy is a lie in fact, and error is a lie in doctrine, Hos 11:12 Act 5:3 . Some by lie here suppose is meant the lying wonders before mentioned; and this sense need not be excluded, but I rather interpret it of false doctrine, as that which stands opposite to the truth before mentioned, and again mentioned in this verse. Sometimes idols are called lies, Isa 44:20 ; sometimes, the things of the world, Psa 4:2 ; sometimes, the great men of the world, Psa 62:9 ; sometimes, false divinations, Eze 22:28 Zec 10:2 ; sometimes, false prophesyings and predictions, Jer 14:14 23:25,26 ; and sometimes, false doctrines, as 1Ti 4:1,2 , where we read of false prophets, who shall arise in the last time, and speak lies in hypocrisy, & c. And false apostles are said to be liars upon that account, Rev 2:2 . And such are many popish doctrines, which the apostle here probably refers to. What is transubstantiation but a lie? Purgatory, infallibility of the church, mediation of saints, their opus operatum, & c.? Men must be strongly deluded to believe such doctrines, and it is mentioned as a great judgment of God upon them to believe such lies, as it is a great mercy to believe the truth, especially if we consider what follows upon it.

Gill: 2Th 2:11 - And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion // that they should believe a lie

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion,.... 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 Rom 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.