For this reason people have judgment, because they did not themselves destroy the things by which they were deceived, but the one who deceives them. For these deceptions which the devil has woven together in part, leading people away from God and quietly introducing his own worship in their place, so that when he comes after these things, having found them prepared, and people deceived and outside the help of God, he might seem to easily achieve for himself what he is zealous for, that is, to be worshipped by all people. 334, col 2 For as the scaffolding of an arch, so are the heresies, both those among the Greeks and those among the Christians, to the devil. And just as when an arch is secured and has taken its proper structure the scaffolding is removed, but the arch alone remains firm, so the devil has placed the many heresies and the ways of error as scaffolding, pre-constructing his own worship like a very great arch, so that when he comes, avenging all the heresies, he himself may abolish them, introducing his own bare worship to people. 2 Thess 2,4 In imitation of the savior, Satan comes in a complete human being. 2 Thess 2,6-8a The Holy Spirit restrains and hinders the coming of the lawless one. Therefore, when this, he says, on account of the wickedness of men, is taken out of the way and departs, then the lawless one will have opportunity to be revealed and to rise up with no one hindering. And he said this, because the mystery of lawlessness has already begun, since in the apostolic times both schisms and heresies have arisen, and since then the devil has been working the unbelief of men. For the mystery of impiety is already at work. For the Manichaeans have already said that the devil is the god of the law, and Marcion said that the god of the law is not the Father of Christ, and some say 335 to worship the one who is greater than all. And Manes says that he himself is Christ, and that he himself is the Paraclete. Only that which now restrains, until it is taken out of the way, and then the lawless one will be revealed. And the Holy Spirit restrains and hinders the coming of the lawless one, as he has already said. And now you know what is restraining. 334, col 2. What restrains, he says, is the grace of the Holy Spirit. 335 2 Thess 2,8b-9 This Isaiah also said beforehand; for having mentioned the one from the root of Jesse, he added: and he will strike the earth with the word of his mouth, and with the spirit of his lips he will slay the impious one. And that he will strike the earth he also foretold through the later of the prophets, saying: for you who fear, a sun of righteousness will arise, and healing in his wings. And after a little: behold, I will send you Elijah the Tishbite, and he added: lest I come and strike the earth utterly. And he will destroy him by the manifestation of his coming. Our life is Christ; therefore when Christ is revealed, our life, he of necessity destroys also the author of death, the devil. And in imitation of the savior, Satan comes in a complete human being, whose coming 336 is according to the working of Satan with all power, signs, and the rest. In imitation of the bodily sojourn of Christ, of the economy for our sake, Satan comes, and works in a human being, as I have already said. 335,col2 This is that which says "and with the spirit of his lips he will slay the impious one," which Isaiah says; for having mentioned the one from the root of Jesse, he added: and he will strike the earth with the word of his mouth, and with the spirit of his lips he will slay the impious one. And that he strikes the earth he also foretold through the later of the prophets; for having said: a sun of righteousness will arise for you who fear me, and after a little: behold, I send you Elijah the Tishbite, he added the final word, "lest I come and strike the earth utterly." And he will destroy him by the manifestation of his coming. The apostle called Christ our Life, and added: When your life is revealed. Therefore, when life is revealed from heaven, it is impossible that the author of death should not be destroyed, whose coming is according to the working of Satan. 336,ξολ2 this ought to persuade the Apollinarians and the Arians, that God assumed a whole man

τούτῳ τὸ κρίμα ἔχωσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, ὅτι τὰ ἐφ' οἷς ἐπλανήθησαν οὐκ αὐτοὶ καθεῖλον, ἀλλ' ὁ πλανῶν αὐτούς. ταύτας γὰρ τὰς πλάνας ἃς κατὰ μέρος συνερτήσατο ὁ διάβολος ἀφιστῶν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἡρέμα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ προσκύνησιν ἀντεισάγων, ἵν' ὅταν μετὰ ταῦτα ἔλθῃ, προητοιμασμένα εὑρηκώς, καὶ πεπλανημένους τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ ἐκτὸς ὄντας τοῦ θεοῦ τῆς βοηθείας, εὐχερῶς ἑαυτῷ δόξῃ κατορθοῦν τὸ σπουδαζόμενον, τοῦτ' ἔστι τὸ προσκυνηθῆναι αὐτὸν παρὰ πάντων ἀνθρώπων. 334, col 2 ὡς γὰρ ὑποσκευὴ ἁψῖδος, οὕτως αἱ αἱρέσεις αἵ τε παρ' Ἕλλησι καὶ αἱ παρὰ τοῖς Χριστιανοῖς τῷ διαβόλῳ. ὥσπερ δὲ ἁψῖδος σφιγγείσης καὶ λαβούσης τὴν οἰκείαν κατασκευὴν ἡ ὑποσκευὴ αἴρεται, μένει δὲ μόνη ἡ ἁψῖς στερρά, οὕτως ὁ διάβολος τὰς αἱρέσεις τὰς πολλὰς καὶ τὰς τῆς πλάνης ὁδοὺς ἀντὶ ὑποσκευῆς ὑπέθηκεν, ὥσπερ ἁψῖδα μεγίστην τὴν ἑαυτοῦ προσκύνησιν προκατασκευάζων, ἵν' ὅταν ἔλθῃ ἐκδικῶν πάσας τὰς αἱρέσεις, καὶ αὐτὸς καταργῇ γυμνὴν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ προσκύνησιν εἰσάγων ἀνθρώπους. 2 Thess 2,4 Κατὰ μίμησιν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἔρχεται ὁ σατανᾶς ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ ὁλοκλήρῳ. 2 Thess 2,6-8a Κατέχει καὶ κωλύει τοῦ ἀνόμου τὴν παρουσίαν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. ἐπειδὰν οὖν, φησί, τοῦτο διὰ τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων κακίαν ἐκ μέσου γένηται καὶ ἀποστῇ, τὸ τηνικαῦτα χώραν ἕξει ὁ ἄνομος ἀποκαλυφθῆναι καὶ ἐπαναστῆναι μηδενὸς κωλύοντος. ἔφη δὲ τοῦτο, ὅτι καὶ ἀρχὴν ἤδη εἴληφε τὸ μυστήριον τῆς ἀνομίας, ἐπειδὴ κατὰ τοὺς χρόνους τοὺς ἀποστολικοὺς καὶ σχίσματα καὶ αἱρέσεις γεγόνασιν, καὶ ἔκτοτε τὴν ἀπιστίαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὁ διάβολος διεπράττετο. τὸ γὰρ μυστήριον ἤδη ἐνεργεῖται τῆς ἀσεβείας. καὶ γὰρ Μανιχαῖοι ἤδη εἶπον τὸν διάβολον θεὸν εἶναι τοῦ νόμου, καὶ Μαρκίων εἶπεν οὐ τὸν πατέρα εἶναι τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὸν θεὸν τοῦ νόμου καὶ τὸν πάντων μείζονα λέγουσί τινες 335 σέβειν. λέγει δὲ καὶ Χριστὸν ἑαυτὸν εἶναι ὁ Μάνης, καὶ τὸν παράκλητον ἑαυτὸν εἶναι. μόνον τὸ κατέχον ἄρτι ἕως ἐκ μέσου γένηται, καὶ τότε ἀποκαλυφθήσεται ὁ ἄνομος. καὶ κατέχει καὶ κωλύει τοῦ ἀνόμου τὴν παρουσίαν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ὡς καὶ ἤδη εἶπεν. καὶ νῦν τὸ κατέχον οἴδατε. 334, col 2. Τὸ κατέχον φησὶ τὴν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος χάριν. 335 2 Thess 2,8b-9 Τοῦτο καὶ Ἡσαΐας προλαβὼν εἶπεν· μνημονεύσας γὰρ τοῦ ἐκ ῥίζης Ἰεσσαὶ ἐπήγαγεν· καὶ πατάξει τὴν γῆν τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν πνεύματι διὰ χειλέων ἀνελεῖ τὸν ἀσεβῆ. τὸ δὲ πατάξειν αὐτὸν τὴν γῆν προεῖπε καὶ διὰ τοῦ ὑστέρου τῶν προφητῶν εἰρηκώς· ἀνατελεῖ ὑμῖν τοῖς φοβουμένοις ἥλιος δικαιοσύνης, καὶ ἴασις ἐν ταῖς πτέρυξιν αὐτοῦ. καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· ἰδοὺ ἀποστελῶ ὑμῖν Ἡλίαν τὸν Θεσβίτην, καὶ ἐπήγαγε· μὴ ἐλθὼν πατάξω τὴν γῆν ἄρδην. Καὶ καταργήσει τῇ ἐπιφανείᾳ τῆς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ. ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός· ὅταν οὖν ὁ Χριστὸς φανερωθῇ, ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν, ἐξ ἀνάγκης καταργεῖ καὶ τὸν τοῦ θανάτου πρόξενον τὸν διάβολον. κατὰ μίμησιν δὲ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἔρχεται ὁ σατανᾶς ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ ὁλοκλήρῳ, οὗ ἐστιν ἡ παρου336 σία κατ' ἐνέργειαν τοῦ σατανᾶ πάσῃ δυνάμει, σημείοις καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. κατὰ μίμησιν τῆς σωματικῆς ἐπιδημίας τοῦ· Χριστοῦ, τῆς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν οἰκονομίας ἔρχεται ὁ σατανᾶς, καὶ ἐνεργεῖ ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ, καθὼς καὶ ἤδη εἶπον. 335,col2 Τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ καὶ πνεύματι διὰ χειλέων ἀνελεῖ ἀσεβῆ, ὅπερ Ἡσαΐας φησίν· μνημονεύσας γὰρ τοῦ ἐκ τῆς ῥίζης Ἰεσσαὶ ἐπήγαγεν· καὶ πατάξει τὴν γῆν τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ, καὶ πνεύματι διὰ χειλέων ἀνελεῖ ἀσεβῆ. τὸ δὲ πατάσσειν τὴν γῆν προεῖπεν καὶ διὰ τοῦ ὑστέρου τῶν προφητῶν· εἰρηκὼς γάρ· ἀνατελεῖ ὑμῖν τοῖς φοβουμένοις με ἥλιος δικαιοσύνης, καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· ἰδοὺ ἀποστέλλω ὑμῖν Ἡλίαν τὸν Θεσβίτην, τελευταῖον ἐπήγαγεν λόγον τὸ μὴ ἐλθὼν πατάξω τὴν γῆν ἄρδην. Καὶ καταργήσει τῇ ἐπιφανείᾳ τῆς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ. Ζωὴν ἡμῶν εἶπε τὸν Χριστὸν ὁ ἀπόστολος, καὶ ἐπήγαγεν· ὅταν ἡ ζωὴ ὑμῶν φανερωθῇ. ζωῆς οὖν οὐρανόθεν φανερουμένης ἀδύνατον μὴ καταργηθῆναι τὸν τοῦ θανάτου πρόξενον, οὗ ἐστιν ἡ παρουσία κατ' ἐνέργειαν τοῦ σατανᾶ. 336,ξολ2 τοῦτο ὤφειλεν πεῖσαι τοὺς Ἀπολιναρίδας καὶ τοὺς Ἀριανούς, ὅτι ὅλον ἄνθρωπον ἀνέλαβεν ὁ θεὸς