ANSWER:
There is no officially endorsed position, although it is true the view of St Chrysostom that the restrainer could be the Roman Empire has been especially influential.
In summary, the common views or possibilities are:
- the Roman Empire
- the Archangel Michael
- James of Jerusalem
- the Holy Spirit
- the 12 Apostles
None of these are either official Orthodox or heretical. This loss of information shows that some oral apostolic tradition has been lost. |
