Text -- 2 John 1:1 (NET)

Introduction and Thanksgiving

1:1 From the elder, to an elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth (and not I alone, but also all those who know the truth),

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

Robertson: 2Jo 1:1

And her children ( kai tois teknois autēs ).

As with eklektē kuria , so here tekna may be understood either literally as in 1Ti 3:4, or spiritually, as in Gal 4:19, Gal 4:25; 1Ti 1:2. For the spiritual sense in teknia see 1Jo 2:1, 1Jo 2:12.

Robertson: 2Jo 1:1

Whom ( hous ).

Masculine accusative plural, though teknois is neuter plural (dative), construction according to sense, not according to grammatical gender, "embracing the mother and the children of both sexes"(Vincent). See thus hous in Gal 4:19.

Robertson: 2Jo 1:1

I ( Egō ).

Though ho presbuteros is third person, he passes at once after the Greek idiom to the first and there is also special emphasis here in the use of agapō with the addition of en alētheiāi (in truth, in the highest sphere, as in Joh 17:19; 3Jo 1:1) and ouk egō monos (not I only, "not I alone"). Brooke argues that this language is unsuitable if to a single family and not to a church. But Paul employs this very phrase in sending greetings to Prisca and Aquila (Rom 16:4).

Robertson: 2Jo 1:1

That know ( hoi egnōkotes ).

Perfect active articular participle of ginōskō , "those that have come to know and still know."

Vincent: 2Jo 1:1

The elder ( ὁ πρεσβύτερος )

The word is used originally of seniority in age . So Luk 15:25. Afterward as a term of rank or office. Applied to members of the Sanhedrim (Mat 16:21; Act 6:12). Those who presided over the Christian assemblies or churches (Act 11:30; 1Ti 5:17, 1Ti 5:19). The twenty-four members of the heavenly court in John's vision (Rev 4:4, Rev 4:10; Rev 5:5, Rev 5:6, Rev 5:8, Rev 5:11, Rev 5:14). Here, with reference to official position, coupled, presumably, with age.

Vincent: 2Jo 1:1

Unto the elect lady ( ἐκλεκτῇ κυρίᾳ )

An expression which baffles all the commentators. It is supposed by some that the title describes a person , by others, a society . The views of the former class as to the person designated, are (1.) That the letter was addressed to a certain Babylonian named Electa . (2.) To a person named Kyria . (3.) To Electa Kyria , a compound proper name. Those who regard the phrase as describing a society , divide on the question whether a particular Christian society or the whole Church is intended. It is impossible to settle the question satisfactorily.

Vincent: 2Jo 1:1

Children ( τέκνοις )

May be taken either in a literal or in a spiritual sense. For the later, see 1 Timothy 1, 1Ti 2:1-15; Gal 4:25; 3Jo 1:4. Compare also 2Jo 1:4, 2Jo 1:13. The explanation turns on the meaning of ἐκλεκτῇ κυρίᾳ . If it mean the Church , children will have the spiritual sense. If it be a proper name, the literal.

Vincent: 2Jo 1:1

Whom ( οὓς )

Comprehensive, embracing the mother and the children of both sexes.

Vincent: 2Jo 1:1

I love ( ἀγαπῶ )

See on Joh 5:20.

Vincent: 2Jo 1:1

In the truth ( ἐν ἀληθείᾳ )

Omit the . The expression in truth marks the atmosphere or element of truth in which something is said, or felt, or done. See Joh 17:17. In truth is equivalent to truly , really . Compare Col 1:6; Joh 17:19.

Vincent: 2Jo 1:1

That have known ( οἱ ἐγνωκότες )

Either have come to know , or as Rev., know . The perfect tense of γινώσκω , to learn to know , is rendered as a present: I have learned to know , therefore I know . See on 1Jo 2:3.

Wesley: 2Jo 1:1

An appellation suited to a familiar letter, but upon a weighty subject.

Wesley: 2Jo 1:1

That is, Christian. Kuria is undoubtedly a proper name, both here and in 2Jo 1:5; for it was not then usual to apply the title of lady to any but the Roman empress; neither would such a manner of speaking have been suitable to the simplicity and dignity of the apostle.

Wesley: 2Jo 1:1

Both her and her children.

Wesley: 2Jo 1:1

With unfeigned and holy love.

JFB: 2Jo 1:1

In a familiar letter John gives himself a less authoritative designation than "apostle"; so 1Pe 5:1.

JFB: 2Jo 1:1

BENGEL takes the Greek as a proper name Kyria, answering to the Hebrew "Martha." Being a person of influence, "deceivers" (2Jo 1:7) were insinuating themselves into her family to seduce her and her children from the faith [TIRINUS], whence John felt it necessary to write a warning to her. (But see my Introduction and 1Pe 5:13). A particular Church, probably that at Babylon, was intended. "Church" is derived from Greek "Kuriake," akin to Kuria, or Kyria here; the latter word among the Romans and Athenians means the same as ecclesia, the term appropriated to designate the Church assembly.

JFB: 2Jo 1:1

Christian love rests on the Christian truth (2Jo 1:3, end). Not merely "I love in truth," but "I love in THE truth."

JFB: 2Jo 1:1

All Christians form one fellowship, rejoicing in the spiritual prosperity of one another. "The communion of love is as wide as the communion of faith" [ALFORD].

Clarke: 2Jo 1:1

The elder - John the apostle, who was now a very old man, generally supposed to be about ninety, and therefore he uses the term ὁ πρεσβυτερος, presbyter or elder, not as the name of an office, but as designating his advanced age. He is allowed to have been the oldest of all the apostles, and to have been the only one who died a natural death

This title led some of the ancients to attribute this epistle to a person called John the Presbyter, a member of the Church at Ephesus; and not to John the apostle. But this is a groundless supposition

Clarke: 2Jo 1:1

The elect lady - Εκλεκτῃ Κυρια· As Κυρια, kuria , may be the feminine of Κυριος, kurios , lord, therefore it may signify lady; and so several, both ancients and moderns, have understood it. But others have considered it the proper name of a woman, Kyria; and that this is a very ancient opinion is evident from the Peshito Syriac, the oldest version we have, which uses it as a proper name koureea , as does also the Arabic kooreea

Some have thought that Eclecta was the name of this matron, from the word εκλεκτη, which we translate elect, and which here signifies the same as excellent, eminent, honorable, or the like. Others think that a particular Church is intended, which some suppose to be the Church at Jerusalem, and that the elect sister, 2Jo 1:13, means the Church at Ephesus; but these are conjectures which appear to me to have no good ground. I am satisfied that no metaphor is here intended; that the epistle was sent to some eminent Christian matron, not far from Ephesus, who was probably deaconess of the Church, who, it is likely, had a Church at her house, or at whose house the apostles and traveling evangelists frequently preached, and were entertained. This will appear more probable in the course of the notes

Clarke: 2Jo 1:1

Whom I love in the truth - Whom I love as the Christian religion requires us to love one another

Clarke: 2Jo 1:1

And not I only - She was well known in the Churches; many had witnessed or heard of her fidelity, and partook of her hospitality; so that she had a good report of all Christians in that quarter.

Defender: 2Jo 1:1

"The elder" is, of course, the beloved disciple, John. The vocabulary, tone and content of this short epistle clearly prove that it was written by the same author as John's gospel and his first epistle. He evidently called himself "the elder" both because he was an old man by this time and also because the various churches of Asia (to whom his letters were undoubtedly circulated) all acknowledged him as entitled to this official designation. Uniform tradition holds that he was the presiding elder, or bishop, of the church at Ephesus in particular, but all these churches honored and respected him as holding apostolic authority.

Defender: 2Jo 1:1

Although a number of modern writers believe John was writing to a particular woman leader of one of the churches, it seems more likely that he was personifying the church under the figure of a gracious lady (compare 2Co 11:2; Eph 5:25-27, Eph 5:32). No other canonical epistle is addressed to an individual unless that individual is addressed by name (3Jo 1:1). Some have suggested that "lady" is actually a proper name (Greek kuria), but the adjective "elect" is never used elsewhere as an individual appellation ("the well-beloved Gaius," 3Jo 1:1). Another obvious problem is that this lady was assumed to have considerable authority in the church whereas the Apostle Paul had made it plain that, in the church, no woman was to "usurp authority over the man" (1Ti 2:12).

Defender: 2Jo 1:1

The "children" so addressed, as well as other children that had moved away (2Jo 1:4), were, evidently, those who had been won to Christ through the ministry of this church. Perhaps, since John did not mention its location, this church was addressed as representing all the churches of the region."

TSK: 2Jo 1:1

ad 90, am 4094

elder : 1Pe 5:1; 3Jo 1:1

the elect lady : 2Jo 1:5, 2Jo 1:13; Luk 1:3; Eph 1:4, Eph 1:5; 1Th 1:3, 1Th 1:4; 2Th 2:13, 2Th 2:14; 1Pe 1:2

whom : 2Jo 1:2, 2Jo 1:3; 1Pe 1:22, 1Pe 1:23; 1Jo 3:18; 3Jo 1:1

known : Joh 8:32; Gal 2:5, Gal 2:14, Gal 3:1, Gal 5:7; Col 1:5; 2Th 2:13; 1Ti 2:4; Heb 10:26; 1Jo 2:21

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Barnes: 2Jo 1:1

The elder - See the introduction, Section 1, (2,d).

Unto the elect lady - The elect or chosen Kyria. See the introduction, Section 2. He addresses her as one chosen of God to salvation, in the use of a term often applied to Christians in the New Testament.

And her children - The word here rendered "children"( τέκνοις teknois ) would include in itself both sons and daughters, but since the apostle immediately uses a masculine pronoun, τοις tois it would seem more probable that sons only were intended. At all events, the use of such a pronoun proves that some at least of her children were sons. Of their number and character we have no information, except that (the notes at 2Jo 1:4) a part of them were Christians.

Whom I love in the truth - See the notes, Joh 3:18. The meaning here is, that he "truly"or "sincerely"loved them. The introduction of the article the here, which is not in the original, ( ἐν ἀληθίᾳ en alēthia ) somewhat obscures the sense, as if the meaning were that he loved them so far as they embraced the truth. The meaning however is, that he was sincerely attached to them. The word "whom"here, ( οὓς hous ,) embraces both the mother and her children, though the pronoun is in the masculine gender, in accordance with the usage of the Greek language. No mention is made of her husband, and it may thence be inferred that she was a widow. Had he been living, though he might not have been a Christian, it is to be presumed that some allusion would have been made to him as well as to the children, especially since there is reason to believe that only some of her children were pious. See the notes, 2Jo 1:4.

And not I only, but also all they that have known the truth - That is, all those Christians who had had an opportunity of knowing them, were sincerely attached to them. It would seem, from a subsequent part of the Epistle 2Jo 1:10, that this female was of a hospitable character, and was accustomed to entertain at her house the professed friends of religion, especially religious teachers, and it is probable that she was the more extensively known from this fact. The commendation of the apostle here shows that it is possible that a family shall be extensively known as one of order, peace, and religion, so that all who know it or hear of it shall regard it with interest, respect, and love.

Poole: 2Jo 1:1

2Jo 1:1-4 The apostle testifieth his regard and good wishes

for a certain pious matron and her

children, and his joy in their good behaviour.

2Jo 1:5-9 He exhorteth them to persevere in

Christian love and belief, that they lose not their

full reward,

2Jo 1:10,11 and to have nothing to do with

those seducers that bring not the true doctrine of

Christ.

2Jo 1:12,13 He hopeth to see them shortly, and

concludeth with salutations.

The elder a general name of office, fitly appropriated with eminency here, he being the only apostle, probably, now surviving on earth.

The elect lady this appears to have been some noted person, whom both her singular piety, and rank in the world, made eminent, and capable of having great influence for the support of the Christian interest, which her general value with all that had

known the truth ( i.e. the Christians in those parts), shows. The opinion that a church is intended by this appellation, had it greater probability, is of no great importance, and need not here be disputed.

Haydock: 2Jo 1:1

The ancient priest, or bishop. See 1 Peter v. 1. ---

To the lady Elect. Some conjecture that elect might be the name of a family, or of a particular church; but the common opinion is, that it was the proper name of a virtuous lady. ---

Whom I love in truth, with a sincere Christian charity as well as her children. By reason of the truth, or the true faith, that abideth in us. (Witham)

Gill: 2Jo 1:1

The elder unto the elect lady and her children,.... By the "elder" is meant the writer of this epistle, the Apostle John, who so calls himself either on account of his age, he being now near an hundred years of age, having outlived all the apostles: or on account of his office, being a bishop or overseer, not only of the church at Ephesus, but of all the Asiatic churches, which is the same with an elder; nor is this incompatible with his being an apostle; see 1Pe 5:1, the elect lady is the person he writes unto; by whom is designed not the church of Christ, since such a way of speaking is unusual; and besides, he speaks of coming to see her face to face, and of the children of her elect sister: but some particular person, some rich, as well as gracious woman of John's acquaintance; and these words, "elect lady", are neither of them proper names of the person: some think that the word "Kyria", rendered "lady", was the name of the person, as "Domina" with the Romans, and answers to the Hebrew word "Martha"; for as מר, "Mar", signifies lord, so מרתא, "Martha, lady"; and then the inscription runs, "to the choice" or "excellent Martha"; and the Syriac and Arabic versions read, "to the elect Kyria": and others think that the word rendered elect is a proper name, and that this person's name was "Electa", as "Electus" ^d is a man's name; and then it must read thus, "to the lady Electa"; but her sister also is so called, and it can hardly be thought that two sisters should be both of a name; neither of them are proper names, but characters and titles of respect and honour: she is called a "lady", because she was a person of distinction and substance, which shows that God sometimes calls by his grace some that are rich and noble; and also that titles of respect and honour, where flattery is avoided, may be lawfully given to persons of dignity and wealth; so Nazianzen ^e calls his own mother by the same title; and it was usual to call women by this name from fourteen years of age ^f: and this person also is said to be "elect"; either because she was a choice, famous, and excellent person, not only for her birth, nobility, and riches, but for her virtue, grace, and good works; or because she was chosen unto eternal life and salvation; and which the apostle might know without a special and divine revelation, by the Gospel coming with power to her; by the grace that was wrought in her; by the faith of God's elect, which she appeared to have, seeing it worked by love; and which may be, and ought to be concluded in a judgment of charity, of everyone that professes faith in Christ, and walks according to it; and this also makes it appear that election is of particular persons, and not of nations, communities, and churches, as such; nor is it unusual to salute single persons under this character; see Rom 16:13, this epistle is inscribed not only to this lady, but also to "her children"; who were not infants, but grown up, and had made a profession of the truth, and walked in it, 2Jo 1:4, and both the mother and the children the apostle represents as the objects of his love:

whom I love in the truth; either as being in the truth and faith of the Gospel; for though all men are to be loved as men, and to be done well to, yet they that are of the household of faith, or are in the faith, are in and especial manner to be loved and respected; see Gal 6:10; or the sense is, that the apostle loved this lady and her children sincerely and heartily, without dissimulation; not in word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth, 1Jo 3:18,

and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth; either the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the truth; not with a notional knowledge, but with the knowledge of approbation and affection; with a fiducial and appropriating one: or the Gospel, the word of truth; not with a speculative, but with a spiritual and experimental knowledge of it: and this is not to be understood of every individual person then living, which had such a knowledge of the truth; for it cannot be reasonably thought that every individual person should know this lady and her children; but of all such persons who had any knowledge of them; for such who are born again by the word of truth, love not only him that begot them, but all those who are begotten of him: this shows in what sense the word "all" is sometimes taken.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: 2Jo 1:1

¹ tn The word “From” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

² tn Or “presbyter.”

sn The author’s self-designation, the elder, is in keeping with the reticence of the author of the Gospel of John to identify himself. This is the same self-designation used by the author of 3 John.

³ tn This phrase may refer to an individual or to a church (or the church at large). Some have suggested that the addressee is a Christian lady named “Electa,” but the same word in v. 13 is clearly an adjective, not a proper name. Others see the letter addressed to a Christian lady named “Kyria” (first proposed by Athanasius) or to an unnamed Christian lady. The internal evidence of 2 John clearly supports a collective reference, however. In v. 6 the addressee is mentioned using second person plural, and this is repeated in vv. 8, 10, and 12. Only in v. 13 does the singular reappear. The uses in vv. 1 and 13 are most likely collective. Some have seen a reference to the church at large, but v. 13, referring to “the children of your elect sister” is hard to understand if the universal church is in view. Thus the most probable explanation is that the “elect lady” is a particular local church at some distance from where the author is located.

sn 2 John is being written to warn a “sister” church some distance away, referred to as an elect lady, of the missionary efforts of the secessionist false teachers (discussed in 1 John) and the dangers of welcoming them whenever they arrive.

⁴ tn The prepositional phrase ἐν ἀληθείᾳ (en alhqeia) in 2 John 1 is similar to 3 John 1, although it is not qualified there as it is here (see 3 John 1). This is not merely the equivalent of an adverb (“truly”), but is a theological statement affirming the orthodoxy of Gaius, to whom the letter is addressed. “Truth” is the author’s way of alluding to theological orthodoxy in the face of the challenge by the opponents (see 1 John 3:19).

⁵ sn All those who know the truth refers to true Christians who are holding fast to the apostolic Christology in the face of the secessionist opponents described in 1 John.

Geneva Bible: 2Jo 1:1

The elder unto the ^{( a )} elect ^{( b )} lady and her children, ^{( 1 )} whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;

^{( a )} This is not a proper name, but is to be taken as it sounds that is to say, the worthy and noble lady.

^{( b )} Excellent and honourable woman. ^{( 1 )} The bond of Christian union is the true and constant profession of the truth.

Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

TSK Synopsis: 2 John

1 He exhorts a certain honourable matron, with her children, to persevere in Christian love and belief,

8 lest they lose the reward of their former profession;

10 and to have nothing to do with those seducers that bring not the true doctrine of Christ Jesus.

MHCC: 2Jo 1:1-3

Religion turns compliments into real expressions of respect and love. And old disciple is honourable; an old apostle and leader of disciples is more so. The letter is to a noble Christian matron, and her children; it is well that the gospel should get among such: some noble persons are called. Families are to be encouraged and directed in their love and duties at home. Those who love truth and piety in themselves, should love it in others; and the Christians loved this lady, not for her rank, but for her holiness. And where religion truly dwells, it will abide for ever. From the Divine Persons of the Godhead, the apostle craves grace, Divine favour, and good-will, the spring of all good things. It is grace indeed that any spiritual blessing should be given to sinful mortals. Mercy, free pardon, and forgiveness; for those already rich in grace, need continual forgiveness. Peace, quietness of spirit, and a clear conscience, in assured reconciliation with God, together with all outward prosperity that is really for good: these are desired in truth and love.

Matthew Henry: 2Jo 1:1-4

Ancient epistles began, as here, with salutation and good wishes: religion consecrates, as far as may be, old forms, and turns compliments into real expressions of life and love. Here we have, as usually,

I. The saluter, not expressed by name, but by a chosen character: The elder. The expression, and style, and love, intimate that the penman was the same with that of the foregoing epistle; he is now the elder, emphatically and eminently so; possibly the oldest apostle now living, the chief elder in the church of God. An elder in the ancient house of Israel was reverend, or to be reverenced, much more he who is so In the gospel Israel of God. An old disciple is honourable; and old apostle and leader of disciples is more so. He was now old in holy service and experience, had seen and tasted much of heaven, and was much nearer than when at first he believed.

II. The saluted - a noble Christian matron, and her children: To the elect lady and her children. A lady, a person of eminent quality for birth, education, and estate. It is well that the gospel ha got among such. It is a pity but lords and ladies should be acquainted with the Lord Christ and his religion. They owe more to him than others do; though usually not many noble are called. Here is a pattern for persons of quality of the same sex. The elect lady; not only a choice one, but one chosen of God. It is lovely and beautiful to see ladies, by holy walking, demonstrate their election of God. And her children; probably the lady was a widow; she and her children then are the principal part of the family, and so this may be styled an economical epistle. Families may well be written to and encouraged, and further directed in their domestic love, and order, and duties. We see that children may well be taken notice of in Christian letters, and they should know it too; it may avail to their encouragement and caution. Those who love and commend them will be apt to enquire after them. This lady and her children are further notified by the respect paid them, and that, 1. By the apostle himself: Whom I love in the truth, or in truth, whom I sincerely and heartily love. He who was the beloved disciple had learnt the art or exercise of love; and he especially loved those who loved him, that Lord who loved him. 2. By all her Christian acquaintance, all the religious who knew her: And not I only, but also all those that have known the truth. virtue and goodness in an elevated sphere shine brightly. Truth demands acknowledgment, and those who see the evidences of pure religion should confess and attest them; it is a good sign and great duty to love and value religion in others. The ground of this love and respect thus paid to this lady and her children was their regard to the truth: For the truth's sake (or true religion's sake) which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever. Christian love is founded upon the appearance of vital religion. Likeness should beget affection. Those who love truth and piety in themselves should love it in others too, or love others upon the account of it. The apostle and the other Christians loved this lady, not so much for her honour as her holiness; not so much for her bounty as her serious Christianity. We should not be religious merely by fits and starts, in certain moods and moons; but religion should still dwell within us, in our minds and hearts, in our faith and love. It is to be hoped that where religion once truly dwells it will abide for ever. The Spirit of Christianity, we may suppose, will not be totally extinguished: Which shall be with us for ever.

III. The salutation, which is indeed an apostolical benediction: Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love, 2Jo 1:3. Sacred love pours out blessings upon this honourable Christian family; to those who have shall more be given. Observe,

1. From whom these blessings are craved, (1.) From God the Father, the God of all grace. He is the fountain of blessedness, and of all the blessings that must bring us thither. (2.) From the Lord Jesus Christ. He is also author and communicator of these heavenly blessings, and he is distinguished by this emphatic character - the Son of the Father; such a Son as none else can be; such a Son as is the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his person, who, with the Father, is also eternal life, 1Jo 1:2.

2. What the apostle craves from these divine persons. (1.) Grace - divine favour and good-will, the spring of all good things: it is grace indeed that any spiritual blessing should be conferred on sinful mortals. (2.) Mercy - free pardon and forgiveness; those who are already rich in grace have need of continual forgiveness. (3.) Peace - tranquility of spirit and serenity of conscience, in an assured reconciliation with God, together with all safe and sanctified outward prosperity. And these are desired in truth and love, either by sincere and ardent affection in the saluter (in faith and love he prays them from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ ), or as productive of continued truth and love in the saluted; these blessings will continually preserve true faith and love in the elect lady and her children; and may they do so!

IV. The congratulation upon the prospect of the exemplary behaviour of other children of this excellent lady. Happy parent, who was blessed with such a numerous religious offspring! I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in the truth, as we have received commandment from the Father, 2Jo 1:4. Possibly the lady's sons travelled abroad, either for accomplishment and acquaintance with the world, or on the account of their own business or the common affairs of the family, and in their travels might come to Ephesus, where the apostle is supposed to have now resided, and might there happily converse with him. See how good it is to be trained up to early religion! Though religion is not to be founded upon education, yet education may be and often is blessed, and is the way to fortify youth against irreligious infection. Hence too let young travellers learn to carry their religion along with them, and not either leave it at home or learn the ill customs of the countries where they come. It may be observed, also, that sometimes election runs in a direct line; here we have an elect lady, and her elect children; children may be beloved for their parents' sake, but both by virtue of free grace. From the apostle's joy herein we may observe that it is pleasant to see children treading in good parent's steps; and those who see this may well congratulate their parents thereupon, and that both to excite their thankfulness to God for, and to enlarge their comfort in, so great a blessing. How happy a lady was this, who had brought forth so many children for heaven and for God! And how great a joy must it be to her ladyship to hear so good an account of them from so good a judge! And we may further see that it is joyful to good old ministers, and accordingly to other good old disciples, to see a hopeful rising generation, who may serve God and support religion in the world when they are dead and gone. We see here also the rule of true walking: the commandment of the Father. Then is our walk true, our converse right, when it is managed by the word of God.

Barclay: 2Jo 1:1-3

The writer designates himself simply by the title of The Elder. Elder can have three different meanings.

(i) It can mean simply an older man, one who by reason of his years and experience is deserving of affection and of respect. There will be something of that meaning here. The letter is from an aged servant of Christ and the church.

(ii) In the New Testament the elders are the officials of the local churches. They were the first of all the church officials, and Paul ordained elders in his churches on his missionary journeys, as soon as it was possible to do so (Act 4:21-23). The word cannot be used in that sense here, because these elders were local officials, whose authority and duties were confined to their own congregation, whereas The Elder of this letter clearly has an authority which extends over a much wider area. He claims the right to advise congregations in places where he himself is not a resident.

(iii) Almost certainly this letter was written in Ephesus in the province of Asia. In the church there Elder was used in a special sense. The elders were men who had been direct disciples of the apostles; it is from these men that both Papias and Irenaeus, who lived and worked and wrote in Asia, tell us that they got their information. The elders were the direct links between the second generation of Christians and the followers of Christ in the flesh. It is undoubtedly in that sense that the word is used here. The writer of the letter is one of the last direct links with Jesus Christ; and therein lies his right to speak.

As we have already said in the introduction, The Elect Lady is something of a problem. There are two suggestions.

(i) There are those who hold that the letter is written to an individual person. In Greek the phrase is Eklekte (1588) Kuria (2959). Kurios (2962) (the masculine form of the adjective) is a common form of respectful address and Eklekte (1588) could just possibly--though not probably--be a proper name, in which case the letter would be written to My Dear Eklekte. Kuria (2959), besides being a title of respectful address, can be a proper name, in which case eklekte (1588) would be an adjective and the letter would be to The Elect Kuria. Just possibly both words are proper names, in which case the letter would be to a lady called Eklekte Kuria.

But, if this letter is written to an individual, it is much more likely that neither word is a proper name and that the Revised Standard Version is correct in translating the phrase The elect lady. There has been much speculation as to who The Elect Lady might be. We mention only two of the suggestions. (a) It has been suggested that The Elect Lady is Mary, the mother of our Lord. She was to be a mother to John and he was to be a son to her (Joh 19:26-27), and a personal letter from John might well be a letter to her. (b) Kurios (2962) means Master; and Kuria (2959) as a proper name would mean Mistress. In Latin, Domina is the same name and in Aramaic, Martha; both meaning Mistress or Lady. It has, therefore, been suggested that the letter was written to Martha of Bethany.

(ii) It is much more likely that the letter is written to a church. It is far more likely that it is a church which all men love who know the truth (2Jo 1:1). 2Jo 1:4says that some of the children are walking in the truth. In 2Jo 1:4; 2Jo 1:8; 2Jo 1:10; 2Jo 1:12 the word you is in the plural, which suggests a church. Peter uses almost exactly the same phrase when he sends greetings from The Elect One (the form is feminine) which is at Babylon (1Pe 5:13).

It may well be that the address is deliberately unidentifiable. The letter was written at a time when persecution was a real possibility. If it were to fall into the wrong hands, there might well be trouble. And it may be that the letter is addressed in such a way that to the insider its destination is quite clear, while to the outsider it would look like a personal letter from one friend to another.

Barclay: 2Jo 1:1-3

It is of great interest to note how in this passage love and truth are inseparably connected. It is in the truth that the elder loves the elect lady. It is because of the truth that he loves and writes to the church. In Christianity we learn two things about love.

(i) Christian truth tells us the way in which we ought to love. Agape (26) is the word for Christian love. Agape (26) is not passion with its ebb and flow, its flicker and its flame; nor is it an easy-going and indulgent sentimentalism. And it is not an easy thing to acquire or a light thing to exercise. Agape (26) is undefeatable goodwill; it is the attitude towards others which, no matter what they do, will never feel bitterness and will always seek their highest good. There is a love which seeks to possess; there is a love which softens and enervates; there is a love which withdraws a man from the battle; there is a love which shuts its eyes to faults and to ways which end in ruin. But Christian love will always seek the highest good of others and will accept all the difficulties, all the problems and all the toil which that search involves. It is of significance that John writes in love to warn.

(ii) Christian truth tells us the reason for the obligation of love. In his first letter, John clearly lays it down. He has talked of the suffering, sacrificing, incredibly generous love of God; and then he says, "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another" (1Jo 4:11). The Christian must love because he iv loved. He cannot accept the love of God without showing love to the men God loves. Because God loves us, we must love others with the same generous and sacrificial love.

Before we leave this passage we must note one other thing. John begins this letter with a greeting, but it is a very unusual greeting. He says, "Grace, mercy and peace will be with us." In every other New Testament letter the greeting is in the form of a wish or a prayer. Paul usually says, "Grace be to you and peace." Peter says, "May grace and peace be multiplied to you" (1Pe 1:2). Jude says, "May mercy, peace and love, be multiplied to you" (Jd 2 ). But here the greeting is a statement: "Grace, mercy and peace will be with us." John is so sure of the gifts of the grace of God in Jesus Christ that he does not pray that his friends should receive them; he assures them that they will receive them. Here is the faith which never doubts the promises of God in Jesus Christ.

Constable: 2Jo 1:1-3

I. INTRODUCTION vv. 1-3

John introduced himself, identified the recipients of this letter, greeted them, and mentioned the major subjects of his concern to prepare his readers for what follows.

vv. 1-2 As I explained in the introduction section of these notes, the "elder" was evidently the Apostle John, the "chosen lady" a local church, and her "children" the believers in that church. The church was "chosen" in that it consisted of elect individuals, Christians.

"We are hardly to think here of an elder in the sense which the word presbyteros usually bears in Christian contexts in the New Testament, that is, one who discharges the ministry of eldership in a local church. . . . The word appears in another specialized sense in second-century Christian literature, of church leaders in the generation after the apostles, particularly those who were disciples of apostles or of apostolic men,' and were therefore guarantors of the tradition' which they received from the apostles and delivered in turn to their own followers."⁴

John loved this church and so did other Christians who knew about it. The basis of this love was the truth the Christians there believed in common with one another. This "truth" refers to God's revelation in Scripture. The importance of this truth is clear from the fact that John referred to it three times in these two verses.

"The Truth makes true love possible."⁵

v. 3 John wanted his readers to appreciate the importance of guarding God's truth and practicing love for one another. These two things are the basis for grace, mercy, and peace. "Grace" is God's unmerited favor, "mercy" is compassion, and "peace" is harmony and inner tranquillity.

"The succession grace, mercy, peace' marks the order from the first notion of God to the final satisfaction of man."⁶

These qualities flourish where truth and love prevail.

"Where truth and love' coexist harmoniously, we have a well-balanced Christian character (cf. Eph. 4.15)."⁷

John's description of Jesus Christ as the Son of God the Father is reminiscent of his emphasis on Jesus' full deity both in his first epistle and in his Gospel.

College: 2 John

2 JOHN

¹ The elder, To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth - and not I only, but also all who know the truth - ² because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever:

³ Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, will be with us in truth and love. ⁴ It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. ⁵ And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. ⁶ And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

⁷ Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. ⁸ Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. ⁹ Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰ If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. ¹¹ Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.

¹² I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

¹³ The children of your chosen sister send their greetings.

I. GREETING (1-3)

As was mentioned earlier, 2 and 3 John are closer examples of first century letters than 1 John. We have author, recipient, greeting, transitional statement of thanks or praise, main body, and closing. John continues to answer the same villains in his second epistle as he had in the first. This is not to say that there were Gnostics under every rock opposing the church in the first century, but rather that John specifically answers their false teaching with his epistles.

Aside from inspiration and God's canonization of the works, their preservation indicates the respect given to John's writings by the church. The readers needed to hear that they were wanted by God, that they were chosen by him, that they were protected by him from various enemy threats.

v. 1The elder,

The letter writer is presbuvtero" ( presbyteros ). Taken literally, this word means "older one." It was used for:

1) Those of an older or advanced age

2) Those in church leadership (usually used in plurality in the NT; see 1 Pet 5:1)

3) Predecessors, people of ancient times. One possibility is that John is using apocalyptic language to disguise himself and to protect the readers from government persecution. In any case, John is known by the readers of this letter and simply uses the designation of The Elder .

To the chosen lady and her children,

The recipients of the letter is another matter for discussion. Commentators through the centuries have disagreed about their identification. Who are the chosen lady and her children ? There are at least four views to consider for the identification of the lady:

1) Some have argued that the lady is an "unknown sister" in one of the local congregations. This is probably the best position for those who insist on the one-recipient view.

2) Others have held that there was a lady by the name of Eklecte or Eclecta (literally taking the Greek to indicate an actual name of a specific woman, =Eklekth/', (transliterated as Eklecte ). E.g., Clement of Alexandria held this view. It is also less likely because we find it again as an adjective in verse 13.

3) Perhaps it was another lady named Kuria or Cyria by transliterating the word for lady (kuriva in Greek, the equivalent of "Martha" in Hebrew). But there is little evidence in early Christian literature to support such a view.

4) If John were using the device of cryptic language in this epistle, the chosen lady and her children would be the local church.

It is my opinion that this last view is the correct one. Both the Greek pronouns and verb forms used here are plural. The children , therefore, would be members of a local congregation (see 1 Tim 1:2; Gal 4:25). Like mother, like daughter - the church and her members are chosen!

whom I love in the truth - and not I only, but also all who know the truth -

John and the recipients share a common passion for the truth. He is referring to the gospel of truth (John 1:7; 14:7; 17:19; Gal 2:5, 14; Col 1:6). John identifies himself as being a part of their company. All who have obeyed the gospel know the truth and are known by the truth they live. Paul bragged about congregations whose reputation in the faith preceded them (Rom 1:8; 2 Cor 8:7; Ph 1:15; Col 1:4; 1 Thess 1:8; and 2 Thess 1:3).

v. 2 because of the truth,

Truth (ajlhvqeia, alçtheia) is a key word in the second epistle appearing five times in the first four verses. Notice the antithesis of truth in the word "deceivers" in verse 7 and the intimated opposition to truth in verse 11, "wicked work." For the sake of the truth John is writing to these Christians to remind them of a common cause and bloodline.

which lives in us and will be with us forever:

How does this truth live in the Christian? Jesus is the truth (John 14:6). When we clothe ourselves with Christ, we clothe ourselves with him, the truth (Gal 3:26-29). Jesus' promise in Matthew 28:20 is fulfilled by the indwelling of Christ's Spirit (John 14:16; Acts 2:38, 39) and our continued faithfulness to his revealed truth in the Word.

v. 3 Grace, mercy and peace

These three words also appear in 1 Timothy 1:2 and 2 Timothy 1:2. You have the common Greek greeting in grace (cavri", charis ) and the common Hebrew greeting in peace (eijrhvnh, eirçnç - often explained as the Christian form of shalom ). Mercy (e[leo", eleos ) serves as the bridge connecting the two (Westcott, "the manifestation of the divine 'grace.'").

from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, will be with us in truth and love.

John presents evidence that Jesus Christ and God the Father are one in that they are the source (paraÉ, para or from) of the grace, mercy and peace. Literally these blessings come from both equally. Jesus had told Philip, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). John is also answering some of the false teaching that denied Jesus' physical birth and life on earth (v. 7). Grace, mercy and peace will cohabit with the Christian through truth and love . Interestingly, here the verb tense is future e[stai (2 Pet 1:2 and Jude 2 use present tense, "be. . .in abundance" - plhquvnw, plçthynô).

II. WALKING IN OBEDIENCE (4-6)

A. SOURCE OF JOY (4)

v. 4 It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.

Following the customary first century letter form, John expresses a note of thanksgiving to the recipients. As for any parent, the knowledge that your children are actually obedient to what you have asked them to do is a source of great joy , not to mention relief! God the Father has commanded that we continue to walk in the truth . Logically if some (not in the original) of the children were walking in the truth , others were no longer and had fallen away. It is to be a lifestyle for the faithful that is obvious to everyone, friend and enemy alike.

B. LOVE AS OBEDIENCE (5-6)

v. 5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another.

The apostle of love again politely pleads with his readers (singular, yet addressed to all, including John) to obey the command to love one another . The NIV uses the words I ask . It is not new because they have heard it before. John had seen, touched and heard it before. The command goes back to Leviticus 19:18. More specifically, from the beginning would be from the time of their rebirth and being clothed with truth and love (John 13:34; see comments on 1 John 2:7-15). In contrast, the Gnostics were constantly adding new teachings. The old teaching of love was sufficient to answer the new threat to the church. It is not optional because it is a command from the head of the church. Jesus in Matthew 22 and Paul in Romans 13 summed up a list of commands in the one to love.

v. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

John defines love for the readers again. We have the benefit of knowing what John has written in his extant writings. They did not and needed another explanation of love fleshed out. The same phrase is repeated, from the beginning . John reinforces the thought that they knew better and should renew their first love.

But what happens when we do not obey all of his commands ? We have "one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One" (1 John 2:1). Intent to obey his commands and living a life before and toward God proves our love for him and our neighbor. Maybe the RSV has a closer meaning to the original by using "follow" in love. Jesus best demonstrated how to love and we must follow his example! Walking in love puts our confession of faith into action.

III. CONTINUING IN THE TEACHING (7-11)

A. IDENTIFICATION OF DECEIVERS (7)

v. 7 Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.

This is the real reason for John to write about the truth - the rise of false teachers. The NIV does not translate o}ti ( hoti - "because" or "for") at the beginning of the verse, which would evidence John's purpose in warning. We generally know what deceivers are. They are liars! And we know that the devil "is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44). They had been commissioned by their master to go out into the world . John clarifies that the deceivers attempting to teach among his readers would be those who deny Jesus' incarnation (see 1 John 2:22; 4:2, 15; 5:6). They do not acknowledge or confess (oJmologevw, homologeô) that Jesus came in the flesh in contrast to the Christian confession. Their unity is in a common conspiracy of deceit. They are calling God a liar (1 John 5:10). One of the best safeguards against error or false teaching is for brothers and sisters to genuinely love one another.

The definite article appears in the original to label false teachers as the deceiver and the antichrist . Some have taken this to mean that the false teachers were the devil himself. There is no worse enemy for Christians than one who is anti-Christ. In this wording we hear the strongest warning from John. That is why any association with the deceivers would be anti-Christian and walking in the opposite direction of their confession of faith and walk in love. Is there one Antichrist? John is the only New Testament writer to use the terminology, here and in 1 John 2:18, 22 and 4:3. Context indicates that there are many antichrists or deceivers.

B. BEING FULLY REWARDED (8)

v. 8 Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.

Watch out (blevpete, blepete ) means caution! When one holds the belief that Jesus did not come in the flesh, as Knofel Staton responds, "it is just a logical jump to conclude that He is not presently coming into the flesh of men via the Holy Spirit. If that is denied, ethics is reduced to humanism. That is precisely what Gnosticism did to ethics in the first century. If there is no Divine that comes into the human, the human becomes his own god." If a person becomes "his own god," he is lost.

John's warning here runs counter to the position of some Calvinists who hold the doctrine of "the perseverance of the saints" (the "P" in TULIP). The possibility of losing, drifting away or falling away is taught in such passages as Hebrews 2:1 (drifting), Matthew 11:6; 26:31, 33; Mark 4:17; 14:27, 29; Luke 7:23; 8:13; and Hebrews 6:6 (falling). The NIV translates the clause, a} hjrgasavmeqa ( ha çrgasametha) as what you have worked for . This is better rendered, "what we have worked for." The objection to works salvation would be answered to some degree with this interpretation. We would see John's concern that his own efforts and those of other evangelists could be in vain should the readers "fall away." Paul writes, "continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose" (Phil 2:12, 13).

There is always a need for self-examination in the Christian life (e.g., 1 Cor 11:28). The end result of our watching out is to be rewarded fully . "Reward" is used 24 times in the New Testament, among which only one other passage is in John's writings, Revelation 22:12. The ultimate reward for the Christian to hear from his Lord is, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" (Matt 25:21).

C. HAVING BOTH THE FATHER AND THE SON (9)

v.9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God;

What does John mean by the clause anyone who runs ahead, as the NIV translates Pa'" oJ proavgwn (pas ho proagôn)? It can also mean "to go too far" or as Smith uses the alternate reading of parabaivnwn, parabainôn - "progresses," which can also mean "turn away" or "leave." There is a caution for John's readers, as well as for us, to build on the past without completely abandoning it. John describes a person who is not satisfied with the way things are and usurps a teacher's authority in order to present a contradictory new teaching. He or she has a revelation that is better than what God has revealed. When that happens, he stops following the teaching of Christ and does not have God ! To be without Christ is to be lost (1 John 5:12).

What then is the teaching of Christ? Two options would be either " what Jesus taught" or "what has been taught about him." The context of John's epistles would have us adopt the latter view due to the false teaching about the Christ of which John warns his readers.

whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.

The positive outcome for the faithful follower is the assurance of having both the Father and the Son and their having him. Persevering of the saints requires discipline!

D. WARNING ABOUT MISDIRECTED HOSPITALITY (10-11)

v. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him.

If begins a conditional sentence and means in essence that it is likely that the recipients of this letter will encounter false teachers. Marshall comments, "we should not give any kind of practical encouragement to the false teachers." We have heard that some cults practice scare tactics in warning their would-be proselytes to ignore any other teaching as from the devil. That would be one way for false teachers to protect their catch. John warns the Christians to identify the deceivers immediately by their speech. If what they teach is not in line with what John has described as the teaching of Christ (or the teaching about Christ), they are to be avoided entirely. Romans 12:13 is not to be applied to false teachers and deceivers. Christians are under no obligation to "practice hospitality" to them. Do not take him into your house or welcome him clearly protects family devotion to one another and to Christ.

Ross cautions about overreacting and becoming too judgmental, "We should, however, be absolutely certain that men are as far astray from Christian Truth as John's heretics were before we think of meeting [sic] out to them such treatment as John here recommends." We would all do well to apply 1 John 4:1-6 in testing the spirits of such alleged teachers in order to protect ourselves and the fellowship of the church.

v. 11 Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.

If the readers had not learned the lesson by now, John adds to the warning by explaining that to be hospitable to deceivers is the same as being a deceiver. They would have fellowship (koinwniva, koinônia) in wickedness! Alexander Campbell used the phrase "listening distance" or "hearing distance." Ross comments that inviting deceivers in, "would increase their opportunities for working mischief." Paul warned, "I urge you brothers . . . . Keep away from them." (Rom 16:17). If we do not invite false teachers into our homes (churches - Acts 2:46; 1 Cor 16:19; Phlm 1:2), we will not come within the listening distance to be led astray!

IV. HOPING FOR A VISIT (12)

v. 12 I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink.

A close parallel with 3 John indicates that both books may have been written at the same time. We do not know how much more John wished to write to the readers of this letter. The brevity of the letter demonstrates John's urgency in warning the church. Many have speculated concerning what John might have written. It is reminiscent of John 21:25 where John ends his portrait of Jesus and claims that many more volumes would still not contain all of his life. If John has been using a disguise throughout the letter through cryptic language, he may have been protecting his readers from detection by not saying too much in writing.

Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

He would wait to speak with them face to face . Some things you cannot write in a letter, speak over the phone or by electronic mail. He may have planned to equip them more completely to handle the onslaught of the false teachers and to rejoice with them in their common faith. Again, John includes himself by using the word our and remains consistent with the rest of the letter. John wanted to rejoice with them and in person.

V. CLOSING (13)

v. 13 The children of your chosen sister send their greetings.

John closes his letter as he began it. If John has been addressing a local congregation, he then signs his letter by sending reciprocal greetings from his own congregation. They needed to know that they were not alone in the world. If John is writing from Ephesus, it is the church at Ephesus that sends greetings. The Textus Receptus has ajmhvn (amçn) added to the closing words of the verse, your chosen sister (literally: your sister, the chosen one).

QUESTIONS ON SECOND JOHN

Consider These as You Read 2 John

1. Who is "the elder"?

2. Who is "the elect lady"?

3. Is there more to verse 3 than the mere formality of greeting?

4. Who are the children of verse 4?

5. What is the purpose of John's writing in 2 John?

6. Why is 2 John so short?

Questions for Review of 2 John

1. What are some of the different views of the identity of "the elect lady?"

2. What is the probable meaning of the term "elder" as used here by John?

3. Against what does 2 John constitute a warning (v. 8)?

4. How does John's position against Gnosticism answer the present day philosophy that "all truth is relative?"

5. Describe the grace of God.

6. Sin, in its deepest sense, is a crime against what or whom?

7. A crime against law can be punished by ________________ .

8. A crime against love can only be atoned for by _________ .

9. How would you answer the claim that the peace of God in the heart of Christians is "the opiate of the people" to lull them into the grasp of those who would enslave and exploit?

10. Why is John pleasantly surprised to find the wandering children of the elect lady walking according to truth?

11. The only admissible evidence that we know truth is that we __________________ (v. 4).

12. The fundamental command of God to his children is that we __________________ .

13. How does love express itself (v. 6)?

14. Love will not allow __________________ with falsehood.

15. Who does John identify as the antichrist in 2 John? How does this compare with what John says about the antichrist in 1 John, chapter 2?

16. The essential truth upon which both the personal salvation of Christians and the fellowship of the church rests is ______________ .

17. What is meant by "the teaching of Christ" in 2 John 9?

18. What is the danger of "progress" as set forth in 2 John 9?

19. Why are we forbidden to be hospitable to false teachers?

20. How would a Christian share in wickedness (v. 11)?

21. Who might be chosen sister be?

-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV

Lapide: 2 John

PREFACE TO THE SECOND AND THIRD

EPISTLE OF S. JOHN.

——o——

SEVERAL ancient writers have entertained doubts respecting the Second and Third Epistles of S. John, supposing them to have been written by John the Presbyter, not John the Apostle. They have been led to think this because the writer begins by calling himself the Elder, or the Presbyter, in Greek πζεσβύτεζος. This doubt is mentioned by Eusebius ( H. E. lib. 3 cap ult. ) and S. Jerome ( de Scrip. Eccles.). But that both these Epistles are canonical is now de fide, and also that they were written by S. John the Apostle. This appears, 1st From the definition of the Council of Trent ( sess. 4), and the Third Council of Carthage ( cap. 47), and the Council of Laodicæa ( cap. 59), and the 84 of the Canons of the Apostles.

2d. From the Fathers, viz. Irenæeus ( lib. 3 c. 13), S. Augustine ( lib. 2 de Doct. Christ. c. 8). Hear also S. Jerome ( Epis. ad Paul ): "James, Peter, John, and Jude the Apostles published seven epistles, both mystical, succinct, and brief, all about the same length: short in words, long in sentences, so that there are few readers who are unacquainted with them."¹ He says elsewhere ( Epis. ad Evagr.): "The son of thunder, whom Jesus loved most dearly, sounds with his trumpet; he, I mean, who from the Saviour's breast drank rivers of doctrine, 'the Presbyter to the Elect Lady and her children, whom I love in the truth.'"

3d. Similarity of style and matter is an argument for these two Epistles having the same author as the first. This is what Baronius says ( An. 99 , cap. 9): "Certainly, if ever it be allowable to judge by their likeness to one another that children are born of the same parents, any one can easily perceive, from the words, the sentences, the style, the tone, bearing as they do on the surface the same character, that these Epistles have proceeded from the same author. First, with regard to the words and sentences, there are many indications of this, as when he says in the First Epistle 'I write not a new commandment unto you, but an old.' So in the Second, 'Not as writing a new commandment unto you, but that which we have had from the beginning.' Again in the First, 'Every one who denieth the Son, neither hath he the Father: he who confesseth the Son hath the Father also.' And in the Second he utters the same sentiment in the words, 'Every one who draws back, and abides not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God: he who abides in the doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Son.' So too in the First, 'Whosoever is born of God sinneth not. In the Third the same idea is thus expressed, 'He that doeth good is of God; and he that is born of God sinneth not.' And as in the First Epistle it is frequently inculcated that we should love in deed and in truth, in the Second and Third there are injunctions to love in truth. In the First Epistle we find, 'Many false prophets are gone out into the world; in this is known the spirit of God,' &c. So in the Second we find the same idea in almost identical words, 'There are many seducers gone out into the world: he who confesseth not that Jesus is come in the flesh, this is a seducer and an antichrist.' Again, we have in the First Epistle, 'This is love, that we keep His commandments;' and in the Second, 'This is love, that we walk according to His commandments.' This continual inculcation of charity, love, and truth in these two Epistles clearly indicates that we have in them a genuine transcript of the mind of S. John, just as we have in the First."

To the objection that John writes of himself as the Elder, or Presbyter, I reply that in that age Presbyter and Bishop had the same meaning, as I have shown on 1Ti 4:14. Moreover, S. John, worn out at this time with the fulness of years and the weight of the apostolic dignity, was the oldest of all living Christians. The last of the Apostles, he lived until the age of Trajan, and died about A.D. 101.

 THE SECOND EPISTLE OF

S. JOHN.

——o——

The Elder : S. John, as the last survivor of the Apostles, surpassed all the three Bishops both in age and dignity. As S. Ambrose says, "an Elder, who was furnished with a sort of swan-like grace of age." And Œcumenius says, "John speaks of himself as a Bishop under the name of a Presbyter."

Elect : Serarius endeavours to prove by eight conjectural reasons that by the name Electa is signified not a person, or matron, but an Asiatic Church. For the Church is the elect Spouse of God, according to the words in Song vi. 9, "Fair as the moon, elect as the sun" ( Vulg.); and S. Peter's 1st Epist. (1Pet 513, "The Church in Babylon co-elect with you." Serarius thinks that this Church was one of the seven Churches of Asia, which S. John warns and teaches in the Apocalypse: or else that it was the Church of Corinth, because Gaius the host of S. Paul was a member of it, as we gather from Rom 16:23; and 1Co 1:14. For it would seem that this Second Epistle was sent with the Third to the Church in which Gaius, to whom the Third Epistle is inscribed, lived. Moreover, this Church is called κυζία, i.e. lady, either on account of the dignity of the place, or because it excelled in virtue.

But, omitting other things, it is against this opinion that S. John says in his Third Epistle, speaking to Gaius, "I might perchance have written to the Church, but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the primacy among them, receiveth not us." He shows by these words that he did not write an Epistle to the Church where Gaius was. Wherefore it is the general opinion that the Epistle was written to a particular matron. And that this is the meaning of elect Lady, or the Lady Electa. What then is the meaning of Electa? 1st Some say it means a faithful Christian woman. For Christians generally were called the elect. Thus S. Peter (1 Ep. c. 1) writes "to the elect strangers of Pontus," &c.

But others, with more probability, think that Electa is a proper name. For epistles are wont to be inscribed to particular persons, who are addressed by their proper names. This too is why the word ε̉κλακτη̃ is without the article. For if it were an appellative noun it would have the article as in the last ver. τη̃ ε̉κλακτη̃.

Again, the word Electa is usually written with a capital letter. In a similar manner many Christians had appellatives conferred upon them instead of proper names, such as Justus, Justa, Christianus, Christiana. It may be that the faithful called her by this name because of her eminent virtue, especially because she brought up her daughters in the love of virginity, and had a religious household, as I shall show presently. Thus Elect, as meaning of excellent virtue and nobility, may answer to the Heb. bechira, chosen, illustrious.

Again, it may have been that this matron, on account of her nobility, influence, and virtue, may have been chosen to preside over other Christian women, especially those who were poor, that she might give them instruction in the faith and Christian principles, and supply their wants by procuring alms for them. Lyra adds that she supported the ministers of the Church. She was then a mother, and refuge of the faithful, such as was S. Potentiana, the sister of S. Praxedes, in the persecution of the Emperor Antoninus. For as the Apostles chose S. Stephen and the six other deacons for such an office, so did the Bishops subsequently choose deaconesses to minister to women.

The Latin translation does not call her Eclecla, following the Greek, but in the Latin form Electa. This is in favour of its being an appellative converted into a proper name by reason of her dignity and office. Lucitis Dexter, in his "Chronicle," says that this lady's original proper name was Drusia. This is what he says, "In the year of Christ 105, S. John wrote his Second Epistle to Drusia the elect female, who as a mother of the Church of that city at the time abounded in charity and alms-giving." Lastly, Clement of Alexandria says, "The Second Epistle of John is most simply written to virgins. It is inscribed to a certain lady Electa of Babylon."

Lady : from this it is plain that this Electa was a noble and influential matron, to whom, though not in accordance with his usual practice, S. John writes to confirm her, and through her others in the faith, that they might not be led astray by Ebion, Cerinthus, and the Gnostics. Such heretics would seem to have crept into this lady's house, and were endeavouring to infect her with their false doctrine. S. John seems to intimate this in the 10th ver., where he strictly forbids her to wish them God speed, or to receive them into her house.

There is an allusion to a very pretty Hebrew pun, libeclura gebira, meaning the same as chosen, or elect Lady. Similarly, S. Jerome instructed several noble Roman matrons by his words and his writings, and drew many of them to Bethlehem to the monastery of S. Paula and S. Eustochium under his direction. This is how he answers the charge brought against him for associating with these women ( Epist. 140 ad Princip.), "If men would search the Scriptures, I should not speak to women. If Barach had been willing to go out to battle there would have been no triumph for Debora. Jeremiah is shut up in prison, and, in order that Israel should not perish for lack of a prophet amongst them, Huldah the prophetess is raised up. The priests and Pharisees crucify the Son of God, but Mary Magdalen is weeping at the Cross, is preparing ointments, is seeking Him in the tomb. She interrogates the gardener, she recognises the Lord, she runs to the disciples, she tells them He is found. While they are doubting, she is full of confidence. She is a true tower (πυζγίτις ),² yea a very tower of ivory and cedar looking toward Damascus, that is to the Blood of the Saviour, which calls to deeds of penitence. It ceased to be with Sara after the manner of women, and Abraham was made subject unto her, and it was said to him, 'Whatsoever Sara saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice.'" But this particular conduct of S. Jerome is certainly not for every one to imitate; indeed, with young women it should be wholly avoided.

And her children : Clement of Alexandria testifies that these children were virgins, and thus are affectionately saluted by the virgin John. It seems then that Electa brought up her daughters for virginity and holiness, so that her home might be called a very Parthenon, or convent of virgins.

Whom I love in the truth, i.e. truly, sincerely. In the truth, i.e. in Christian charity. Or, in the truth, i.e. in the Lord, who is Truth.

And not I only, &c. "This common love removes all suspicion of private affection, and makes it of greater force," says the Inter. Gloss.

Ver. 2.— For the Truth's sake. He means, I love them in the Truth, because they themselves constantly adhere to the Truth, i.e. to the true faith. And Electa and her daughters showed that they had this true faith, because they showed it in works of love to the brethren. Therefore did S. John love them. "I love them," he means to say, "for the Truth's sake, because they live a life agreeable to the truth of the Gospel."

Ver. 3.— Grace, mercy, and peace be with you. Concerning this salutation I have spoken in the beginning of St. Paul's Epistles to Titus, the Romans, and Corinthians. He adds mercy (or, as the Syriac translation, compassions ) to grace, that by the mercies which they had received, and were daily receiving from God through Christ, he might stir up Electa and her children to show like mercy to their neighbours. For all, however holy they may be, still are poor and weak, and need the mercy of God, either because they fall, or are in danger of falling.

In truth and love, understand, that ye may persevere and increase in them. Catharinus takes it differently, thus: "The grace, mercy, and peace which I ask for you consist in the truth, i.e. true doctrine, in faith, and the charity in which ye sincerely love one another for God's sake. For in those two things the perfection of Christ consists." This is a very apposite meaning, easy and obvious, and requires nothing to be understood, or supplied.

I was exceeding glad because I found of thy children. Of thy children. This is a Hebraism. There is a similar grammatical form in Ps. lxxii. 16, "To Him shall be given of the gold of Arabia, and they shall worship of Him" ( de ipso ), i.e. " shall worship Him. "

Electa seems to have had many sons or grandsons, for they too are called children.

Walking in the Truth : ordering their lives according to the rule of the Gospel. Observe, he does not say standing, or sitting, to signify that they made daily progress in the Christian life, and went on from virtue to virtue, in which he proposes them as a model for imitation.

As we have received commandment from the Father. For the Father has commanded through the Son, even as Christ saith ( John xv. 15), "All things whatsoever I have heard of the Father I have made known unto you."

Ver.5.—And now, I beseech thee, Lady, &c. This must be referred to the end of the verse, that we love one another. I beseech thee, lady, to exercise thyself, and those who belong to thee, in mutual love. For this commandment of love is not recent and new, but delivered by Christ to me and the rest of the Apostles at the very beginning of the Gospel. Observe the modesty of S. John as something which ought to be imitated by Prelates, in that he says, I beseech thee, Lady, when he might have said, I command thee, 0 my daughter.

Ver. 6. — For this is the commandment. . . that ye should walk, &c. Viz., that ye should make careful progress in evangelical truth and love, growing and making progress in the love of God and your neighbours, as I enjoined upon you in the very beginning of my preaching.

Ver. 7.— Because many seducers are going out into the world. He now passes to the second branch of his epistle, from charity to evangelical truth. For these two virtues are inseparable sisters and companions. Now the word because gives the reason for what he had said in the verse preceding. "I have said that ye should walk in charity, should make progress in the commandment of Gospel truth and charity, because many seducers are gone out into the world, who endeavour to overturn this truth, and as a consequence Christian charity, and to tear it from you. Of such therefore ye ought to beware as of wolves. For they strive to draw you away from union with Christ to their own conventicles of Satan."

This is a seducer and an antichrist. Whosoever thinks, or teaches, that Christ has not come in the flesh, has not been incarnate; this man is a deceiver.

Ver. 8.— Lest ye lose that which ye have wrought : the Greek reads in the first person, lest we lose, &c. Lest I should have preached to you in vain, and lest both I and you should lose all our former labour. As the old saying hath it, "There is no greater unhappiness than to remember that we once were happy."

But that ye may receive a full reward. That is, if ye take heed to yourselves, and persevere, your perseverance will bring you a full reward. Full, i.e. copious and abundant. For he who falls back, even though he afterwards repent, receives only a half reward, for he loses all the time and the works of the period of his apostasy. The Greek has α̉πολάβωμεν, that we may receive, for the reward of an Apostle and teacher is full when he sees the fruit of his works in his disciples, and when he is honoured and crowned, not only in himself, but in them. As S. Paul says, "What is our hope, or joy, or crown of glory? Ye are our glory and joy."

Ver. 9.— Whosoever goeth back, &c. The Greek is παζαβαινιν, i.e., who transgresses. The Syriac reads, he who passes by, and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ, has not God for his friend.

Ver. 10 . — lf any one come to you, and bring not this doctrine, &c. S. John in this place not only advises, as some think, but also commands Electa and all the rest of the faithful not to receive to hospitality, nor say Hail, to any one who brings another doctrine, i.e. one which is contrary to the orthodox faith of Christ. For he who saith hail to such is partaker of their evil deeds. That is, he seems to favour and applaud the heretical teacher.

Observe, not only by human and canon laws, as since the time of S. John they have been enacted by Pontiffs and Councils, heretics are to be avoided in three cases. The first is, when there is danger lest you or yours should be perverted by them, which is a thing which ordinarily happens. For, as S. Paul saith, "Their word doth creep as doth a cancer." (2 Tim 2:17.)

2d. When, by receiving, you would seem to favour his heresy, and tacitly profess or encourage it. As, for example, if you were to receive to your house and table a recognised Calvinistic minister, who came for the purpose of propagating his heresy. In the same way it would be wrong to be present at his preaching, or eucharists, or to communicate with him in sacris.

3d. When you give scandal to others, so that they, thinking you to be a host and patron of heretics, should be by your example emboldened to do the same.

These cases being excepted, intercourse with heretics is not forbidden by the Divine and natural law, especially if necessity, or mercy, or grave benefit counsels it.

What S, John here teaches by way of precept he enforced by his example. For having entered into a bath, as soon as he saw Cerinthus there, he sprang out, crying, "Let us flee quickly lest the bath in which is Cerinthus, the enemy of the truth, should fall upon us!"

S. John's disciple, S. Polycarp, followed his master, saying in his Epistle to the Philippians, in allusion to these words of S. John, "Abstain," he says, "from scandals, and from false brethren, who bear the name of the Lord in vain, who cause foolish men to go astray. For every one who confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, he is antichrist: and he who confesses not the mystery of the Cross is a devil." Thus wrote holy Polycarp, and he acted accordingly. For meeting the heretic Marcion, and being asked by him if he knew him, he answered, "I know thee to be the devil's first-born."

Thus S. Hermenegild was slain by command of his father, Levvigild, king of the Goths, because he would not receive the Eucharist at Easter from an Arian bishop. This is related by S. Gregory (3 Dial. 31), who calls him a martyr of the Church.

Eusebius of Vercelli, being taken by the Arians, preferred to die of hunger rather than take food from those heretics.

S. Paphnutius took Maximus Bishop of Jerusalem by the hand when he was through simplicity associating with heretics, and led him away from them, saying, "I cannot suffer so venerable a bishop to sit in the seat of pestilence, and to communicate with unclean heretics even by a word."

When S. Martin communicated with the Bishops of the Ithacian sect, in the hope of saving them, he was warned by an angel not to do so. And although he repeated, he experienced a diminution of grace, so that he did not work so many miracles as he had previously wrought. ( Sulp. Sever. lib. 3 Dial )

Still more are heretical books to be avoided. For these pestilent productions conceal their heresy like a plague under an appearance of elegance and wisdom, and instil it into the minds of the readers. In this present age the heresy of Luther and Calvin has been dispersed through so many kingdoms by means of their books. If you wish to take away their heresy, take away their books and their ministers. In truth you will have taken it away as soon as you have substituted pious and learned priests and preachers.

Neither say godspeed ( ave ) to him. The Syriac has, ye shall not say either hail to him or farewell. The ancient Romans said ave, or salve at coming in, vale at going out. Ave then here means the same as the Greek χαὶζειν, rejoice.

For he who saith to him Ave (Syriac rejoice ) is a partaker in his evil deeds. For he who salutes a heretical teacher seems to approve his heresy. Some Latin copies add here, Lo, I have told you beforehand, that ye may not be confounded in the day of the Lord.

Ver. 12.— Having many things, &c. Either because they were confidential, or because letters might perish, or fall into the hands of unbelievers, who would interpret them falsely.

For I hope to come unto you. This shows that this letter was not written and sent to a lady at Babylon, as Clement of Alexandria says, but to some one in Asia Minor, or Greece near to Ephesus. For S. John, who was now in extreme old age and infirm, was wont to make excursions to the neighbouring cities of Asia to instruct and confirm them, but not to go as far as Babylon.

That your joy may be full : For the living voice of a Doctor and Apostle, especially S. John, would bring far more joy, instruction, comfort, and devotion than any mere letters.

Ver. 13.— The children of thy sister Electa salute thee. From hence Œcumenius and our Serarius maintain that the name of Electa, to whom this Epistle is inscribed, is an appellative noun and the title of some particular church. They think the meaning is, "The children of thy sister, i.e. the faithful of the elect Church of Ephesus, salute thee, 0 elect Church of Corinth." Some think that these Electas were particular persons, but were called sisters, not as being so in the flesh, but because they were disciples of the same master, S. John.

It is probable that the sister of Electa was also called Electa on the principle that in many families two or more children bear the same name, so that there are two Johns, two Peters, two Marys, or Margarets. I add what I have intimated at the commencement of the Epistle, that Electa is not so strictly a proper as an appropriated name, a title, so to say, of dignity and office which is bestowed upon several persons discharging similar functions. Electa thus seems to have been the name of a chief matron, who like a mother supported the ministers of the Church, the widows, the orphans, and the poor, and who as a Deaconess presided over the instruction and government of other women in the Church. The meaning then is, "0 Electa, mother of the faithful in the Church, say of Corinth, the children of thy sister, who is also Electa, a mother of the faithful, in the Church of Ephesus, from whence I write, salute thee." It is in favour of this that the Greek article is prefixed to Electa, which is not usual in the use of proper names, but to names of dignity and office appropriated to certain persons.

It is an instance of the kindness and courtesy of S. John that he salutes Electa, not only in his own name, but in the name of his grandchildren.

Some Greek and Latin codices add, Grace be with them. Amen. This is a salutation worthy of S. John and common with S. Paul.

Commentary -- Other

Critics Ask: 2Jo 1:1

2 JOHN 1 —Who was the “elect lady”?

PROBLEM: John addresses his second letter to “the elect lady.” Some have argued that because this was strictly a personal letter addressed to a particular lady, that it does not belong in the canon of Scripture. Was the “elect lady” a person or not?

SOLUTION: First of all, if the “elect lady” were a particular person, this would not exclude it from the canon of Scripture. Several of the epistles of Paul were personal letters to particular individuals (e.g., Timothy, Titus, Philemon).

Second, it is possible that the elect lady was not a particular person. The proposals of commentators basically fall into two categories, the literal and the figurative. Those who understand this address to be literal hold that this was indeed a certain individual whom John knew. The following points are offered in favor of this view. First, it seems to be more natural to take the words as an address to an actual lady and her children. Further, this view fits with the references to the children of the elect lady, her sister (v. 13 ), and her sister’s children (v. 13 ). Also, the basic structure of the greeting in verse 1 fits with the basic structure of the greeting of 3 John 1 (“To the … whom I love in truth”) which itself was an address to a certain individual. Finally, if the term “lady” refers to the church, then to whom does the word “children” refer. Are the “children” not included in the church? Are they somehow different from the church?

Third, those who hold the view that this is afigure of speech maintain that this is a reference to the church as a whole, or to a particular local church. The following points are made in support of this view. First, John states that the lady is loved not only by him, but by “all those who have known the truth” (v. 1 ). This would mean that she was known by everyone. However, this kind of observation would fit better with reference to a local church than an individual. Second, although John uses the singular pronoun “you,” he does switch to the plural in verse 8 where he seems to be warning the lady “Look to yourselves.” But, if this was a literal woman, why would he use a plural at all? Third, the appeal to “love one another” (v. 5 ) makes more sense when directed to a community of believers than to a woman and her children.

Fourth, the personification of the church in feminine terms is a common use in the Bible (e.g., Eph. 5:29ff where Paul develops the idea that the church is the bride of Christ; 1 Peter 5:13 where Peter uses the feminine expression of the church).

Although we may not be able to decide the issue definitively on the basis of our current information, it is clear that, if this was a personal letter to a literal woman, this fact would not exclude it from the canon of Scripture. And, it is not at all clear that it is a reference to an individual lady.   

Evidence: 2Jo 1:1

Buddhism

FOUNDER : Siddhartha Gautama, a prince from northern India near modern Nepal who lived about 563–483 B.C.

SCRIPTURES : Various, but the oldest and most authoritative are compiled in the Pali Canon.

ADHERENTS : 613 million worldwide; 1 million in the United States.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION : Buddhism is the belief system of those who follow the Buddha, the Enlightened One, a title given to its founder. The religion has evolved into three main schools:

1. Theravada or the Doctrine of the Elders (38%) is followed in Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Cambodia (Kampuchea), and Vietnam.

2. Mahayana or the Greater Vehicle (56%) is strong in China, Korea, and Japan.

3. Vajrayana, also called Tantrism or Lamaism, (6%) is rooted in Tibet, Nepal, and Mongolia. Theravada is closest to the original doctrines. It does not treat the Buddha as deity and regards the faith as a worldview—not a type of worship. Mahayana has accommodated many different beliefs and worships the Buddha as a god. Vajrayana has added elements of shamanism and the occult and includes taboo breaking (intentional immorality) as a means of spiritual enlightenment.

GROWTH IN THE UNITED STATES : Buddhists regard the United States as a prime mission field, and the number of Buddhists in this country is growing rapidly due to surges in Asian immigration, endorsement by celebrities such as Tina Turner and Richard Gere, and positive exposure in major movies such as Siddhartha, The Little Buddha, and What’s Love Got to Do with It? Buddhism is closely related to the New Age Movement and may to some extent be driving it. Certainly Buddhist growth is benefiting from the influence of New Age thought on American life.

HISTORIC BACKGROUND : Buddhism was founded as a form of atheism that rejected more ancient beliefs in a permanent, personal, creator God (Ishvara) who controlled the eternal destiny of human souls. Siddhartha Gautama rejected more ancient theistic beliefs because of difficulty he had over reconciling the reality of suffering, judgment, and evil with the existence of a good and holy God.

CORE BELIEFS : Buddhism is an impersonal religion of self-perfection, the end of which is death (extinction)—not life. The essential elements of the Buddhist belief system are summarized in the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, and several additional key doctrines. The Four Noble Truths affirm that (1) life is full of suffering (dukkha); (2) suffering is caused by craving (samudaya); (3) suffering will cease only when craving ceases (nirodha); and (4) this can be achieved by following the Noble Eightfold Path consisting of right views, right aspiration, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right contemplation. Other key doctrines include belief that nothing in life is permanent (anicca), that individual selves do not truly exist (anatta), that all is determined by an impersonal law of moral causation (karma), that reincarnation is an endless cycle of continuous suffering, and that the goal of life is to break out of this cycle by finally extinguishing the flame of life and entering a permanent state of pure nonexistence (nirvana).

BRIDGES FOR EVANGELIZING BUDDHISTS

The gospel can be appealing to Buddhists if witnessing focuses on areas of personal need where the Buddhist belief system is weak. Some major areas include:

Suffering : Buddhists are deeply concerned with overcoming suffering but must deny that suffering is real. Christ faced the reality of suffering and overcame it by solving the problem of sin, which is the real source of suffering. Now, those who trust in Christ can rise above suffering in this life because they have hope of a future life free of suffering. " We fix our eyes not on what is seen [suffering], but on what is unseen [eternal life free of suffering]. For what is seen [suffering] is temporary, but what is unseen [future good life with Christ] is eternal" ( 2Co 4:18 ; NIV).

Meaningful Self : Buddhists must work to convince themselves they have no personal significance, even though they live daily as though they do. Jesus taught that each person has real significance. Each person is made in God’s image with an immortal soul and an eternal destiny. Jesus demonstrated the value of people by loving us so much that He sacrificed His life in order to offer eternal future good life to anyone who trusts Him. " God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" ( Rom 5:8 ; NIV).

Future Hope: The hope of nirvana is no hope at all—only death and extinction. The hope of those who put their trust in Christ is eternal good life in a " new heaven and new earth" in which God " will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things [suffering] has passed [will pass] away" ( Rev 21:4 ; NIV).

Moral Law : Because karma, the Buddhist law of moral cause and effect, is completely rigid and impersonal, life for a Buddhist is very oppressive. Under karma, there can be no appeal, no mercy, and no escape except through unceasing effort at self-perfection. Christians understand that the moral force governing the universe is a personal God who listens to those who pray, who has mercy on those who repent, and who with love personally controls for good the lives of those who follow Christ. " In all things God works for the good of those who love him" ( Rom 8:28 ; NIV).

Merit : Buddhists constantly struggle to earn merit by doing good deeds, hoping to collect enough to break free from the life of suffering. They also believe saints can transfer surplus merit to the undeserving. Jesus taught no one can ever collect enough merit on his own to earn everlasting freedom from suffering. Instead, Jesus Christ, who has unlimited merit (righteousness) by virtue of His sinless life, meritorious death, and resurrection, now offers His unlimited merit as a free gift to anyone who will become His disciple. " For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast" ( Eph 2:8-9 ; NIV).

Desire : Buddhists live a contradiction—they seek to overcome suffering by rooting out desire, but at the same time they cultivate desire for self-control, meritorious life, and nirvana. Christians are consistent—we seek to reject evil desires and cultivate good desires according to the standard of Christ. " Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart" ( 2Ti 2:22 ; NIV).

JESUS AND THE EIGHTFOLD PATH

Because Buddhists think a good life consists of following the Eightfold Path, the stages of the path can be used to introduce them to Christ as follows:

Right views : Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life ( Joh 14:6 ), and there is salvation in no one else ( Act 4:12 ).

Right aspiration : Fights and quarrels come from selfish desires and wrong motives ( Jam 4:1-3 ); right desires and motives honor God ( 1Co 10:31 ).

Right speech : A day of judgment is coming when God will hold men accountable for every careless word they have spoken ( Mat 12:36 ).

Right conduct : The one who loves Jesus must obey Him ( Joh 14:21 ), and those who live by God’s wisdom will produce good acts/fruit ( Jam 3:17 ).

Right livelihood : God will care for those who put Him first ( Mat 6:31-33 ), and all work must be done for God’s approval ( 2Ti 2:15 ).

Right effort : Like runners in a race, followers of Christ must throw off every hindrance in order to give Him their best efforts ( Heb 12:1-2 ).

Right mindfulness : The sinful mind cannot submit to God’s law ( Rom 8:7 ), and disciples of Christ must orient their minds as He did ( Phi 2:5 ).

Right contemplation : The secret of true success, inner peace, self-control, and lasting salvation is submission to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and setting your heart and mind on things above where He now sits in glory waiting to bring the present order of sin and suffering to an end ( Col 3:1-4 ).

WHEN WITNESSING TO BUDDHISTS

1. Avoid terms such as " new birth," " rebirth," " regeneration," or " born again." Use alternatives such as " endless freedom from suffering, guilt, and sin," " new power for living a holy life," " promise of eternal good life without suffering," or " gift of unlimited merit."

2. Emphasize the uniqueness of Christ.

3. Focus on the gospel message and do not get distracted by details of Buddhist doctrine.

4. Understand Buddhist beliefs enough to discern weaknesses that can be used to make the gospel appealing (see " Bridges for Evangelizing Buddhists" and " Jesus and the Eightfold Path" ).

5. While using bridge concepts (see " Bridges for Evangelizing Buddhists" ), be careful not to reduce Christian truth to a form of Buddhism. Buddhism has been good at accommodating other religions. Do not say " Buddhism is good, but Christianity is easier."

6. Share your own testimony, especially your freedom from guilt, assurance of heaven (no more pain), and personal relationship with Christ.

7. Prepare with prayer. Do not witness in your own strength.

Daniel R. Heimbach, Associate Professor of Christian Ethics, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest,

N.C. Copyright 1996 North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, Alpharetta, Georgia. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.

Introduction / Outline

Robertson: 2 John (Book Introduction)

SECOND JOHN

ABOUT a.d. 85 TO 90

By Way of Introduction

There is little to add to what was said about the First Epistle except that here the author terms himself " the elder" ( ho presbuteros ) and writes to " the elect lady" ( eklektēi kuriāi ). There is dispute about both of these titles. Some hold that it is the mythical " presbyter John" of whom Papias may speak, if so understood, but whose very existence is disproved by Dom Chapman in John the Presbyter and the Fourth Gospel (1911). Peter the apostle (1Pe_1:1) calls himself " fellow-elder" ( sunpresbuteros ) with the other elders (1Pe_5:1). The word referred originally to age (Luk_15:25), then to rank or office as in the Sanhedrin (Mat_16:21; Act_6:12) and in the Christian churches (Act_11:30; Act_20:17; 1Ti_5:17, 1Ti_5:19) as here also. A few even deny that the author is the same as in the First Epistle of John, but just an imitator. But the bulk of modern scholarly opinion agrees that the same man wrote all three Epistles and the Fourth Gospel (the Beloved Disciple, and many still say the Apostle John) whatever is true of the Apocalypse. There is no way of deciding whether " the elect lady" is a woman or a church. The obvious way of taking it is to a woman of distinction in one of the churches, as is true of " the co-elect lady in Babylon" (1Pe_5:13), Peter’s wife, who travelled with him (1Co_9:5). Some even take kuria to be the name of the lady (Cyria). Some also take it to be " Eklecta the lady." Dr. Findlay ( Fellowship in the Life Eternal , p. 31) holds that Pergamum is the church to which the letter was sent. The same commentaries treat 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John as a rule, though Poggel has a book on 2 John, 3 John (1896) and Bresky (1906) has Das Verhaltnis des Zweiten Johannesbriefes zum dritten . Dr. J. Rendel Harris has an interesting article in The Expositor of London for March, 1901, on " The Problem of the Address to the Second Epistle of John," in which he argues from papyri examples that kuria here means " my dear" or " my lady." But Findlay ( Fellowship in the Life Eternal , p. 26) argues that " the qualifying adjunct ‘elect’ lifts us into the region of Christian calling and dignity." It is not certain that 2 John was written after 1 John, though probable. Origen rejected it and the Peshitta Syriac does not have 2 John and 3 John.

JFB: 2 John (Book Introduction)

AUTHENTICITY.--That these two Epistles were written by the same author appears from their similarity of tone, style, and sentiments. That John, the beloved disciple, was the author of the Second and Third Epistles, as of the First Epistle, appears from IRENÆUS [Against Heresies, 1.16.3], who quotes 2Jo 1:10-11; and in [3.16.8], he quotes 2Jo 1:7, mistaking it, however, as if occurring in First John. CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA (A.D. 192) [Miscellanies, 2.66], implies his knowledge of other Epistles of John besides the First Epistle; and in fragments of his Adumbrations [p. 1011], he says, "John's Second Epistle which was written to the virgins (Greek, "parthenous"; perhaps Parthos is what was meant) is the simplest; but it was written to a certain Babylonian named the Elect lady." DIONYSIUS OF ALEXANDRIA (in EUSEBIUS [Ecclesiastical History, 7.25]) observes that John never names himself in his Epistles, "not even in the Second and Third Epistles, although they are short Epistles, but simply calls himself the presbyter, a confutation of those who think John the apostle distinct from John the presbyter. ALEXANDER OF ALEXANDRIA cites 2Jo 1:10-11, as John's [SOCRATES, Ecclesiastical History, 1.6]. CYPRIAN [Concerning the Baptism of Heretics], in referring to the bishops at the Council of Carthage, says, "John the apostle, in His Epistle, has said, if any come to you" (2Jo 1:10); so that this Epistle, and therefore its twin sister, Third John, was recognized as apostolic in the North African Church. The MURATORI fragment is ambiguous. The Second and Third Epistles were not in the Peschito or old Syriac version; and COSMAS INDICOPLEUSTES in the sixth century says that in his time the Syriac Church only acknowledged three of the Catholic Epistles, First Peter, First John, and James. But EPHREM THE SYRIAN quotes the Second Epistle of John. EUSEBIUS [Ecclesiastical History,] reckons both Epistles among the Antilegomena or controverted Scriptures, as distinguished from the Homologoumena or universally acknowledged from the first. Still his own opinion was that the two minor Epistles were genuine, remarking, as he does in Demonstration of the Gospel [3.5], that in John's "Epistles" he does not mention his own name, nor call himself an apostle or evangelist, but an "elder" (2Jo 1:1; 3Jo 1:1). ORIGEN (in EUSEBIUS [Ecclesiastical History, 6.25]) mentions the Second and Third Epistles, but adds, "not all admit (implying that most authorities do) their genuineness." JEROME [On Illustrious Men, 9] mentions the two latter Epistles as attributed to John the presbyter, whose sepulcher was shown among the Ephesians in his day. But the designation "elder" was used of the apostles by others (for example, PAPIAS, in EUSEBIUS [Ecclesiastical History, 3.39]), and is used by Peter, an apostle, of himself (1Pe 5:1). Why, then, should not John also use this designation of himself, in consonance with the humility which leads him not to name himself or his apostleship even in the First Epistle? The Antilegomena were generally recognized as canonical soon after the Council of Nicea (A.D. 325). Thus CYRIL OF JERUSALEM, A.D. 349, enumerates fourteen Epistles of Paul, and seven Catholic Epistles. So GREGORY NAZIANZEN, in A.D. 389. The Councils of Hippo, 393, and Carthage, 397, adopted a catalogue of New Testament books exactly agreeing with our canon. So our oldest extant Greek manuscripts. The Second and Third Epistles of John, from their brevity (which ORIGEN notices), and the private nature of their contents, were less generally read in the earliest Christian assemblies and were also less quoted by the Fathers; hence arose their non-universal recognition at the first. Their private nature makes them the less likely to be spurious, for there seems no purpose in their forgery. The style and coloring too accord with the style of the First Epistle.

TO WHOM ADDRESSED.--The Third Epistle is directed to Gaius or Caius; whether Gaius of Macedonia (Act 19:20), or Gaius of Corinth (Rom 16:23; 1Co 1:14), or Gaius of Derbe (Act 20:4), it is hard to decide. MILL believes Gaius, bishop of Pergamos [Apostolic Constitutions, 7.40], to be the person addressed in 3Jo 1:1.

The address of the Second Epistle is more disputed. It opens, "The elder unto the Elect lady" (2Jo 1:1). And it closes, "The children of thy elect sister greet thee" (2Jo 1:13). Now, 1Pe 1:1-2, addresses the elect in Asia, &c., and closes (1Pe 5:13), "The Church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you." Putting together these facts, with the quotations (above) from CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA, and the fact that the word "Church" comes from a Greek word (kyriake) cognate to the Greek for "lady" (kyria; "belonging to the Lord," kyrios); WORDSWORTH'S view is probable. As Peter in Babylon had sent the salutations of the elect Church in the then Parthian (see above on CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA) Babylon to her elect sister in Asia, so John, the metropolitan president of the elect Church in Asia, writes to the elect lady, that is, Church, in Babylon. NEANDER, ALFORD, and others, think the Greek "kyria" not to mean "lady," but to be her proper name; and that she had a "sister, a Christian matron," then with John.

DATE AND PLACE OF WRITING.--EUSEBIUS [Ecclesiastical History, 3.25] relates that John, after the death of Domitian, returned from his exile in Patmos to Ephesus, and went on missionary tours into the heathen regions around, and also made visitations of the churches around, and ordained bishops and clergy. Such journeys are mentioned, 2Jo 1:12; 3Jo 1:10, 3Jo 1:14. If EUSEBIUS be right, both Epistles must have been written after the Apocalypse, in his old age, which harmonizes with the tone of the Epistles, and in or near Ephesus. It was on one of his visitation tours that he designed to rebuke Diotrephes (3Jo 1:9-10).

TSK: 2 John 1 (Chapter Introduction)

Overview

2Jo 1:1, He exhorts a certain honourable matron, with her children, to persevere in Christian love and belief, 2Jo 1:8, lest they lose the reward of their former profession; 2Jo 1:10, and to have nothing to do with those seducers that bring not the true doctrine of Christ Jesus.

Poole: 2 John 1 (Chapter Introduction)

JOHN CHAPTER 1

MHCC: 2 John (Book Introduction)

This epistle is like an abridgement of the first; it touches, in few words, on the same points. The Lady Electa is commended for her virtuous and religious education of her children; is exhorted to abide in the doctrine of Christ, to persevere in the truth, and carefully to avoid the delusions of false teachers. But chiefly the apostle beseeches her to practise the great commandment of Christian love and charity.

The apostle salutes the elect lady and her children. (1Jo 1:1-3) Express his joy in their faith and love. (1Jo 1:4-6) Cautions them against deceivers. (7-11) And concludes. (12, 13)

Matthew Henry: 2 John (Book Introduction)

An Exposition, with Practical Observations, of The Second Epistle of John

Here we find a canonical epistle inscribed, principally, not only to a single person, but to one also of the softer sex. And why not to one of that sex? In gospel redemption, privilege, and dignity, there is neither male nor female; they are both one in Christ Jesus. Our Lord himself neglected his own repast, to commune with the woman of Samaria, in order to show her the fountain of life; and, when almost expiring upon the cross, he would with his dying lips bequeath his blessed mother to the care of his beloved disciple, and thereby instruct him to respect female disciples for the future. It was to one of the same sex that our Lord chose to appear first after his return from the grave, and to send by her the news of his resurrection to this as well as to the other apostles; and we find afterwards a zealous Priscilla so well acquitting herself in her Christian race, and particularly in some hazardous service towards the apostle Paul, that she is not only often mentioned before her husband, but to her as well as to him, not only the apostle himself, but also all the Gentile churches, were ready to return their thankful acknowledgments. No wonder then that a heroine in the Christian religion, honoured by divine providence, and distinguished by divine grace, should be dignified also by an apostolical epistle.

Matthew Henry: 2 John 1 (Chapter Introduction)

The apostle here salutes an honourable matron and her children (2Jo 1:1-3). Recommends to them faith and love (2Jo 1:5, 2Jo 1:6). Warns them of deceivers (2Jo 1:7), and to take heed to themselves (2Jo 1:8). Teaches how to treat those who bring not the doctrine of Christ (2Jo 1:10, 2Jo 1:11). And, referring other things to personal discourse, concludes the epistle (2Jo 1:12, 2Jo 1:13).

Barclay: 2 John (Book Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO THE SECOND AND THIRD LETTERS OF JOHN

The very shortness of these two letters is the best guarantee of their genuineness. They are so brief and so comparatively unimportant that no one would have gone to the trouble of inventing them and of attaching them to the name of John. A standard papyrus sheet measured ten by eight inches and the length of these letters is to be explained by the fact that they would each take up almost exactly one sheet.

The Elder

Each of them is said to come from "The elder." Second John begins: "The elder to the elect lady and her children." Third John begins: "The elder to the beloved Gaius." It is in the last degree unlikely that The elder is an official or ecclesiastical title. Elders were officials attached to one congregation whose jurisdiction did not extend outside that congregation, whereas the writer of these letters certainly assumes that he has the right to speak and that his word will carry weight in congregations where he is not actually present. He speaks as one whose authority goes out to the Church at large. The word is presbuteros (G4245), which originally meant an elder, not in the official but in the natural sense of the term. We would be better to translate it "The ancient", or "The aged", for it is not from an ecclesiastical position but from his age and personal qualities that the writer of these letters draws his authority.

In fact we know that in Ephesus there was an aged John who held a very special position. In the days of the early church there was a churchman called Papias who lived from A.D. 70 to 146. He had a passion for collecting all the information he could lay hands on about the early days of the church. He was not a great scholar, Eusebius dismisses him as "a man of very limited intelligence"; but he does transmit to us some most interesting information. He became Bishop of Hierapolis but he had a close connection with Ephesus, and he tells us of his own methods of acquiring information. He frequently uses elder in the sense of one of the fathers of the Church, and he mentions a particularly distinguished elder whose name was John. "I shall not hesitate," he writes, "to put down for you, along with my own interpretations, whatsoever things I have at any time learned carefully from the elders, and carefully remembered, guaranteeing their truth. For I did not, like the multitude, take pleasure in those that speak much, but in those that teach the truth; not in those who relate strange commandments, but in those who deliver the commandments given by the Lord to faith, and springing from the truth itself. If, then, anyone came who had been a follower of the elders, I questioned him in regard to the words of the elders--what Andrew, or what Peter, had said, or what was said by Philip, or by Thomas, or by James, or by John, or by Matthew, or by any other of the disciples of the Lord; and what things Aristion, or the Elder John say. For I did not think that what was to be gotten from books would profit me as much as what came from the living and abiding voice." Clearly the Elder John, John the aged, was a notable figure in Ephesus, although he is clearly distinguished from John the apostle.

It must be this John who wrote these two little letters. By this time he was an old man, one of the last surviving links with Jesus and his disciples. He was a man who had the authority of a bishop in Ephesus and in the places around it; and when he saw that a church was threatened with trouble and heresy, he wrote with gracious and loving correction to his people. Here are the letters of an aged saint, one of the last of the first generation of Christians, a man whom all loved and respected.

Common Authorship

That the two letters are from the one hand there is no doubt. Short as they are, they have much in common. Second John begins: "The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth." Third John begins: "The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth." Second John goes on: "I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children following the truth" (2Jo_1:4 ); and Third John goes on: "No greater joy can I have than this, to hear that my children follow the truth." Second John comes to an end: "Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink, but I hope to come to see you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete" (2Jo_1:12 ). Third John comes to an end: "I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink; I hope to see you soon, and we will talk together face to face" (3Jo_1:13-14 ). There is the closest possible similarity between the two letters.

There is further the closest possible connection between the situation of these letters and that in First John. In 1Jo_4:3 we read: "Every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God. This is the spirit of Antichrist, of which you heard that it was coming, and now it is in the world already." In 2Jo_1:7 we read: "Many deceivers have gone out into the world, men who will not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh; such a one is a deceiver and the Antichrist."

It is clear that Second and Third John are closely connected with each other; and that both are closely connected with First John. They are dealing with the same situation, the same dangers and the same people.

The Problem Of The Second Letter

These two little letters confront us with few serious problems. The only real one is to decide whether the Second Letter was sent to an individual or to a church. It begins: "The elder to the elect lady and her children." The problem centres on this phrase the elect lady. The Greek is eklekte (G1588) kuria (G2959) and there are three possible ways of taking it.

(i) It is just barely possible, though not really likely, that Eklekte is a proper name and that kuria (G2959) is a quite usual affectionate address. Kurios (G2962) (the masculine form) has many meanings. It very commonly means sir; it means master of slaves and owner of possessions; on a much higher level it means lord and is the word so often used as a title for Jesus. In letters kurios (G2962) has a special use. It is practically the equivalent of the English phrase My Dear. So a soldier writes home saying, Kurie (G2962) mou (G3450) pater (G3962), My Dear Father. In letters kurios is an address combining affection and respect. So it is just possible that this letter is addressed to My Dear Eklekte. Rendel Harris, indeed, went the length of saying that Second John is nothing other than a Christian love letter. This is unlikely, as we shall see, for more than one reason. But one thing is decisive against it. Second John ends: "The children of your elect sister greet you." The Greek is again eklekte (G1588); and, if it is a proper name at the beginning of the letter, it must also be a proper name at the end. This would mean that there were two sisters both called by the very unusual name of Eklekte--which is simply unbelievable.

(ii) It is possible to take Kuria (G2959) as a proper name, for there are examples of this usage. We would then take eklekte (G1588) in its normal New Testament sense; and the letter would be written to the elect Kuria (G2959). The objections are threefold. (a) It seems unlikely that any single individual could be spoken of as loved by all those who have known the truth (2Jo_1:1 ). (b) 2Jo_1:4 says that John rejoiced when he found some of her children walking in the truth; the implication is that others did not so walk. This would seem to imply a number greater than one womanfamily could contain. (c) The decisive objection is that throughout the letter the eklekte (G1588) kuria (G2959) is addressed sometimes in the singular and sometimes in the plural. The singular occurs in verses 2Jo_1:4-5 and 2Jo_1:13 ; and the plural occurs in 2Jo_1:6 ,2Jo_1:8 ,2Jo_1:10 ,2Jo_1:12 . It would be almost impossible that an individual would be so addressed.

(iii) So, then, we must come to the conclusion that the elect lady means a church. There is, in fact, good evidence that the expression was so used. First Peter, in the King James Version, ends with greetings from "the church that is at Babylon elected together with you" (1Pe_5:13 ). In the King James Version the words church that is are in italics; that, of course, means that they are not in the Greek and have been supplied in translation to fill out the sense. The Greek literally reads: "The Elect One at Babylon" and The Elect One is feminine. Few have ever doubted that the phrase means The church which is at Babylon, and that is how we must take it in Johnletter also. No doubt The Elect Lady goes back to the idea of the church as the Bride of Christ. We can be certain that Second John is written, not to an individual but to a church.

The Problem In The Early Church

Second and Third John throw vivid light on a problem which sooner or later had to arise within the organization of the early church. Let us see if we can reconstruct the situation which lies behind them. It is clear that John the aged regards himself as having a right to act as guide and counsellor and to administer warning and rebuke in the churches whose members are his children. In Second John he writes of those who are doing well (2Jo_1:4 ), and by implication infers that there are others who are not so satisfactory. He further makes it clear that there are itinerant teachers in the district, some of whom are preaching false and dangerous doctrine, and he gives orders that such teachers are not to be accepted and not to be given hospitality (2Jo_1:7-11 ). Here, then, John is exercising what is to him an unquestioned right to issue orders to his churches and is seeking to guard against a situation in which itinerant teachers of falsehood may arrive at any moment.

The situation behind Third John is somewhat more complicated. The letter is written to one called Gaius, whose character and actions John most thoroughly approves (3Jo_1:3-5 ). Wandering missionaries have come to the church, men who are fellow-helpers of the truth, and Gaius has given them true Christian hospitality (3Jo_1:6-8 ). In the same church is another man called Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence (3Jo_1:9 ). Diotrephes is depicted as a dictatorial character who will brook no rival to his authority. Diotrephes has refused to receive the wandering teachers of the truth and has actually tried to drive out of the church those who did receive them. He will have nothing to do with wandering teachers even when they are true preachers of the word (3Jo_1:10 ).Then into the picture comes a man called Demetrius, to whom John gives a personal testimonial as a good man and one to be hospitably welcomed (3Jo_1:12 ). The simplest explanation of Demetrius is that he must be the leader of a wandering band of teachers who are on their way to the church to which John is writing. Diotrephes will certainly refuse to have anything to do with them and will try to eject those who do receive them; and John is writing to urge Gaius to receive the wandering teachers and not to be intimidated by the domineering Diotrephes, whom he (John) will deal with when he visits the church in question (3Jo_1:10 ). The whole situation turns on the reception of the wandering teachers. Gaius has received such teachers before, and John urges him to receive them and their leader Demetrius again. Diotrephes has shut the door on them and defied the authority of John the aged.

The Threefold Ministry

All this looks like a very unhappy situation, and indeed it was. None the less, it was one which was bound to arise. In the nature of things a problem of ministry was bound to emerge within the church. In its earliest days the church had three different kinds of ministries.

(i) Unique, and above all others, stood the apostles, those who had companied with Jesus and been witnesses of the resurrection. They were the undisputed leaders of the church. Their writ ran throughout the whole church; in any country and in any congregation their ministry was supreme.

(ii) There were the prophets. They were not attached to any one congregation. They were wandering preachers, going where the Spirit moved them and giving to men the message which the Spirit of God gave to them. They had given up home and occupation and the comfort and security of settled life to be the wandering messengers of God. They, too, had a very special place in the church. The Didache, or, to give it its English name, The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, is the earliest book of church order. In it the unique position of the prophets is made clear. The order of service for the Eucharist is laid down and the prayers are given; the service ends with the prayer of thanksgiving which is given in full; and then comes the sentence: "But suffer the prophets to give thanks as much as they will" (Didache 10:7). The prophets were not to be brought under the rules and regulations which governed ordinary people. So, then, the church had two sets of people whose authority was not confined to any one congregation and who had right of entry to every congregation.

(iii) There were the elders. During their first missionary journey part of the work of Paul and Barnabas was to ordain elders in all the local churches which they founded (Act_14:23 ). The elders were the officials of the settled community; their work was within their congregation and they did not move outside it. It is clear that they were the backbone of the organization of the early church; on them the routine work and the solidity of the individual congregations depended.

The Problem Of The Wandering Preachers

The position of the apostles presented no real problem; they were unique and their position could never really be disputed. But the wandering prophets did present a problem. Their position was one which was singularly liable to abuse. They had an enormous prestige; and it was possible for the most undesirable characters to enter into a way of life in which they moved from place to place, living in very considerable comfort at the expense of the local congregations. A clever rogue could make a very comfortable living as an itinerant prophet. Even the pagan satirists saw this. Lucian, the Greek writer, in his work called the Peregrinus, draws the picture of a man who had found the easiest possible way of making a living without working. He was an itinerant charlatan who lived on the fat of the land by travelling round the various communities of the Christians, settling down wherever he liked and living luxuriously at their expense. The Didache clearly saw this danger and laid down definite regulations to meet it. The regulations are long but so vivid a light do they throw on the life of the early church that they are worth quoting in full (Didache 11 and 12).

Whosoever, therefore, shall come and teach you all these things

aforesaid, receive him. But if the teacher himself turn and teach

another doctrine to pervert, hear him not. But unto the increase

of righteousness and knowledge of the Lord, receive him as the

Lord. And as touching the apostles and prophets, according to the

decree of the gospel, so do ye. But let every apostle that cometh

unto you be received as the Lord. And he shall stay one day, and,

if need be, the next also, but, if he stay three, he is a false

prophet. And, when the apostle goeth forth, let him take nothing

save bread, till he reach his lodging, but, if he ask money, he is

a false prophet. And every prophet that speaketh in the Spirit ye

shall not try nor judge: for every sin shall be forgiven, but this

sin shall not be forgiven. But not everyone that speaketh in the

Spirit is a prophet, but if he has the manners of the Lord. By

their manners, therefore, shall the prophet and the false prophet

be known. And no prophet who ordereth a table in the Spirit shall

eat of it, else he is a false prophet. And every prophet that

teacheth the truth, if he doeth not what he teacheth, is a false

prophet.... Whosoever shall say in the Spirit: Give me money, or

any other thing, ye shall not hearken to him: but, if he bid you

give for others who are in need, let no man judge him.

Let everyone that cometh in the name of the Lord be received,

and then, when ye have proved him, ye shall know, for ye shall

have understanding to distinguish between the right hand and the

left. If he that cometh is a passer-by, succour him as far as ye

can; but he shall not stay with you longer than two or three days,

unless there be necessity. But, if he be minded to settle among

you, and be a craftsman, let him work and eat. But, if he hath no

trade, according to your understanding, provide that he shall not

live idle among you, being a Christian. But, if he will not do

this, he is a Christmonger: of such men beware.

The Didache even invents the word Christmonger, trafficker in Christ, Christemporos, to describe this kind of person.

John was entirely justified in warning his people that the wrong kind of wandering prophets might come claiming hospitality and in saying that they must on no account be received. There is no doubt that in the early church these wandering prophets became a problem. Some of them were heretical teachers, even if they were sincerely convinced of their own teaching. Some were nothing better than plausible rogues who had found an easy way to make a comfortable living. That is the picture which lies behind Second John.

The Clash Of Ministries

But the situation behind Third John is in some ways even more serious. The problem figure is Diotrephes. He is the man who will have nothing to do with wandering teachers and who seeks to eject anyone who dares to give them a welcome. He is the man who will not accept the authority of John and whom John brands as a domineering character. There is much more behind this than meets the eye. This was no storm in a tea-cup; it was a fundamental cleavage between the local and the itinerant ministry.

Obviously the whole structure of the church depended on a strong settled ministry. That is to say, its very existence depended on a strong and authoritative eldership. As time went on the settled ministry was bound to chafe under the remote control of even one so famous as John the aged; and to resent the possibly upsetting invasions of wandering prophets and evangelists. It was by no means impossible that, however well-intentioned they were, these itinerants could do far more harm than good.

Here is the situation behind Third John. John represents the old apostolic remote control; Demetrius and his band of missionaries represent the wandering prophets and preachers; Diotrephes represents the settled ministry of the local elders, who wish to run their own congregation and regard the wandering preachers as dangerous intruders; Gaius represents the good, well-meaning man who is torn in two and cannot make up his mind.

What happened in this case, we do not know. But the end of the matter in the church was that the wandering preachers faded from the scene and the apostles in the nature of things passed from this earth, and the settled ministry became the ministry of the church. In a sense even in the modern church the problem of the itinerant evangelist and the settled ministry is not fully solved; but these two little letters are of the most fascinating interest because they show the organization of the church in a transition stage, when the clash between the itinerant and the settled ministry was beginning to emerge and--who knows?--Diotrephes may not have been as bad as he is painted nor altogether wrong.

FURTHER READING

John

J. N. S. Alexander, The Epistles of John (Tch; E)

A. E. Brooke, The Johannine Epistles (ICC; G)

C. H. Dodd, The Johannine Epistles (MC; E)

Abbreviations

ICC: International Critical Commentary

MC: Moffatt Commentary

Tch: Torch Commentary

E: English Text

G: Greek Text

Barclay: 2 John 1 (Chapter Introduction)

The Elect Lady (2Jo_1:1-3)

Love And Truth (2Jo_1:1-3 Continued)

Trouble And Cure (2Jo_1:4-6)

The Threatening Peril (2Jo_1:7-9)

No Compromise (2Jo_1:10-13)

Constable: 2 John (Book Introduction)

Introduction

Historical background

The writer identified himself as "the elder" (v. 1). The writings of the early church fathers attribute authorship of this epistle to the Apostle John. The early Christians commonly recognized him as "the elder" in view. We might have expected John to have described himself as "the apostle" as Paul usually did since this is an office of higher authority than elder. However, John's apostleship was not open to challenge as Paul's was. There is no evidence that the early Christians questioned it as they did Paul's apostleship. "Elder" was a more affectionate title, and it undoubtedly represented John's role among the churches at least unofficially if not officially. He was probably an older man at this time too.

"Unlike 1 John, 2 and 3 John fall into the category of personal letters."¹

The identity of the recipient or recipients of this epistle is in question. Some scholars have concluded that John wrote to a specific lady and her children (v. 1). Of these interpreters some believe her name was Eklekta (from the Greek word eklekte meaning "chosen", v. 1). This seems unlikely, however, because John also called this lady's sister eklekte in verse 13. Others who believe he wrote to a specific lady have suggested that her name was Kyria (the Greek word translated "lady," v. 1). However this too seems unlikely in view of the plural address John used in verse 8. A more probable explanation is that John personified a particular local church as a lady and the Christians in it as her children (cf. 1 Pet. 5:13). This view harmonizes with the personification of the church as Christ's bride (Eph. 5:22-23; 2 Cor. 11:2; Rev. 19:7). Since John's arena of ministry was Asia Minor the probability of this being a church in that Roman province is good.

The conditions existing in the church that John addressed are very similar to those he referred to in his first epistle. Therefore the time of composition seems to have been very close to that of 1 John: A.D. 90-95. Ephesus seems to be the most probable site from which John wrote both letters.

Message²

A summary statement of the message of this epistle could be as follows. Abiding in the truth is essential to maintain brotherly love. Let me try to clarify what John was saying in this epistle.

First, he wrote that revealed truth is foundational for the Christian.

John emphasized the importance of revealed truth in five ways.

1. He based his own love on it (v. 1).

2. He based the love of all Christians on it (v. 1).

3. He based his writing of this epistle on it (v. 2).

4. He based the three great Christian graces on it (v. 3).

5. He commended his readers for basing their lives on it (v. 4).

By the truth John meant the teachings of Christ (v. 9). This includes all that Jesus approved as God's revelation (the Old Testament) and all that He taught through His apostles following His ascension (the New Testament; Acts 1:1).

We must keep the importance of God's truth in balance.

On the one hand, it is the only foundation that will adequately support a proper relationship with God and other people. It is the source of our knowledge of God's commandments. As such it is the basis of our relationship with God and other people (v. 8).

On the other hand, it is only the foundation for a proper relationship with God and other people. We must "abide" in that truth. This is not intellectual assent to orthodoxy but a vital relationship in which God controls us. Our walking in the light of God's truth (1 John 1:7) makes this relationship possible.

Second, John wrote that love for others is the fruit of abiding in the truth.

John regarded love for other people as very important for the Christian. His perspective harmonizes with the teachings of the Mosaic Law and Jesus Christ (v. 5).

He also regarded it as essentially obedience to the will of God (v. 6). When we obey God, we do what is best for others. This is what it means to love others. When we abide in the truth, we will love.

Third, John warned against separating love from the truth.

In John's day some people were rejecting the truth but trying to hold on to love.

They claimed to have progressed from elementary truth to advanced truth, but they had really abandoned the truth (vv. 7-9).

John counseled his readers to give the false teachers no encouragement (vv. 10-11). He did not counsel them to withhold love from them.

In our day some people are making the same appeal.

Watch out for appeals to follow teaching that deviates from Scripture. Watch out for appeals that claim a more advanced knowledge of the truth.

We need to learn from this letter how to relate to false teachers. We should not encourage them in their work, but we should reach out to them in love. I once heard a speaker at a conference say, "It doesn't matter too much what we believe as long as we love each other."

John would have said, "It matters very much what we believe because that will determine if we really love each other." Abiding in the truth is essential to maintain brotherly love.

Constable: 2 John (Outline)

Outline

I. Introduction vv. 1-3

II. The importance of the truth vv. 4-11

A. Practicing the truth vv. 4-6

B. Protecting the truth vv. 7-11

III. Conclusion vv. 12-13

The following is a good expository outline of the book.³

The truth generates an exclusive Christian community (vv. 1-3).

The truth demands a distinctive Christian ethic (vv. 4-6).

The truth involves propositional Christian doctrine (v. 7).

The truth requires unceasing Christian vigilance (vv. 8-11).

Constable: 2 John

2 John

Bibliography

Bailey, Mark L., and Thomas L. Constable. The New Testament Explorer. Nashville: Word Publishing Co., 1999.

Barclay, William. The Letters of John and Jude. Daily Study Bible series. 2nd ed. Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press, 1960.

Barker, Glenn W. "2 John." In Hebrews-Revelation. Vol. 12 of The Expositor's Bible Commentary. 12 vols. Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein and J. D. Douglas. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981.

Baxter, J. Sidlow. Explore the Book. 6 vols. London: Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1965.

Blair, J. Allen. The Epistles of John. Neptune, N.J.: Loizeaux Brothers, 1982.

Brooke, A. E. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Johannine Epistles. International Critical Commentary series. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1912.

Bruce, F. F. The Epistles of John. London: Pickering & Inglis Ltd., 1970; reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1986.

Constable, Thomas L. "Analysis of Bible Books--New Testament." Paper submitted for course 686 Analysis of Bible Books--New Testament. Dallas Theological Seminary, January 1968.

Darby, John Nelson. Synopsis of the Books of the Bible. 5 vols. Revised ed. New York: Loizeaux Brothers Publishers, 1942.

Dictionary of the Apostolic Church. Edited by James Hastings. 1915 ed. S.v. "John, Epistles of," by A. E. Brooke.

Dictionary of the Bible. Edited by James Hastings. 1910 ed. S.v. "John, Epistles of," by S. D. F. Salmond.

Dodd, C. H. The Johanine Epistles. The Moffatt New Testament Commentary series. New York: Harper and Row, 1946.

The Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius Pamphilus. Twin Brooks series. Popular ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1974.

Findlay, George G. Fellowship in the Life Eternal. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1909.

Funk, Robert W. "The Form and Structure of II and III John." Journal of Biblical Literature 86 (1967):424-30.

Gabelein, Arno C. The Annotated Bible. 4 vols. Reprint ed. Chicago: Moody Press, and New York: Loizeaux Brothers, Inc., 1970.

Graystone, Kenneth. The Johanine Epistles. New Century Bible Commentary series. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., and London: Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1984.

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. By C. G. Wilke. Revised by C. L. Wilibald Grimm. Translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer, 1889.

Guthrie, Donald. New Testament Introduction. 3 vols. 2nd ed. London: Tyndale Press, 1966.

Harris, W. Hall. "A Theology of John's Writings." In A Biblical Theology of the New Testament, pp. 167-242. Edited by Roy B. Zuck. Chicago: Moody Press, 1994.

Hodges, Zane C. "2 John." In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament, pp. 905-9. Edited by John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck. Wheaton: Scripture Press Publications, Victor Books, 1983.

International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia. Edited by James Orr. 1957 ed. S.v. "John, The Epistles of," by R. Law.

Irenaeus. Against Heresies. In The Ante-Nicene Fathers. Vol. 1: The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus. Edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. American reprint of the Edinburgh edition. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1899.

Lange, John Peter, ed. Commentary on the Holy Scripture. 12 vols. Reprint ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1960. Vol 12: James-Revelation, by J. P. Lange, J. J. Van Osterzee, G. T. C. Fronmuller, and Karl Braune. Enlarged and edited by E. R. Craven. Translated by J. Isidor Mombert and Evelina Moore.

Lenski, Richard C. H. The Interpretation of the Epistles of St. Peter, St. John and St. Jude. Reprint ed. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1961.

Marshall, I. Howard. The Epistles of John. New International Commentary on the New Testament series. Reprint ed. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1984.

McNeile, A. H. An Introduction to the Study of the New Testament. 2nd ed. Revised by C. S. C. Williams. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1965.

Mitchell, John G. Fellowship. Portland: Multnomah Press, 1974.

Morgan, G. Campbell. Living Messages of the Books of the Bible. 2 vols. New York: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1912.

Robertson, Archibald Thomas. Word Pictures in the New Testatment. 6 vols. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1931.

Ryrie, Charles C. "The Second Epistle of John." In The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, pp. 1479-81. Edited by Charles F. Pfeiffer and Everett F. Harrison. Chicago: Moody Press, 1962.

Smalley, Stephen S. 1, 2, 3 John. Word Biblical Commentary series. Waco: Word Books, 1984.

Stott, John R. W. The Epistle of John. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries series. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1964.

Thiessen, Henry Clarence. Introduction to the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1962.

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Copyright 2003 by Thomas L. Constable

Haydock: 2 John (Book Introduction)

THE

SECOND EPISTLE OF ST. JOHN,

THE APOSTLE.

INTRODUCTION.

The Second and Third Epistles of St. John were not at first received as canonical by all Churches. See Eusebuis and St. Jerome, in Catalogo, and Tillemont, art. 9, on St. John, p. 349. The style sufficiently shew they were written by St. John the evangelist. The time and place whence they were written is uncertain. The design in both is to exhort those he writes to, to stand firm in the faith of Christ against all seducing heretics, to love one another, &c. (Witham) --- But though these last two Epistles of the beloved apostle were frequently contested till the fourth or fifth century, from that period they have been regularly received; and even during the first ages [centuries], they were frequently cited by many of the holy Fathers as Catholic Scripture. This short Epistle may still be divided into two parts. The first, a congratulation to the lady he styles Elect, in which he felicitates her on account of the faith and virtue he had discovered in some of her children. He exhorts both them and their mother to be more and more confirmed in charity, as the essential and fundamental precept of Christianity, and of which the unequivocal mark is the observance of the other commandments. This part is from the beginning to ver. 6, inclusive. The second, which begins with ver. 7, and continues to the end, is to put them on their guard against the errors of Simon, of Cerinthus, of the Gnostics, and of Basilides, and prescribes the manner how they are to behave themselves towards these seducers. Though the time and place be uncertain, there is some appearance that it was written from Ephesus, when the apostle governed this Church and all the others of Asia [Asia Minor].

====================

Gill: 2 John (Book Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO 2 JOHN

Though this epistle was called in question and gainsaid by some as authentic, as Eusebius says ^a, yet there is no room to doubt of the authority of it; it was very early received into the canon of the Scripture, and is cited as such, and also as the Apostle John's, by Irenaeus ^b, who was a disciple of Polycarp, and an hearer of Papias, who were both disciples of the Apostle John; nor need there be any question as to his being the author of it. Eusebius indeed does say ^c, it was a doubt whether it was the Apostle John's or another of the same name; and some have since asserted, that it was written not by John the Evangelist, but by John the Presbyter of Ephesus, after the apostle; and this is thought to have some confirmation from the author of it being called an elder, or presbyter, which is judged not so agreeable to the Apostle John; though it should be observed, that Peter an apostle styles himself an elder, as John here does, 1Pe 5:1, moreover, the above ancient writer, Irenaeus, expressly ascribes this epistle to John, the disciple of the Lord; and whoever compares some passages in this epistle with the former, particularly 2Jo 1:5, with 1Jo 2:7, will easily conclude, from the likeness of style and matter, that it is a genuine epistle of the Apostle John: the design of which is to exhort and encourage the lady he writes to, to continue in the truth and faith of the Gospel, and in love to God and his people, and to avoid false teachers and their doctrines.

Gill: 2 John 1 (Chapter Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO 2 JOHN 1

The writer of this epistle describes himself by his office, an "elder", and inscribes it to a certain matron, whom he styles, on account of her honour and riches, a "lady"; and by reason of her grace, "elect"; and to her children, who, as well as herself, were the objects of the apostle's love, and of all that knew the truth, and that for the sake of it, which was common to them all, 2Jo 1:1, the salutation follows, 2Jo 1:3, and then a congratulation of the lady, that some of her children walked in the same path of truth with herself, 2Jo 1:4, and next an exhortation to brotherly love, which is the commandment from the beginning; the evidence of which love is walking according to that, and every other command of God, 2Jo 1:5, and the rather this should be closely attended to, since many deceivers, who were no other than antichrist, had got into the world, who did not own that Christ was come in the flesh; wherefore it became those that were concerned for his name and glory, as well as their own interest, to take heed lest what was wrought should be lost, and so a full reward be not received, 2Jo 1:7, and then a description of these deceivers and false teachers is given; that they are transgressors of the rule of God's word, abide not in the doctrine of Christ, and so have not God, any interest in him; whereas he that abides in the doctrine of Christ has an interest both in the Father and in the Son, 2Jo 1:9, wherefore the apostle gives advice to the lady how to behave towards such; not to receive them into her house, nor wish them success, since so to do would be to join with them in their evil deeds, 2Jo 1:10, and then he excuses the shortness of his letter, though he had many things to write unto her, yet would not, because he hoped shortly to visit her, and then would personally relate what he had to communicate to their mutual joy, 2Jo 1:12, and closes the epistle with the salutation of her sister's children to her, 2Jo 1:13.

College: 2 John (Outline)

OUTLINE

I. GREETING - 1-3

II. WALKING IN OBEDIENCE - 4-6

A. Source of Joy - 4

B. Love as Obedience - 5-6

III. CONTINUING IN THE TEACHING - 7-11

A. Identification of Deceivers - 7

B. Being Fully Rewarded - 8

C. Having Both the Father and the Son - 9

D. Warning about Misdirected Hospitality - 10-11

IV. HOPING FOR A VISIT - 12

V. CLOSING - 13

-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV