2 John 1:12

Conclusion

1:12 Though I have many other ¹  things to write to you, I do not want to do so with ²  paper and ink, ³  but I hope to come visit you and speak face to face, ⁴  so that our joy may be complete. ⁵ 

2 John 1:8

1:8 Watch out, so that you do not lose the things we have worked for, ⁶  but receive a full reward. ⁷ 

2 John 1:13

1:13 The children of your elect sister greet you. ⁸ 

2 John 1:6

1:6 (Now this is love: that we walk ⁹  according to his commandments.) This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning; thus ¹⁰  you should walk in it. ¹¹ 

[1:12]  ¹ tn “Other” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity in English.

[1:12]  ² tn Grk “by means of.”

[1:12]  ³ sn Presumably the author means he would rather say the additional things he wants to say to the recipients in person rather than by letter (with paper and ink).

[1:12]  ⁴ tn Grk “speak mouth to mouth,” an idiom for which the English equivalent is “speak face to face.”

[1:12]  ⁵ tn Grk “be fulfilled.”

[1:8]  ⁶ sn The things we have worked for probably refers to the pastoral and missionary efforts undertaken by the recipients of the letter in their own community and surrounding communities. This work would be “lost” if the opponents with their false teaching are allowed to proselytize unopposed.

[1:8]  ⁷ sn The idea of a reward for Christians who serve faithfully is not common in the Johannine writings, but can be found in Rev 11:18 and 22:12.

[1:13]  ¹¹ tc The Byzantine text has ἀμήν (amhn, “amen”) at the conclusion of this letter. Such a conclusion is routinely added by scribes to NT books because a few of these books originally had such an ending (cf. Rom 16:27; Gal 6:18; Jude 25). A majority of Greek witnesses have the concluding ἀμήν in every NT book except Acts, James, and 3 John (and even in these books, ἀμήν is found in some witnesses). It is thus a predictable variant. Further, the particle is lacking in excellent, early, and diffuse witnesses (א A B P Ψ 33 81 323 1739 1881 al co), rendering its omission the strongly preferred reading.

[1:6]  ¹⁶ tn Or “that we live.”

[1:6]  ¹⁷ tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause indicates result, parallel to John 13:34 where the final ἵνα clause also indicates result.

[1:6]  ¹⁸ tn Or “should live in obedience to it.”