The Epistles of John, verse-by-verse

Session 18 | 2 John 1-5

2 John 1-4 | Introduction To A Wonderful Lady

Verse 1 This letter was almost certainly written by the same author as 1 John (whether that be John the Apostle, or another - see introduction to 1 John). The time and location of the epistle is unknown. Tradition puts it in the mid 90s, from Ephesus. The epistle is written to the elect lady and her children. But who is this lady? Many, of course, teach that she is the church, but this is conjecture and eisegesis. There is simply nothing upon which to make this claim. Others try to make the claim that this is Israel, which is better by context but still not a solid basis. If this is Israel, then who are her children? Catholics and some Protestants have tried to claim that this was Mary, but this is more wishful thinking than exegetical reality. One of the rules of hermeneutics is to take a passage literally whenever it can be done. What happens if we do so here? This would make the letter addressed to an individual woman with children. Would such an issue be preposterous? If so, why? Some reject this because we do not know the recipient, but such is true of Philemon and even Gaius, the recipient of 3 John. Some reject this because she would be called by name. But maybe she is! Here are two astonishing pieces of information. First, the Greek word in question, κυρία [kuria, or kyria“ladies" are discussed numerous times in the New Testament, always addressed as “wife" or “woman." Why is this unique word used? Further, the word kyria can be used as a proper noun, and is to this very day! The English name Kyra is the same name! Taking 2 John as a letter to a Jewish woman and her children helps the reader avoid misplacement of the instructions that follow on the wrong recipients, like the Body of Christ. In this case, if the plain sense makes common sense, seek no other sense. The author spoke of this lady's children as those whom I love in the truth**. **He further stated that others, who have known the truth, love them also. The pronoun whom is in the plural, referring to the children. It is difficult to know whether these words are general in nature or specific to some incident. Perhaps the children had been accused of some falsehood, but they that have known the truth stood by them. It is conjecture, but possible by grammar. The phrase overlapping verses 1-2, the truth; for the truth's sake is powerful, and reminds us of the words of Jesus in John 8:32 that the truth shall make you free“stick your head in the sand" kind of people. Nor should they be like those Paul spoke of, who are ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (2 Tim. 3:7).

Verse 2 -- Anyone who has the truth cannot escape it fully. The author surely has some truth in mind, whether it is specific about the elect lady or about God's work among the elect in a more general sense. In either case, he gives his recipient the assurance that this truth-possession will not change. Verse 3 -- There is a pattern among epistles that *letters to individuals *include threefold greeting of grace, mercy, and peace, while letters to groups have a two-fold greeting of grace and peace. Because there are not many letters to compare, this may be incidental. But, if true, then the emphasis is on the elect lady more than her children. Verse 4 -- As evidence that the elect lady is the singular recipient, now the author speaks in the third person of thy children. The author rejoices that they are walking in truth. Once again, we could conjecture that this woman's children had strayed but now were walking in truth. The letter connects this walk with a commandment from the Father. That phrase alone should tell the rightly dividing reader that the message is intended for Jews since the instruction for the Body of Christ is based on Pauline teachings. Paul uses the term 14 times (exclusive of Hebrews, where it is used four times), and 12 of these are directly connected to the Hebrew Scriptures. In 1 Corinthians 14:37 he tells the Corinthian church that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord (a bold claim!). When we put this together with Paul's claim to have received a hidden mystery (Col. 1:24-26), we can see that those of us under the *Pauline pattern *(1 Tim. 1:16) follow a new set of commandments found in the writings of Paul.

2 John 5-7 | An Obedient Lady

Verse 5 -- These words have been similarly spoken several times in the Scripture. The exact words love one another appear 13 times in the New Testament. With 10 of those in Johannine literature (five times in 1 John), this is certainly not a new commandment. One wonders why this lady needed to hear the commandment again, and we can (once again) only speculate that perhaps she was beginning to have a strained relationship, for reasons beyond our understanding due to the limited information.

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