Second letter of John
Introduction
11[From:] The old (elder), [Greek , can refer to someone of advanced age or to a church leader. In this case, both descriptions apply to John, who at the time this letter was written was the last of the twelve apostles still alive.]
to the chosen lady (elect lady – Gr. )
and her children. [May refer to a woman and her children. Kyria as a proper name was not entirely uncommon and is a feminine form of kyrios, meaning lord or head. Like the next letter, this letter is addressed to a person, but kyria may also refer to the congregation and its members. John often refers to believers as ‘my children’. The chosen ones were also ‘a royal priesthood,’ called to reign with the Anointed King Jesus. Kyria is then the bride of Kyrios Christos, see ; .]
I love all of you [with God's righteous, selfless, and generous love] in truth, and not just me,
but everyone who has come to know (personally experienced) the truth,
2because of the truth that remains in us
and will be with us forever. 3Grace (undeserved favour) [power],
mercy (compassion expressed in action)
and peace,
be (shall be) with us from God the Father
and from Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ), the Son of the Father, in truth and love [which is righteous, selfless and giving]. [Verses 1b-3 are symmetrically structured in a chiasm:
A love (Gr. )
B in truth (Gr. )
C the truth (Gr. )
C´ grace, mercy, peace – love
B´ in truth (Gr. )
A´ love (Gr. )
The verb love and the noun love frame the entire passage. The phrase ‘in truth’ forms an inner frame. Central to verses 1b–3a is the description first of truth and then of love. Here we can sense how truth – which remains in us – refers to Jesus personified, he who is the way, the truth and the life, see John 14:6. The giving love is described through: grace, mercy and peace.]The great commandment
[Verses 4–6 are also symmetrically structured in a chiasm. The words walk in, command and from the beginning frame and reinforce that love is the most central thing.] 4I was very glad when I found some of your children walking (living) in the truth, just as we have received commandment from the Father. 5Now I ask you, my wife (Gr. kyria, see verse 1) – this is not a new commandment I am writing to you, but [a repetition of] what we have had from the beginning: that we should (may) love one another (with God's selfless, giving love).
6This is love [it is expressed through]: that we walk (live) according to his commandments [plural].
This commandment is just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk (live) in it [i.e. in love and truth]. [Walking in ‘it’ can refer to loving one another and the love just mentioned in verses 5b and 6, or to the truth. In verse 4, there is the phrase walk in the truth, which may have its counterpart here in ‘walk in it,’ implying live in the truth. John probably wants to highlight a double meaning, ‘truth and love,’ the two key words of the letter in this little phrase, see verse 3. John also begins the letter with the phrase ‘I love you all in truth,’ see verse 1.]Warning against false teachings
7There are many deceivers [false teachers] who have gone out into the world [, ], those who do not confess that Jesus is the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ) who came in the flesh. Such is the Deceiver, the Antichrist. [The word ‘antichrist’ means both ‘opponent of Christ (the Anointed One)’ and ‘substitute for Christ’ and describes someone who copies and imitates Jesus, see .] 8Make sure (be constantly on your guard) that you do not lose what we [some manuscripts: ‘you’] have worked for, but receive your full wages.
9Whoever goes on and does not remain in the teaching of the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ),
he does not have God.
Whoever remains in his teaching,
he has both the Father and the Son.
10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or even greet him. 11Anyone who welcomes such a person makes himself an accomplice to his evil deeds. [The first Christians meet in the homes, see ; . Welcoming someone into your home means giving a false teacher a base from which to spread his teachings in the city. It is not a prohibition against inviting people in and talking to them. The Greek word chairein, translated as "welcome", is more than a casual "hello" and refers to asking for God's blessing on someone's work.]Final greeting
12Although I [John] have so much more I want to write to you about, I do not want to do so with paper and ink. Instead, I hope to come to you and speak with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.
13The children of your chosen sister [the sister congregation where John is located, probably in Ephesus, see verse 1] send their greetings to you.
