2 John 1-3

“whom” It is surprising that this is a MASCULINE PLURAL PRONOUN because it is meant to link up to either “lady,” which is FEMININE, or “children” which is NEUTER. I think it was John’s way of marking the phrase as symbolic.

“I loved” John uses phileō synonymously in the Gospel and Revelation, but in I, II, and III John he uses only agapaō (cf. vv. 3, 5, 6; 1 John 3:18).

© “whom” It is surprising that this is a MASCULINE PLURAL PRONOUN because it is meant to link up to either “lady,” which is FEMININE, or “children” which is NEUTER. I think it was John’s way of marking the phrase as symbolic.

(1) Some believe that the elect lady is the church, elsewhere referred to as the Bride of Christ, or a particular local church. (2) Others think that the Letter was addressed to “the elect Kyria”—her name being Kyria. This name could be the Greek equivalent to the Aramaic name Martha (both mean “lady”).1 (3) Others feel that John is writing to an unnamed Christian lady, who with all other believers is among the elect of God—chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.

both Israel and the church were portrayed as women.

TO THE ELECT CHURCH. CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: John’s second letter, which is written to virgins, is extremely straightforward. It was written to a certain Babylonian woman called Electa, whose name stands for the election of the holy church. ADUMBRATIONS.1

“I loved” John uses phileō synonymously in the Gospel and Revelation, but in I, II, and III John he uses only agapaō (cf. vv. 3, 5, 6; 1 John 3:18).

HILARY OF ARLES: By “truth” John is referring to the Holy Spirit, because love is always the work of the Spirit. INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 JOHN.9

“The truth” can refer to one of three things: (1) the Holy Spirit in John (cf. 14:17); (2) Jesus Christ Himself (cf. John 8:32; 14:6); and (3) the content of the gospel (cf. 1 John 3:23).

BEDE: John is writing against the heretics who have departed from the truth.

HILARY OF ARLES: By “truth” John is referring to the Holy Spirit, because love is always the work of the Spirit. INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 JOHN.9

TO ALL WHO KNOW THE TRUTH. BEDE: John is writing against the heretics who have departed from the truth

“which abides in us” This is a PRESENT ACTIVE PARTICIPLE of one of John’s favorite terms to describe believers, abide. See Special Topic at 2:10. This seems to refer to the indwelling Holy Spirit (cf. Rom. 8:9; or Son, Rom. 8:9–10)

“will be with us forever” Truth abides in and remains with all believers forever

FROM JESUS CHRIST THE FATHER’S SON. BEDE: Because the heretics of that time, people like Marcion and Cerinthus, denied that our Lord Jesus Christ was the true Son of God and claimed that he was born in a merely human way, John rightly recalls that he is the Son of God the Father in order to refute these blasphemers. He also bears witness that grace, mercy and peace come from the Son in exactly the same way as they come from the Father, thereby demonstrating that the Father and the Son are equal and consubstantial with each other.

BEDE: Because the heretics of that time, people like Marcion and Cerinthus, denied that our Lord Jesus Christ was the true Son of God and claimed that he was born in a merely human way, John rightly recalls that he is the Son of God the Father in order to refute these blasphemers. He also bears witness that grace, mercy and peace come from the Son in exactly the same way as they come from the Father, thereby demonstrating that the Father and the Son are equal and consubstantial with each other

The Greek term for greeting is chairein. It has been altered to charis, which means “grace.”