2 John
2 John front
Introduction to 2 John
Part 1: General Introduction
Outline of the Book of 2 John
- Opening of letter (1:1-3)
- Encouragement and the commandment to love one another (1:4-6)
- Warning about false teachers (1:7-11)
- Closing of letter (1:12-13)
Who wrote the Book of 2 John?
The author of this letter identifies himself only as “the elder.” However, the content of 2 John is similar to the content in John’s gospel. This suggests that the apostle John wrote this letter, and he would have done so near the end of his life.
To whom was the Book of 2 John written?
The author addresses this letter to someone he calls “the chosen lady” and to “her children” (1:1). Although this could refer to a specific woman and her children, that interpretation is unlikely. More probably, this is a figurative way to refer to a specific congregation and its members. This interpretation is supported by the way that John refers to the congregation with him as “the children of your chosen sister” in verse 13. This would be a readily understandable metaphor, since the word for “church” in Greek is a feminine noun. (See: Metaphor)
What is the book of 2 John about?
It appears that John addressed this letter to a specific congregation of believers. John’s purpose in writing this letter to them was to warn his audience about false teachers. John did not want believers helping or giving money to false teachers.
He probably intended this message to be passed on to all believers in general.
How should the title of this book be translated?
Translators may choose to call this book by its traditional title, “2 John” or “Second John.” Or they may choose a different title, such as “The Second Letter from John” or “The Second Letter John Wrote.” (See: How to Translate Names)
Part 2: Important Religious and Cultural Concepts
What is hospitality?
Hospitality was an important concept in the ancient Near East. It was important to be friendly towards foreigners or outsiders and provide help to them if they needed it. John wanted believers to offer hospitality to guests. However, he did not want believers to offer hospitality to false teachers.
Who were the people John spoke against?
The people John spoke against may have been those who later became known as Gnostics. These people believed that the physical world was evil. Since the physical body was seen as evil, they did not think that God could become human. Therefore, they believed that Jesus was divine but denied that he was human. (See: evil, wicked, unpleasant)
Part 3: Important Translation Issues
What are the major textual issues in the text of the Book of 2 John?
In 1:12, most modern versions of the Bible read “our joy.” There is another traditional reading that says “your joy.” If a version of the Bible already exists in your region, you should consider using the reading of that version in your translation. If not, you may wish to follow the reading that most Bible scholars consider to be authentic and say “our joy.” In this case, “our” would include both John and the letter recipients. (See: Textual Variants)
2 John 1
2 John 1:1
ὁ πρεσβύτερος
In this culture, letter writers would give their own names first, referring to themselves in the third person. If that is confusing in your language, you can use the first person here. Or if your language has a particular way of introducing the author of a letter, and if it would be helpful to your readers, you can use it here. Alternate translation: “I, the elder, am writing this letter” (See: First, Second or Third Person)
ὁ πρεσβύτερος
The elder likely means John, the apostle and disciple of Jesus. He refers to himself as elder either because of his old age, or because he is a leader in the church, or both. If you have a term for an older, respected leader, you can use it here. Alternate translation: “I, John, am writing this letter” or Alternate translation: “I, John the elder, am writing this letter” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
ἐκλεκτῇ κυρίᾳ καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις αὐτῆς
In this culture, letter writers would name the addressees next, referring to them in the third person. If that is confusing in your language, you can use the second person here. Or if your language has a particular way of introducing the person who receives a letter, and if it would be helpful to your readers, you can use it here. Alternate translation: “to you, chosen lady, and to your children” (See: First, Second or Third Person)
ἐκλεκτῇ κυρίᾳ
Here, chosen lady could mean: (1) John is writing to a church and figuratively describing the group of believers as a lady. (In Greek, the word for “church” is feminine.) (2) John is writing to a specific woman and referring to her respectfully as lady. Alternate translation: “to the chosen church” (See: Metaphor)
ἐκλεκτῇ κυρίᾳ
In this context, the term chosen indicates a person or group of people whom God has chosen to receive salvation. Alternate translation: “to the congregation that God has saved” (See: Idiom)
καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις αὐτῆς
Here, her children could mean: (1) just as “chosen lady” figuratively refers to a church, her children refers figuratively to the people who are part of that church. Alternate translation: “and to the believers in that group” (2) if this letter is addressed to an actual woman, it may refer to her biological children. (3) it refers figuratively to people whom the woman has led to faith as her spiritual children. (See: Metaphor)
ἀγαπῶ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ
If your readers would misunderstand the abstract noun truth, you could express the idea behind it with an equivalent expression. The phrase the truth could: (1) refer to how John loves. Alternate translation: “truly love” (2) provide the reason for John’s love. Alternate translation: “love because we both know the truth” (See: Abstract Nouns)
πάντες οἱ ἐγνωκότες τὴν ἀλήθειαν
John uses the phrase all who have known the truth to refer to believers who know and accept the true message about Jesus Christ. John is most likely using the term all as a generalization to mean all the believers who are with him and who know the people of this church. Alternate translation: “all who are with me and who know and accept the truth” (See: Hyperbole)
2 John 1:2
τὴν ἀλήθειαν
John uses the abstract noun truth to refer to the true message that Christians believe. If your readers would misunderstand this term, you could express the idea behind this term with an equivalent expression. Alternate translation: “the true message” (See: Abstract Nouns)
ἡμῖν…ἡμῶν
If your language marks this distinction, the pronoun us would be inclusive here and throughout the epistle, because John always uses it to refer to both himself and to the recipients of the letter. The pronoun “we” would also be inclusive for that same reason, as would the pronoun “our,” if you choose to use it in your translation. (See: Exclusive and Inclusive ‘We’)
εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα
This is an idiom. Alternate translation: “for all time” (See: Idiom)
2 John 1:3
ἔσται μεθ’ ἡμῶν χάρις, ἔλεος, εἰρήνη, παρὰ Θεοῦ Πατρός καὶ παρὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ
If your readers would misunderstand the abstract nouns grace, mercy, and peace, you could express the idea behind them with verbal phrases, with God the Father and Jesus Christ as the subject. Alternate translation: “God the Father and Jesus Christ will be kind to us, be merciful to us, and enable us to be peaceful” (See: Abstract Nouns)
ἔσται μεθ’ ἡμῶν χάρις, ἔλεος, εἰρήνη
In this culture, letter writers would normally offer a good wish or blessing for the recipients before introducing the main business of the letter. But instead of a blessing here, John makes a declarative statement. This probably expresses his confidence that God will do as he promised. Be sure that your translation also expresses this confidence.
Πατρός…Υἱοῦ
Father and Son are important titles that describe the relationship between God and Jesus Christ. Be sure to translate them accurately and consistently. (See: Translating Son and Father)
ἐν ἀληθείᾳ καὶ ἀγάπῃ
If your readers would misunderstand the abstract nouns truth and love, you could express the ideas behind them with adjectives or verbs. Here, these abstract nouns could refer to: (1) the qualities of God the Father and Jesus Christ. Alternate translation: “who are truthful and loving” (2) how believers should live, and thus are the conditions under which believers will receive the “grace, mercy, and peace” from God. Alternate translation: “as we continue to hold on to what is true and to love each other” (See: Abstract Nouns)
2 John 1:4
σου
The word your is singular here, since John is addressing the church figuratively as a “lady.” (See: Forms of You)
ἐχάρην λείαν
If it is more natural in your language to state the reason first and then the result, you can put this after “I found some of your children walking in the truth,” as in the UST. (See: Connect — Reason-and-Result Relationship)
τῶν τέκνων σου
See how you translated the term children in 1:1. This could refer to: (1) the people who are part of a certain congregation. (2) if this letter is addressed to an actual woman, it may mean either her biological children or (3) her spiritual children. Alternate translation: “the believers from your group” (See: Metaphor)
περιπατοῦντας ἐν ἀληθείᾳ
John refers figuratively to living one’s life with the expression walking. Alternate translation: “living according to the truth” (See: Metaphor)
ἐν ἀληθείᾳ
If your language does not use an abstract noun for this, you could use a phrase with an adjective. Alternate translation: “in a way that agrees with the true message from God” (See: Abstract Nouns)
καθὼς ἐντολὴν ἐλάβομεν παρὰ τοῦ Πατρός
The expression received a commandment expresses the idea that God commanded the believers to do something. If your readers would misunderstand this expression, you could make the Father the subject of a sentence with the verb “command.” Alternate translation: “just as the Father has commanded us”
τοῦ Πατρός
Father is an important title for God. Be careful to translate it accurately and consistently. (See: Translating Son and Father)
2 John 1:5
καὶ νῦν
These words signal that what follows is the main point of the letter, or at least the first main point. Use a natural way for introducing the main point in your language.
σε,…σοι
These instances of you are singular since John is once again addressing the church in a figurative way as a “lady.” (See: Forms of You)
κυρία
See how you translated this in verse 1 (See: Metaphor)
οὐχ ὡς ἐντολὴν καινὴν γράφων σοι
John does not refer to himself explicitly as the person writing. If your language requires you to state the subject of a verb, you could add a pronoun here. Alternate translation: “not as though I were writing you a new commandment” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς
The phrase from the beginning refers to the time when John and his audience first believed in Jesus Christ. Alternate translation: “since the time that we first believed” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
ἀρχῆς, ἵνα ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους
If your readers would misunderstand this phrase, you could start a new sentence here. Alternate translation: “the beginning. He commanded that we should love one another”
2 John 1:6
περιπατῶμεν κατὰ…ἐν…περιπατῆτε
In these instances the expression walk figuratively means to “obey.” Alternate translation: “we should obey … you should obey it” (See: Metaphor)
ἠκούσατε…περιπατῆτε
The term you is plural in this verse, because John is addressing a congregation of believers. This is the case throughout the rest of the letter, as well, except in verse 13, because there John returns to his metaphor of referring to a church as a woman and its members as her children. (See: Forms of You)
2 John 1:7
ὅτι
Here, For introduces the reason why John wrote about the commandment to love and obey God in the previous verses—it is because there are many who pretend to be believers but they do not love or obey God. Use a natural way to introduce this reason in your language. See the UST. (See: Connect — Reason-and-Result Relationship)
ὅτι πολλοὶ πλάνοι ἐξῆλθαν εἰς τὸν κόσμον
This seems to be an implicit reference to the false teachers whom John discusses in verses 10-11. Alternate translation: “For many deceivers are going around from place to place” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐρχόμενον ἐν σαρκί
The expression coming in flesh is a metonym for being a real, physical person and not a spiritual being only. Alternate translation: “that Jesus Christ came as a real human” (See: Metonymy)
οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ πλάνος καὶ ὁ ἀντίχριστος
Here, this could refer to: (1) the activity of deceiving others or to the kind of teaching that these people are doing. Alternate translation: “This is the work of the deceiver, the antichrist” or “This kind of teaching comes from the one who is the deceiver and the antichrist” (2) any member of the group of deceivers. Alternate translation: “Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist” If it would be helpful, you can make one of these meanings explicit. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
ὁ πλάνος καὶ ὁ ἀντίχριστος
In your translation, it may be helpful to clarify that the deceiver and the antichrist are one person, not two.
2 John 1:8
βλέπετε ἑαυτούς
The implication is that the believers are to watch themselves, that is, be careful, so that they are not deceived by the deceivers and antichrists. Alternate translation: “be careful not to let the deceivers and antichrists influence you” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
ἃ
The word what is more fully defined in the next phrase as a “reward.” If your readers would misunderstand this, you can state “reward” here, as well. See the UST. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
εἰργασάμεθα
The word we here is inclusive. John, his audience, and others have all worked to build up the faith of the believers to whom John is writing. (See: Exclusive and Inclusive ‘We’)
2 John 1:9
πᾶς ὁ προάγων καὶ μὴ μένων ἐν τῇ διδαχῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ
John refers to the teaching of Christ figuratively as a place where faithful believers remain and also as a place that false teachers leave as they go beyond. The expression goes beyond refers to teaching new and false things that Jesus did not teach. Alternate translation: “everyone who teaches things that Jesus did not teach” (See: Metaphor)
πᾶς ὁ προάγων καὶ μὴ μένων ἐν τῇ διδαχῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ
These two phrases mean the same thing, one stated positively (goes beyond) and the other stated negatively (does not remain). If it is mote natural in your language, you can reverse the order of these, as in the UST. (See: Information Structure)
Θεὸν οὐκ ἔχει
To have God means to have a relationship with God as Savior through faith in Jesus Christ. If your readers would misunderstand this, you can express this explicitly. Alternate translation: “does not belong to God” or “does not have a right relationship with God” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
ὁ μένων ἐν τῇ διδαχῇ, οὗτος καὶ τὸν Πατέρα καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν ἔχει
Alternate translation: “Someone who follows Christ’s teaching belongs to both the Father and the Son”
ὁ μένων ἐν τῇ διδαχῇ
This phrase is in contrast to the previous sentence. If your readers would misunderstand this, you can use a word or phrase to mark this contrast, as in the UST. (See: Connect — Contrast Relationship)
οὗτος
John is using the demonstrative adjective this as a noun, to refer to a kind of person. ULT indicates this by adding the word one. If your language does not use adjectives in this way, you can translate this with an equivalent phrase. Alternate translation: “such a person” or “that kind of person” (See: Nominal Adjectives)
τὸν Πατέρα καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν
These are important titles that describe the relationship between God and Jesus Christ. Be sure to express these titles consistently and accurately. (See: Translating Son and Father)
2 John 1:10
εἴ τις ἔρχεται πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ ταύτην τὴν διδαχὴν οὐ φέρει
The word anyone here implies “any teacher or preacher.” John does not want the believers to welcome any teacher who does not teach what Jesus taught, and specifically that Jesus came as a human being (see verse 7). Alternate translation: “If anyone comes to you, claiming to be a teacher, but he teaches differently than this” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
ταύτην τὴν διδαχὴν οὐ φέρει
John is speaking of a teaching or a message as if it were an object that someone could bring. If you would not use this kind of metaphor in your language, you can use one that has the same meaning or use plain language. Alternate translation: “does not teach this same message” (See: Metaphor)
μὴ λαμβάνετε αὐτὸν εἰς οἰκίαν
John does not want the believers to accept a false teacher into their homes and, as a result, support his false teaching by showing him respect and providing for his needs. Alternate translation: “do not support him or encourage him by welcoming him into your home” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
χαίρειν αὐτῷ μὴ λέγετε
John warns the believers not to greet a false teacher respectfully in public. The implication is that he does not want them to do anything that might look like they are endorsing a false teacher or that would give a false teacher good standing in the eyes of others. Alternate translation: “do not give him a respectful public greeting” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
2 John 1:11
ὁ λέγων…αὐτῷ χαίρειν
Alternate translation: “any person who gives him a respectful public greeting”
κοινωνεῖ τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ τοῖς πονηροῖς
The verb shares in expresses the concept of assisting and helping to advance the activity of the false teacher. Alternate translation: “takes part in his evil deeds” or “helps him in his evil deeds”
2 John 1:12
οὐκ ἐβουλήθην διὰ χάρτου καὶ μέλανος
Here John leaves out some of the words that a sentence would need in many languages in order to be complete. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could supply these words from earlier in the sentence. Alternate translation: “I did not want to write these things with paper and ink” (See: Ellipsis)(See: Ellipsis)
διὰ χάρτου καὶ μέλανος
John is not saying that he would rather write these things with something other than paper and ink. Rather, he is speaking figuratively of those writing materials to represent writing in general. He means that he wants to visit the believers personally and to continue his communication with them directly. Alternate translation: “to communicate these things in writing” (See: Metonymy)
στόμα πρὸς στόμα λαλῆσαι
The expression mouth to mouth is an idiom, meaning to speak in their presence. Use an idiom in your language with this same meaning, or simply express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “to speak face to face” or “to speak to you in person” (See: Idiom)
ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ὑμῶν πεπληρωμένη ᾖ
If your readers would misunderstand this phrase, you could express this with an active verb form. Alternate translation: “so that this will make your joy complete” (See: Active or Passive)
ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ὑμῶν πεπληρωμένη ᾖ
If your readers would misunderstand the abstract noun joy, you could express the idea behind it with an adjective such as “joyful.” Alternate translation: “so that this will make you completely joyful” (See: Abstract Nouns)
ἡ χαρὰ ὑμῶν πεπληρωμένη ᾖ
See the note in Part 3 of the General Introduction to 2 John about the textual issue here. Alternate translation: “our joy might be made complete” (See: Textual Variants)
ὑμῶν
If you use “our” here instead of your, it would include both John and the letter recipients. (See: Exclusive and Inclusive ‘We’)
2 John 1:13
τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἀδελφῆς σου τῆς ἐκλεκτῆς
This could: (1) be a metaphor. Just as John uses the term “chosen lady” as a figurative expression for the group of believers to whom he is writing in verse 1 and the term “her children” for the members of that group, also here John is figuratively describing his own group of believers as the chosen sister of that group and the members of his group as the children of this sister. Alternate translation: “The members of the chosen group of believers here” If you choose to keep the metaphor in the text, you may want to include an explanation of the meaning in a footnote. (2) refer to the biological children of a specific woman who is the biological sister of another specific woman to whom John is writing. (3) John may be using the words sister and children figuratively in a spiritual sense, but to refer to an individual woman and the other people that she has led to faith in Jesus. (See: Metaphor)
τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἀδελφῆς σου τῆς ἐκλεκτῆς
In this context, the term chosen indicates someone whom God has chosen to receive salvation. In the context of John’s metaphor, this indicates a church or group of people whom God has chosen to receive salvation. Alternate translation: “The members of this group of believers in Jesus” (See: Idiom)
ἀσπάζεταί σε
As was customary in this culture, John concludes the letter by extending greetings from people who are with him and who know the people to whom he is writing. Your language may have a particular way of sharing greetings in a letter. If so, you can use that form here. Alternate translation: “send you their greetings” or “ask to be remembered to you”
σε…σου
The pronouns you and your are singular here, in keeping with John’s metaphor of writing to a congregation as though it were a lady. (See: Forms of You)