Bible Commentaries
2 John

CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH

A Commentary On

THE BOOK OF SECOND JOHN

By WAYNE L. FUSSELL

Publisher Charles Allen Bailey

Editor

Executive Editor - Joe L. Norton, Ph.D.
Associate Editor - Steven R. Bowen

Copyright © 1993
Contending for the Faith Publications
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All Rights Reserved

All scripture quotations,
unless otherwise indicated, are taken from
The King James Version, KJV

Preface

"Earnestly contend for the faith" (Judges 1:3) is a charge given to New Testament Christians that should never be forgotten. In maintaining this important precept in our lives we will continue to grow spiritually and be of greater service to the Master. This volume, the third in the commentary series Contending for the Faith, provides help as we develop the Christian characteristics that we need.

The authors of this commentary are gospel preachers who have devoted their lives in spreading the cause of Christ in America as well as in other countries. The work contains some technical information but is practical and easy to understand. Bible students with no knowledge of Greek will find it easy to comprehend.

The writers have provided a great service to the family of God. This important project, which is a labor of love, requires self discipline and concentrated time and effort. It is with a high respect that I recommend unto you the men who have provided for us the fruits of their studies. Their good work is appreciated and will provide wonderful material for Bible students for generations to come.

The books included in this volume were discussed at the annual Comprehensive New Testament Study at the Irving Church of Christ, 108 West Grauwyler Road, Irving, Texas 75061. Each verse was presented publicly in the presence of many gospel preachers and discussed openly in an effort to arrive at the truth.

Brother Joe Norton has done a great service in editing the material for this volume. He has spent hundreds of hours editing in order to provide the most positive benefit to all who choose to use this tool in their studies. Brother Steve Bowen has provided valuable assistance in the editing process. The work he contributes is always of the highest quality. Sister Martha Morris has also been very helpful in proofing the manuscript. We appreciate her promptness and continued support in this endeavor. Brother Gene Edmiston’s computer skills were invaluable in formatting each page in preparation for printing. His skills are unsurpassed, and his willingness to donate his time will always be appreciated. The team effort of these Christians who donated their valuable time to produce a product to benefit everyone is to be admired.

As publisher of these commentaries, it is my sincere desire to provide material to those of "like precious faith" (2 Peter 1:1) that will assist us in our spiritual growth. I encourage all to spend quality time with the scriptures for therein lies the truth from God’s throne (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:3; John 8:32). I hope and pray that whoever chooses to utilize this commentary will find it helpful in their study of the word of God. The more we study God’s word, the better our abilities in "Contending for the Faith."

Allen Bailey

Introduction

Using only one sheet of papyrus, the Apostle John writes the short epistle of 2 John, which contains fewer than 300 Greek words. One commentator calls both 2 and 3 John "notes" because of their brevity. They have the distinction of being the shortest of all the documents in God’s word. Yet, in spite of their brevity, these are among the least disputed books in all of the New Testament, having stood the test of time and the onslaught of critics.

This short epistle gives an interesting glimpse into the affairs of the early church and helps us to know that the early church suffered problems not that different from ones the church in the twentieth century suffers. We live in such awe of the early church because of its growth and the tremendous legacy it handed down to us that we sometimes forget it contained human beings like us with all of the same frailties and imperfections. The church has problems today, and the church had problems then. One problem challenging the early church was the preaching of false doctrine. In this epistle, John warns the church about the false teaching being promoted by the same false teachers he exposed in 1 John. He recognizes the instability of human beings who can be led away by influential and gifted "deceivers." Likewise, the church has great blessings today just as it had great blessings then. John, in this second epistle, points out some similarities in these blessings.

Its Author

The author of 2 John is "the elder." It is characteristic of John’s writings to withhold his name from the introduction or even from the main body of the manuscript. He calls himself "that disciple whom Jesus loved" in the gospel of John. In 1 John, he writes as a father to his "little children," expecting them to know who is writing. In spite of this eccentricity, there is little doubt that John is the author. We have both external and internal evidence to substantiate his authorship.

MacKnight gives a long list of names of church fathers and historians who lived near to the first century who attest to John’s writing of this epistle. Such names as Polycarp, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Dionysius, and Cyprian are mentioned by MacKnight in confirmation of the widely accepted belief that John wrote 2 John.

The close similarity between 2 John and 1 John gives further proof that John is the author. The language, style, and thrust of the letters are very much alike. Notice the words and phrases that are the same: to love, the truth, to know, to abide, Jesus Christ, the commandment, from the beginning, to walk, the antichrist, and to have the Father and the Son. There is almost a direct quotation of 1 John 2:6-7; 1 John 3:23; 1 John 5:3 in 2 John 1:5-6. Even a casual reader can see the close similarity in the phraseology of these two works and reach the same conclusion of most critics that the beloved apostle John is its author.

The Addressee

Many commentators want "the elect lady," addressed by the apostle, to be a woman with several children. They have even labored to find her a name in the two Greek words, eklekte kuria, which are translated "elect lady." Some have thought that her name is Electa and that kuria is a term of endearment. If so, she would have to have a sister by the same name (Verse 13), a fact that would seem unreasonable. Others think that her name is Kyria or Cyria and that "elect" shows her to be a "chosen one." Still others have gone on to say that her name is Electa Kyria.

The most reasonable conclusion is that the "elect lady" is not a person but a personification instead. The "elect lady" is a local church personified, and John is writing to the church under this figure. Her "children" are the members of the congregation. Several reasons prompt the above conclusion:

1.    It is not logical that John would declare his love and the love "of all they that have known the truth" for one lady. This language would more reasonably be directed toward a well-known church.

2.    John’s statement concerning certain of her children who were "walking in truth" (verse 4) does not sound like language addressed to one lady but to a collective church.

3.    The strongest reason to doubt that the lady is an actual woman is that John changes from the second person singular ("thy" and "thee") in verses 4 and 5 to the second person plural ("ye" and "yourselves") in verses 6, 8, and 10. There is another change in the plural and singular pronouns in verses 12 and 13. He uses the singular pronouns to address the church as a whole and the plural pronouns to address the individuals who comprise the church. If John were writing to a particular lady, he would not constantly change the pronouns. It is much easier to conclude that John is writing to a congregation because the language clearly fits. This is not language addressed to a lady and her children but to a community of believers. John addresses them under the figure of a lady at times and, then, at times drops the figure and writes to them as individuals. There is Biblical justification for using the female personification to refer to the church. The church is discussed in the scriptures under the figure of a bride, the bride of Christ (Romans 7:4; Ephesians 5:22-33; Revelation 21:9). Paul considered the Corinthian church as betrothed to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2). We conclude, therefore, that John is writing to a certain church under the figure of "the elect lady."

The Design

Whatever John writes to the church he calls "the elect lady," he has already written to the church in general in 1 John. Some have suggested that 2 John is just 1 John in outline form. 1 John is a general epistle written to several churches well-known to John; 2 John is a specific epistle written to a specific church. The design of the letter is revealed in the letter itself. It is evident that he writes to express his deep love for this congregation of saints. He is careful to make mention of his contact with some of the church’s members and his delight in their faithfulness. As in 1 John, he reminds them of the "commandment" of Christ regarding the need for mutual love of the brethren. And he recommends a careful screening of itinerant teachers, so prevalent in the first century. John further warns about the "antichrist," a warning he gives to the general church in 1 John. His admonition against false doctrine is strong. He forbids the support of false teachers in any fashion and cautions against bidding them "godspeed." John recognizes the brevity of his letter but closes by saying that he would rather speak with them "face to face."

Time and Place of Writing

There is as much mystery about when and where 2 John was written as there is about 1 John. Some have speculated about the time and place of writing, but none has offered definite proof. It is clear that it was written by John in the first century when false doctrine was a very present danger.