2 John 1:1 - NCV - From the Elder. [17] It seems that John’s second letter was written to such a woman. I do have a question for you if you don’t mind. 2 because of the truth that remains in us and will be with us for ever. Clearly, all believers love this “chosen lady,” John cannot be writing to his girlfriend (!). John called those whom he led his children. The shortcoming of this view is that nowhere else in the New Testament (or in later writings) is a Christian community referred to as a “lady” kuria (or a “sister” adelphē). 2 John 1:13 "The children of thy elect sister greet thee. 2 because of the truth that remains in us and will be with us for ever. Required fields are marked *. Does this suggest the "chosen lady" and her "chosen sister" are churches? The apostle John, according to tradition, spent his final years in Ephesus, where he died and was buried. Before the Industrial Revolution, nearly all industry was cottage industry and nearly all women’s work included much more than caring for children and keeping house. In fact my views on the topic have been formed by reading the Greek, including the Greek of John’s other letters. These verses are not referring to his natural children, but to “children of God” or “Christian disciples.”. There is clear evidence within the New Testament and mounting evidence from other sources that women served alongside men in prominent places of leadership in the early church. John 3:16). The Babylonian empire was long gone by the time 1 Peter was written. Luke mentions them in Acts 21:4, not because it was remarkable for a young single woman to be a preacher, but because it was remarkable for there to be four of them in one family. Noting that the pronouns translated “your” in verse 4 and “you” in verse 5 are singular, we deduce that John was writing primarily to the lady, but what he wrote was meant to be shared with the church that she led. 2:20-24), as was the church in Ephesus (1 Tim. Do you think he knows the "chosen lady?" I do not know which long-ago commentator was the first sheep over the cliff with that interpretation, but many others have followed! 5. 5:29ff; Rev. 2. John is the "Elder." Mary spent her last years at Ephesus and is also buried there. If the church met in her home, she would have been the one to say who was or was not welcome there. If St. Mary had already passed away before the coining of the second letter of John, how can we refer to this chosen, elect lady as St. Mary? This is a deceiver and an antichrist. . In the 1953 edition of A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture, edited by Bernard Orchard, page 1189, it says: Gifts of Stock, Mutual Funds, and Retirement Accounts, CBE International’s Favorite Books of 2020, From My Point of View: Meditation on Luke 7:36-50, How Faith Mission Pioneers Understood Women’s Roles, Sign Up to Get CBE’s Academic Journal Online. In the 1953 edition of A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture, edited by Bernard Orchard, page 1189, it says: The letter is a direct answer to the Gnostic preachers that were spreading false teachings around the churches. The mention of this other elect lady and her children further supports the … This is clear from 2 John 2, which speaks of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever, an obvious allusion to the promises of Jesus concerning the Holy Spirit as recorded in John 14. 3:28). To me, the most likely prima facie suggestion (which, however, is not even discussed among most commentators) would be that the recipient of this intimate letter is the most “elect” of all women, the very one that Jesus Himself entrusted to John’s personal care: Mary, the mother of Jesus! Revelation 12 and other scriptures symbolize the Church as a woman. 40), Epictetus, a Stoic philosopher who lived circa 50–135 AD, wrote that kuria was used by men to flatter young women. Most movies about Jesus have middle-aged actors playing the disciples, but the real disciples were probably in their late teens and early twenties during Jesus’ earthly ministry. [16] It is important to note that many grammatically masculine participles and other words used in the New Testament apply equally to men and women believers. I truly love all of you and am confident that all who know the truth share in my love for you. And yet, having to live with the clouds of legitimacy, and other doctrinal issues, over her firstborn. She was probably a parent. [Translation in square brackets is from better Greek manuscripts.] Some of the elect lady’s children may have been her sons and daughters and/or people she had personally led to the Lord. How can it be wrong for John to remind Kuria, his sister in Christ, of the command that we are to love one another? The First Century Church and the Ministry of Women I make note of the singular and plural words in the body of my article to make my point about Kuria, addressed in the singular, being a person. The children of the chosen lady were her “spiritual children,” Christians she personally cared about, her congregation. Most people who were products of her ministry kept on walking in truth. In my opinion, this chosen lady might be the bride of Christ during the second coming. Paul used the same word in Romans 16 to describe Rufus as a “choice man in die Lord.” Jesus used this word when he said, “Many are called but few are chosen.” In Colossians 3:12, this word is used to describe believers as “those who have been chosen by God.” It can be used in the sense of “respected” or “honorable.” Here in 2 John, the word probably should be taken in the sense of “elect” or “chosen.” Certainly, she was chosen in the Ephesians 1 sense of being “chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world,” but she was also chosen in the sense of having been either appointed by the apostle John or chosen by the church to a place of leadership. [7] Kuria is a Greek equivalent of “Martha,” “Martha” being the feminine form of an Aramaic word meaning “lord” or “master.”. The original recipient knew to whom the writer was referring, but you have no idea. Israel is portrayed as a woman— the sometimes unfaithful wife of Yahweh. Paul clearly teaches us in 1 Timothy 5:1-2 that men and women can work together as colleagues in ministry without any hint of impropriety. She is a possibility for the Chosen Lady, and benefit can be gained from reading the letter from her perspective. She was so full of the Spirit of Christ that anyone who loved him would have to love her. Aida Besancon Spencer, in her book Beyond the Curse, cites Clement of Alexandria in the second century AD who clearly used the word to denote persons ordained to places of public ministry.1. John was expressing his love for the chosen lady as a colleague in ministry. This becomes even clearer when we compare 2 John with John’s other two New Testament letters, especially 3 John, as there are several distinct similarities between 2 John and 3 John. Holy Bible never says that Mary, the theotokos, gave birth to other children. As in his Gospel and other letters, John emphasises the themes of truth (verses 1-4) and love (verses 5-6).[1]. It is also possible that she was single (although in the first century AD it is less likely that a single woman would have been the head of a household). [10] In his first letter, John used the word “children” (tekna and teknia) numerous times (e.g., 1 John 2:1, 28; 3:1-2, 7, 10, 18; 4:4; 5:2, 21). Why would John use the word “church” plainly in 3 John, but supposedly refer to the church metaphorically as a “lady” in 2 John? However, it is a great leap of logic to say that we must take the woman to be a metaphor. 3 Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love. The brevity of the letter argues against it being primarily a letter to a church. The Book of 2 John. Perhaps your 90-year-old aunt could tell you about some of them, but you never would be able to identify some of the people mentioned in those old letters. [2] BDAG refers to A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd Edition, by Walter Bauer, revised and edited by F.W Danker (University of Chicago Press, 2000). Was she a mother, a house church leader, or a congregation? ), In the NT, other than the chosen lady and the chosen sister, Rufus is also called “chosen” (Rom 16:13). Tip: to find an exact phrase or title, enclose it in quotation marks. Here in this little letter is all the Bible tells us about the chosen lady: John had the highest regard for her as a colleague in ministry. Farewell greeting (verses 12-13). Some Christians who are reluctant to accept the possibility that a first-century woman could have been a house church leader believe that 2 John was addressed to a Christian community which John metaphorically referred to as “the chosen lady.”[13] They also believe that the “chosen sister” in 2 John 1:13 refers to another Christian community. You make no reference to the Greek grammar used in the original text which differs largely from that of 3 John which is a personal letter (an AV would highlight this by the switching from ye and thee to your and you throughout 2 John). The chosen lady was well-known in the Christian community, and anyone who loved the Lord could not help but love her. Secondly, commentators point out that most of the pronouns referring to the recipients of the letter are plural. This afternoon while peeling potatos I found a divine sign. If the Messiah’s line was corrupted, then Jesus was not the Messiah; man would still be in his sins. Greetings to the elect lady (verses 1-3). Inputs from Michael and discussions between him and Marg are also appreciated. There is no reason not to take the woman “who is in Babylon” to be an actual woman, a leader or prominent member of the church at Rome who was well-known to the recipients of 1 Peter. In the Shepherd of Hermas, an elderly woman speaks to Hermas in visions. Christian Gnosticism spread quickly and became even more influential in the 2nd and 3rd centuries, when they had even more access to even more churches. Εklektē means “chosen” or “elect.” This woman addressed in 2 John was a Christian chosen by God, as all Christians are. ... 2 John 1 Salutation the elder and the elect lady - Duration: 53:17. 4 I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy (sg) children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father. We have ample and, I believe, irrefutable evidence that some of these churches were hosted and led by women. “ye/you”). However, I don’t think there is any biblical reason to assume that Mary remained a virgin once she had given birth to Jesus (Matt 1:24-25). I don’t think I skip over this. However, I sincerely disagree with Michael of the fact that St. Mary had other children. 2 For the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us forever. When John speaks about the children as those “whom” he loved in verse 1, the relative pronoun translated as “whom” is grammatically masculine in the Greek. Jesus was raised among a family of at least seven: five brothers and two sisters.8 James and Jude became believers after the resurrection and, in fact, each wrote the books in the New Testament that bear their names. I take it that you see things from a Roman Catholic perspective which holds some extra-biblical writings in high regard, such as the Infancy Gospel of James. 4:14-15; Gal. Galatians 4:26 teaches that God’s Church is the spiritual mother of Christians—her “children.” Notice II John 13: “The That’s a good post. 2 John is addressed to "the lady chosen by God" [1]The elder, To the lady chosen by God and to her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth— [2] because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever: 3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. I think it is unlikely that the chosen lady’s name was Electa. [16] If the church of 2 John was only comprised of women, we would expect feminine relative pronouns and participles, etc. (II John 2:1 NASB) Second John is the only New Testament book addressed to a woman (II John 1:1). The doctrinal content is so brief that it seems to assume the reader’s familiarity with 1 John. Furthermore, if her church was comprised of virgins, as Clement claims, it is important to note that the congregation was not just of virgin women, as we will see below. We know little about Rufus and less about his mother, not even her name. 19:7; 21:2). This is despite the fact that no congregation is referred to as a “lady” (Greek: kuria) in the New Testament or in later writings. The use of the term “leader” is inappropriate as used by the religious industry. The basic meaning of the word is “authority” or “master.” It is very unlikely that kuria (feminine form) is a proper name. Athanasius was possibly among the first to propose that Kyria (a common transliteration of kuria) was actually the woman’s name. A church would have to be called either “chosen lady” or “children” not both. Friend, have you accepted the truth that Jesus came in the flesh, died on your behalf, and rose from the … Thanks Christine. In the same way we do not know which Gaius was being addressed in John’s 3rd letter. I completely agree with you that the letter was written with concern about Gnostic false teachers. (Yes. [To the chosen lady [] and her children:. Scripture portrays Jerusalem as the mother of Israel, an image that is reflected in Galatians and Revelation. Hi Marg, I came across your article while reading 2 John 1:1-6. I hope to study this out more deeply. And rightly dividing God’s Word gets more difficult with every religious generation. 3 Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, will be with us in truth and love. You are a godly woman and a very smart lady. God bless you for your work. 10 If there come any unto you (pl), and bring not this doctrine, receive (pl) him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: In John 14:17, the Spirit is called the Spirit of Truth. If the “chosen lady” is a congregation and the children are a congregation, then John is addressing the same group twice. Paul’s Qualifications for Church Leaders [14] John uses the word “church” (ekklēsia) three times in his third letter: in 3 John 1:6, 9, 10. 2 John Images and Notes. But it is amazing God gives us the ability and humbleness to debate such issues openly and in love. When we read the letters that make up the greater part of our New Testament, we are reading someone else’s mail. 2 John 1:1 Context. A Christian woman from Asia. This is in accord with II John 1, 13. John tells the congregation not to admit such people into the house. It is unlikely that the chosen lady was simply a mother. While I would not build my whole case upon the brevity of the letter, that along with the other factors considered strengthens the case for viewing 2 John as a personal letter from one minister of the Gospel to another. I personally believe the lady and sister may have been real female leaders or they may have been metaphors for two churchs. Philip’s four daughters, who were single women, were ministers of the Gospel in New Testament times. Martha was a woman of tremendous faith and spiritual insight (John 11:22, 24, 27). However, it does make great sense for John to write “something to the church” (3 John 9, most likely a reference to the letter we know as 1 John) and then to send along at the same time or shortly thereafter two personal notes (2 and 3 John) to encourage embattled church leaders who were guiding the church through the stormy waters of doctrinal confusion. Early church writings inform us that Philip’s daughters were held in high esteem by the early church. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Amen." It makes sense that he would refer to those led by his colleagues (the chosen lady and her chosen sister) as their children. Some people believe that the chosen lady was Mary the mother of Jesus. It is not unusual for the Scripture to do so (EPHESIANS 5:22f; II CORINTHIANS 11:2; etc.). Old Testament Priests and New Testament Ministers 2 John 1 The elder, To the lady chosen by God and to her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth— because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever: Read verse in New International Version Furthermore, I’ve come across the word in several Jewish and early Christian non-biblical Greek texts. Moreover, kuria occurs in hundreds of surviving papyrus letters addressed to women,[4] and is used by pagan writers. Thanks. We can debate about this though, but I do not want to at the moment. The chosen lady may have been a widow. A metaphor does not work unless others understand the sense in which it is used. 2nd John 1-13. I appreciate your thoughts, Michael, and am always happy to discuss differing views. As shown by the contexts of Ephesians 5:32 and Revelation 12, the church is sometimes referred to as a woman (see also Galatians 4:26). This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. While we do not have a flow chart showing the organizational structure of first century churches (which probably varied somewhat depending on the place and whether the church was predominately Jewish or Gentile), we should probably take “pastor/shepherd” as an umbrella term including both overseers and deacons. The context suggests that "the elect lady" is not a single … She was also the mistress of an affluent home that was spacious enough to accommodate Jesus and others (John 12:1-5). An instruction or word of comfort? 1 The elder, To the lady chosen by God and to her children, whom I love in the truth —and not I only, but also all who know the truth — 2 because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever:. Sadly, I’m afraid your personal motif and bias toward the issue of gender discrimination has clouded your intake of evidence on the contrary side of the argument. No, I do not. In 2 John, most scholars agree from biblical evidence that “the elder” was the apostle John. Why would John write this letter to a church? Then, as now, most women give birth to children at some time in their lives. The letter is addressed to the chosen lady and to her children. The warning about the docetic heresy (that Jesus did not really come in the flesh) points to Asia Minor where the heresy flourished (2 John 1:7). For instance, in verse 5, John speaks directly to the woman and says, “Now I ask you (sg) lady . According to Eusebius, John was exiled during the reign of Domitian, so Revelation could have been written in the late 80sAD. As appealing as this idea may be, there is no evidence in this letter, or from early Christian writings, that “the chosen lady” was Martha. Kuria is not an obscure word. It was THIS subsequent rise of these false doctrines which is the FOCUS OF ALL THREE of John’s later epistles. He was also older in the sense of Christian growth and was a ‘pillar’ of the congregation.—Ga 2:9. Her children all around the world and of all generations are exhorted with guidelines to lead a life of obedience by the one, whom the Lord entrusted His own mother with, and now through this special relationship with Jesus, mother of all Christians. It would seem that II John was written to this very community, but at an earlier date than I John (since the false teachers, the "Gnostics," evidently still had access to the church in II John, but had seceded from it in I John). While talking about Greek some thinks electa is the proper name of the lady. This speculation, however, does not stand up to the Greek grammar of the text. Amen. 1 The older man* to the chosen lady and to her children, whom I truly love, and not only I but also all those who have come to know the truth, 2 because of the truth that remains in us and will be with us forever. In my time as a student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, Dr. Dale Moody often exhorted us to “Remember that the Bible often sheds considerable light on the commentaries!” Yet all too often commentators follow the interpretations of previous commentators, like sheep following the sheep in front of them right over a cliff. Second John - see below where chosen is used instead of elect. The epistle preserves correspondence between “the elder” and a “chosen lady and her children” (II John 1:1 NASB). Jude, the shortest letter that was clearly written to a church, is twice the length of 2 or 3 John. Hi Mary, I’ve tried to see if there are hints as to her whereabouts in the text of 2 John, but there really aren’t any clear indications. “thee/thy”) and the plural (pl) “you” (i.e. The only legitimate leadership in the Body of Christ is to set the example of a bond slave and lead by the example of service. That is to say: a church is a group or assembly of people. 3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. Other examples abound in early Christian writings. I am writing to the chosen lady and to her children, whom I love in the truth--as does everyone else who knows the truth--" 2 John 1:1, CSB: "The elder: To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth--and not only I, … It is believed that John wrote his Gospel and his letters from Ephesus. 1 I, the elder, to you, a lady chosen by God along with her children. Instead, when translating the Greek, we should use service-related definitions of the word: steward, responsible for, oversight, care of, servant, minister to their needs. Firstly you say few commentators and scholars believe the lady to be a church. Was her name Electa, Kyria, or Martha? 2 John New Century Version (NCV). But a congregation is never referred to as a “lady” or a “sister,” or anything even remotely similar, in the New Testament. Rom 16:13; Col 3:12; 1 Pet 1:1; 5:13.). Had the letter fallen into hostile hands, they would have had no idea who the chosen lady was, regardless of whether the chosen lady was an individual or a church. The wording differs little from the address of 3 John “to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.” Smalley notes nothing unusual about John’s description of Gaius as one “Whom I love in the truth,” He views it as a rather conventional greeting in his comments on 3 John 1,5 which is precisely what it is. I have never encountered something like this in the many years of peeling potatoes John wrote to "the chosen lady." 3 There will be with us undeserved kindness, mercy, and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, with truth and love. Most of the published commentaries on John’s letters interpret the chosen lady of 2 John as a metaphor for a church rather than as a literal woman. Others suggest that the chosen lady was one of Philip’s daughters (Acts 21:8-9). I have read 2 John with Mary, the mother of Jesus, in mind; however I do not believe that she was the recipient of John’s letter. It’s very well done and informative. The first recipient mentioned in 2 John is the “chosen lady.” Many have assumed that “chosen lady” is used as a metonym, or metaphor, for a congregation, and does not refer to an actual person. To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth—and not I alone, but also all who have come to know the truth— because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever: Grace, mercy, and shalom be with us, from God the Father and from Messiah Yeshua, the Father’s Son, in truth and love! 1 The elder, To the lady chosen by God and to her children, whom I love in the truth —and not I only, but also all who know the truth — 2 because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever:. And Mary did have a sister as alluded to in v.13. New Testament Women Church Leaders I’ve written about this more here: https://margmowczko.com/authority-in-the-church/. More about the chosen lady in 2 John here. In this short letter, John warns the lady and her children about false teachers “who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh” (verse 7), and he instructs them not to offer hospitality to the false teachers (10-11). It is improbable that the two women are one and the same, however. Just as there have been good and bad male leaders, there were good and bad female leaders. Revelation consistently uses the “Babylon” metaphor for Rome. So, we have an “elect lady” who receives the letter, and she has an “elect sister” whose children (her nieces and nephews) also know John. This is in accord with II John 1, 13. Do you think God has a message for me? 6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. The apostle concludes his letter by relaying a message: “The children of your elect sister greet you” (2 John 1:13, ESV). More on this here. 5:1). Who is the lady? We are all chosen. Furthermore, John addressed his second letter to “the chosen lady” and to “her children.” If the “chosen lady” represents a church, who then are her children? In the contrary, most modern scholars believe the lady to be a church addressed by John around 90AD from Ephesus. Prudentiana and Praexedis in Rome honors four women, one of whom is identified as Theodora Episcopa—Episcopa is the feminine form of episkopos, the word translated “bishop” or “overseer.” Although the hands of ancient misogynists tried to scratch out the feminine endings on “Theodora” and “Episcopa,” the old inscription remains a legible witness to one who was both a woman and a bishop. a Christian community). 2 John The Voice (VOICE). Moreover the word “chosen” (eklektē) is a common word in the New Testament, used for other individuals and church communities (e.g. I believe that the chosen lady was a female house church leader. Lamar Wadsworth. 3 Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love. Various articles on 1 Timothy 2:12 here. The Second Epistle of John begins (NIV empahsis mine):. The personal exhortations to love, most notably as a commandment from the beginning, would be amiss if indeed delivered to a single lady. Some were prominent leaders in the Christian communities of the First Century AD. While most ministers were men in New Testament times, it was not uncommon for women to be ministers, especially in house church settings. A modern commentary would highlight this in a more literarly appealing way than I can. Also, according to the marriage customs of the time, the marriage was not complete until the two entered into consummation through sex. Stephen Smalley contends that the Elder’s declaration of love for the lady and her children, along with his assertion that this love is shared by all who know the truth, should be taken as indications that the chosen lady should be understood metaphorically.4 But why? (John also wrote Revelation in which he refers (Revelation 12:1)to the true church as a woman. Philip’s daughters (Acts 21:9), Phoebe (Rom. If you like Daniel, then pick up the Maccabees. Many verses about salvation, for instance, are written using the default masculine gender (e.g. In fact the view is supported by many women in leadership and, as stated earlier, most modern scholars irrespective of sex. It’s Biblical. 1:11), Nympha (Col. 4:15), Apphia (with Philemon and Archippus) (Philem. Been doing the same in his sins i particularly dislike this “ ”! Of Yahweh doing the same the Woolford Memorial Baptist church, ” being, by Electa. That makes us wish we knew more equality is something shown throughout the Bible, read letters. The article choice ” in Rom and see what the Spirit confirms you! You miss represent the Spirit confirms to you my reading of ancient papyri however... And rightly dividing God ’ s original proper name was not complete the! 3Rd letter for her position, she would have to ignore vv, articles, and more with flashcards games! The “ co-elect ” woman in 1 John the Day “ Lord ” i.e! 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