2JN front intro vpa9 0 # Introduction to 2 John<br>## Part 1: General Introduction<br><br>### Outline of the Book of 2 John<br><br>1. Greeting (1:1-3)<br>1. Encouragement and the greatest commandment (1:4-6)<br>1. Warning about false teachers (1:7–11)<br>1. Greetings from fellow believers (1:12-13)<br><br>### Who wrote the Book of 2 John?<br><br>The letter does not name of the author. The author only identified himself as “the elder.” The letter was probably written by the Apostle John near the end of his life. The content of 2 John is similar to the content in John’s Gospel.<br><br>### What is the Book of 2 John about?<br><br>John addressed this letter to someone he called “the chosen lady” and to “her children” (1:1). This could refer to a specific friend and her children. Or it could refer to a specific group of believers or to believers in general. John’s purpose in writing this letter was to warn his audience about false teachers. John did not want believers helping or giving money to false teachers. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])<br><br>### How should the title of this book be translated?<br><br>Translators may choose to call this book by its traditional title, “2 John” or “Second John.” Or they may choose a clearer title, such as “The Second Letter from John” or “The Second Letter John Wrote.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]])<br><br>## Part 2: Important Religious and Cultural Concepts<br><br>### What is hospitality?<br><br>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.<br><br>### Who were the people John spoke against?<br><br>The people John spoke against were possibly those who would become known as Gnostics. These people believed that the physical world was evil. Since they believed Jesus was divine, they denied that he was truly human. This is because they thought God would not become human since the physical body is evil. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/evil]])
2JN 1 1 ma4c figs-you 0 General Information: Tradition identifies the apostle John as the writer of this letter. Though possibly addressed to an individual woman, because he writes that they should “love one another,” this is probably to a church. All instances of “you” and “your” in this letter are plural unless noted otherwise. In this letter, John includes himself and his readers by using the word “us” and “our.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-you]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-inclusive]])
2JN 1 1 z4tk figs-explicit ὁ πρεσβύτερος; ἐκλεκτῇ κυρίᾳ καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις αὐτῆς 1 From the elder to the chosen lady and her children This is how letters were started. The name of the author can be made explicit. Alternate translation: “I, John the elder, am writing this letter to the chosen lady and her children” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])
2JN 1 1 z9f1 ὁ πρεσβύτερος 1 the elder This refers to 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.
2JN 1 1 y7hw figs-metaphor ἐκλεκτῇ κυρίᾳ καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις αὐτῆς 1 to the chosen lady and her children This probably refers to a congregation and the believers that belong to it. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])
2JN 1 3 vpl9 guidelines-sonofgodprinciples Πατρός…Υἱοῦ 1 Father…Son These are important titles that describe the relationship between God and Jesus. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/guidelines-sonofgodprinciples]])
2JN 1 3 w6tr figs-hendiadys ἐν ἀληθείᾳ καὶ ἀγάπῃ 1 in truth and love The word “truth” describes “love.” Possibly it means “in true love.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hendiadys]])
2JN 1 4 ir6v figs-you τῶν τέκνων σου 1 your children The word “your” is singular. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-you]])
2JN 1 4 s7hr καθὼς ἐντολὴν ἐλάβομεν παρὰ τοῦ Πατρός 1 just as we have received this commandment from the Father “just as God the Father commanded us”
2JN 1 5 c9xi figs-you σε, κυρία…γράφων σοι 1 you, lady…writing to you These instances of “you” are singular. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-you]])
2JN 1 5 u38f οὐχ ὡς ἐντολὴν καινὴν γράφων σοι 1 not as though I were writing to you a new commandment “not as though I were commanding you to do something new”
2JN 1 5 uhs8 figs-explicit ἀλλὰ ἣν εἴχαμεν ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς 1 but one that we have had from the beginning Here, “beginning” refers to “when we first believed.” Alternate translation: “but I am writing to you what Christ commanded us to do when we first believed. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])
2JN 1 5 vmm8 ἀρχῆς, ἵνα ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους 1 beginning—that we should love one another This can be translated as a new sentence. Alternate translation: “beginning. He commanded that we should love one another”
2JN 1 6 nw4g figs-metaphor αὕτη ἡ ἐντολή ἐστιν, καθὼς ἠκούσατε ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς, ἵνα ἐν αὐτῇ περιπατῆτε 1 This is the commandment, just as you heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it Conducting our lives according to God’s commands is spoken of as if we were walking in them. The word “it” refers to love. “And he has commanded you, since you first believed, to love one another” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])
2JN 1 7 u3vi 0 Connecting Statement: John warns them of deceivers, reminds them to remain in Christ’s teaching, and warns them to stay away from those who do not remain in Christ’s teaching.
2JN 1 7 w25m ὅτι πολλοὶ πλάνοι ἐξῆλθαν εἰς τὸν κόσμον 1 For many deceivers have gone out into the world “For many false teachers have left the congregation” or “For many deceivers are in the world”
2JN 1 7 f9e2 πολλοὶ πλάνοι 1 many deceivers “many false teachers” or “many imposters”
2JN 1 7 x8yl figs-metonymy Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐρχόμενον ἐν σαρκί 1 Jesus Christ came in the flesh Coming in the flesh is a metonym for being a real person. Alternate translation: “Jesus Christ came as a real human” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])
2JN 1 7 wbp6 οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ πλάνος καὶ ὁ ἀντίχριστος 1 This is the deceiver and the antichrist “They are the ones who deceive others and oppose Christ himself”
2JN 1 8 it9t βλέπετε ἑαυτούς 1 Look to yourselves “Watch out” or “Pay attention”
2JN 1 8 b91r ἀπολέσητε ἃ 1 lose the things “lose your future rewards in heaven”
2JN 1 8 eu46 μισθὸν πλήρη 1 full reward “complete reward in heaven”
2JN 1 9 mn3v πᾶς ὁ προάγων 1 Whoever goes on ahead This refers to a person who claims to know more about God and truth than everyone else. Alternate translation: “Whoever claims to know more about God” or “Whoever disobeys the truth”
2JN 1 9 xty9 Θεὸν οὐκ ἔχει 1 does not have God “does not belong to God”
2JN 1 9 x523 ὁ μένων ἐν τῇ διδαχῇ, οὗτος καὶ τὸν Πατέρα καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν ἔχει 1 The one who remains in the teaching, this one has both the Father and the Son “Someone who follows Christ’s teaching belongs to both the Father and the Son”
2JN 1 9 k8cv guidelines-sonofgodprinciples τὸν Πατέρα καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν 1 the Father and the Son These are important titles that describe the relationship between God and Jesus. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/guidelines-sonofgodprinciples]])
2JN 1 10 ls1c λαμβάνετε αὐτὸν εἰς οἰκίαν 1 receive him into your house Here this means to welcome him and treat him with honor in order to build a relationship with him.
2JN 1 11 n7zt κοινωνεῖ τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ τοῖς πονηροῖς 1 participates in his evil deeds “shares with him in his evil deeds” or “helps him in his evil deeds”
2JN 1 12 nx77 figs-you 0 General Information: The words “you” in verse 12 are singular. The word “your” in verse 13 is plural. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-you]])
2JN 1 12 y4gw 0 Connecting Statement: John’s letter closes with his desire to visit them and gives greetings from another church.
2JN 1 12 gq26 οὐκ ἐβουλήθην διὰ χάρτου καὶ μέλανος 1 I did not wish to write them with paper and ink John does not wish to write these other things but would like to come say the words to them. He is not saying that he would write them with something other than paper and ink.
2JN 1 12 v4v2 figs-idiom στόμα πρὸς στόμα λαλῆσαι 1 speak face to face “Face to face” here is an idiom, meaning to speak in their presence. Alternate translation: “speak in your presence” or “speak to you in person” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]])
2JN 1 13 fh6j figs-metaphor τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἀδελφῆς σου τῆς ἐκλεκτῆς 1 The children of your chosen sister Here John speaks of this other church as if it were a sister to the readers’ church and the believers that are a part of that church as if they were that church’s children. This emphasizes that all believers are a spiritual family. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])
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