Interpretation of the 2nd Council Epistle of the Holy Apostle John the Theologian

ABOUT THE SECOND COLLECTION EPISTLE OF THE HOLY APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST JOHN THE THEOLOGIST 2nd epistle of John the Theologian, similar to his third epistle, as well as the epistle of Apostle. Jude, in the ancient Church until the 4th century belonged to the so-called “disputed” (αντιλεγόμενα) writings, as Origen testifies (in Eusebius, C. Ist VI:25), blessed. Jerome (“On Famous Men.” Chapter XIX) and Eusebius (C.I. III:25). Moreover, from the works of Eusebius and Blessed. Jerome knows that the second and third epistle were sometimes attributed by some to a certain presbyter John of Ephesus, mentioned by Papias (in Eusebius, C.I. III:39): the tomb of this presbyter John was also shown in Ephesus, where there was also the tomb of St. Ap. John the Theologian (in the same place, and in Blessed Jerome’s “O Famous Man,” Chapter IX). On this basis, many new researchers assimilate the 2nd and 3rd epistles of John to this presbyter John, and sometimes Apostle. Mark, called John in the book of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 12:12, 25, 15:37). The reason for doubts about the apostolic origin of the epistle was partly the brevity of the epistle and its obscurity, due to its assignment to a private person - “a chosen lady and her children” (2 John. 1:1), partly the absence of the Apostle’s name in the inscription of the epistle (the Apostle calls himself only an elder). But the failure to mention the epistle in the first three centuries and its failure, for example, in the Syriac translation of Peshito of the 2nd century does not yet indicate the doubt of the ancient Church in the apostolic writing and the authority of the epistle. Along with the hesitations of individual church writers, there is authoritative testimony from other representatives of the Church in favor of the epistle belonging to the Apostle and Evangelist John. The Muratorium Canon mentions several messages from St. John. St. Irenaeus of Lyons, who was a student of St. Polycarp of Smyrna, a student of St. Apex himself. John, quotes the words of 2 John. 1:7–8, 10–11 (about false teachers and the prohibition of communication with them), as the authentic words of the disciple of the Lord (Adv. haer. III:16, 8). Clement of Alexandria also wrote his own interpretation of this epistle, as a truly apostolic work. Dionysius of Alexandria (in Eusebius, C.I. VII:25) and Origen (in Eusebius, C.I. VI:25) recognize 2 John as the writing of St. Apostle John. Eusebius themselves are inclined towards this (Demonstr. Evang. III:5. Ts. Ist. II:23) and Blessed. Jerome (epist. ad. Euagr. 80). And although the Syriac translation of Peshito does not have this message, however, St. Ephraim the Syrian quotes it as genuine. The very spirit and character of the message and the noticeable, despite its brevity, similarity of content and language with the first message should also convince the reader of the message that it belongs to the great Apostle of love. Its inclusion at the end of the 4th century by the Church in the canon of sacred books (at the councils: Laodicean 364 reg. 60 and Carthage 397 reg. 47) eliminates any doubts about the writing of the epistle of St. Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian. Who was εκλεκτή κυρία, “the chosen lady,” to whom the 2nd letter of John was originally sent with her children, there is no reliable information about this. If some (for example, St. Athanasius the Great) considered the name Kyria to be the proper name of someone. deaconess of Asia Minor, others - the Greek name of Martha, sister of Lazarus (Serbian Martha is equal in meaning to the Greek Κυρία), others (following Clement of Alexandria) considered εκλεκτή to be such a proper name and considered this Christian Babylonian, supposedly identical with the one mentioned in 1 Peter 5:13, then all this is pure speculation. It is therefore necessary to see in Kyria a common name for a Christian woman turned to St. Christ. The Apostle John and what he teaches through this letter. It is not possible to accept the opinion of Clement Apex. and blessed Jerome, who understand by the “chosen Lady” the Church - as in St. Peter (1 Pet. 5:13). Such allegorism in the address of the message is hardly acceptable. The conciliar character of the epistle is not destroyed by its particular purpose: the similarity of the content and language of the second epistle with the first epistle indicates the nature of conciliarity in the second epistle, which character is recognized by the entire Church. According to the time of writing, the second letter should be attributed, like the first letter, to the senile period of the life of St. John the Theologian. Place of writing: the city of Ephesus. Writing, praise of the chosen lady and her children and greetings (1-3). Expressing joy and teaching the commandments to love and godliness (4–6). Warnings from False Teachers (7–11). News and greetings (12–13). 2 John 1:1. The Elder - to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who have known the truth, 2 John 1:2. for the sake of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever. 2 John 1:3. May grace, mercy, and peace be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. John the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian names his own name - John - only in the Apocalypse (Rev. 1:9, 22:8); in the Gospel and the first epistle he does not call himself at all, and in the second and third epistles he calls himself an old man, o πρεσβύτερος - undoubtedly, due to his advanced age, elders in the proper sense (as in a similar way Apostle Paul in his letter to Philemon, written towards the end of his life, called himself an “elder” (Phil 1:9), and not an elder in the sense hierarchical position. The expression “chosen lady” is better understood, as we already said in the introduction to the epistle, in the nominal sense - namely, a certain pious Christian woman, called the chosen one - in the meaning of the height of the Christian calling of people to the Church of Christ (cf. 1 Pet. 2:7-10; Rom. 8:33, etc.) If the name “chosen one” thus contains the concept of a Christian wife, adorned with virtues, then. the name “mistress” may indicate the nobility of origin and the height of the social position of this Christian woman, apparently a widow (her husband is not mentioned, but only about her children). “He writes to a faithful woman and does not degrade himself in the least, because in Christ Jesus there is no difference between male and female” (Gal. 3:28). Second half of Art. 1 and verse 2 contain high praise for the piety of the “chosen lady” and her children: not only the Apostle himself, but also other true Christians, with pure love in Christ, the love of work and truth (1 John 3:18), love the God-fearing family of the “chosen lady”, for the sake of the truth that eternally abides in Christians” (v. 2), that truth that abides with the disciples of the Lord, according to His promise about the Spirit truth (John 14:16–17). The Apostle teaches a blessing to his first readers: grace, mercy and peace - grace (καρις) - the totality of all spiritual gifts given from God, necessary for success in a godly life (cf. Rom 3:24; Eph 2:4-10); mercy (έλες) - the love of God compassionate to a weak person (cf. Luke 10:30–37); peace (ειρήνη) - calming the spirit through reconciliation with God through the atoning sacrifice of Christ (cf. 1 Peter 1:2). The source of these great blessings is the Holy Trinity, and the Apostle calls the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the Father (τοΰ υιοΰ τοΰ Πατρός), “for God alone in the proper sense is the Father of the Son. Therefore, Paul says: “from whom the whole family in heaven and on earth is named” (Eph 3:15) (Blessed Theophilus). The final words of Art. 3 “in truth and love” εν αληθεία καί αγαπη) The Apostle expresses the image and purpose of the manifestation of grace, mercy and peace in Christians; this goal is the spirit of truth and love, as the constant beginning of the life and activity of Christians. 2 John 1:4. I rejoiced exceedingly that I found of your children walking in the truth, as we received the commandment from the Father. 2 John 1:5. And now I ask you, lady, not as a new commandment prescribing to you, but the one that we have from the beginning, that we love one another. 2 John 1:6. Love consists in our acting according to His commandments. This is the commandment which you heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it. After greeting and giving a blessing to the readers, the Apostle begins his speech with an expression of high pastoral joy over the fact that some of the lady’s children, perhaps not long before seen by the Apostle, are walking in the truth, according to the commandment of the Heavenly Father: “In truth, it is a very joyful thing to find a person who walks without stumbling in the field of faith in Christ according to His commandment.” “Walking” is said with the thought of indicating prosperity. For the more someone acts in virtue, the further he goes forward, the more he acquires the habit of goodness” (Blessed Theophilus). The very commandment of the Father, proclaimed by His Son (John 15:15), was briefly and precisely expressed by the Apostle in his first letter (1 John 3:23), and now it is repeated and reminded by them not as new, but as heard by the readers from the very beginning of their Christian life (vv. 5-6, see 1 John 2:7-11). 2 John 1:7. For many deceivers have entered into the world, not confessing Jesus Christ who has come in the flesh: such a person is a deceiver and Antichrist. 2 John 1:8. Take heed to ourselves, so that we do not lose what we have worked for, but that we receive the full reward. A special reason for the strengthened apostolic exhortation to the lady and her children is the appearance in the world and in the Church of many seducers and antichrists, about whom the Apostle wrote in his first epistle (1 John 2:18, 19, 26, 4:1-3). The difference, apparently, is only that what is called in the place in question Art. 8 false teachers did not confess not only Jesus Christ, who came in the flesh, but also Christ, who was to come, ερχόμενον, i.e., they did not confess either the first or the second coming of the Lord, they denied the very possibility of the incarnation of the Son of God, therefore, they denied the very foundation of Christianity. From the words: “not confessing Jesus Christ to come,” and not: having come (ελθόντα), “in the flesh,” it is clear that there were some who rejected the second coming of Christ. And the Lord Himself, when He says that many will come in My name, speaks not about His first coming, but about His second. However, it is absolutely true that he who rejects the second coming does not recognize the first. For if the Lord has already come in the flesh and promised to come again, then, obviously, he who rejects the second coming also rejects the first. “Whoever believes that the Lord has come will accept with faith the promise of Him who has come. And whoever rejects the promise, nothing prevents him from denying the first coming. That is why, I believe, the beloved expressed himself: “coming,” and not “coming,” in order to embrace in one word those who deny both comings of the Lord” (Blessed Theophilus). Therefore, the same severity of the Apostle John’s denunciation of false teachers in both his first and second epistles is understandable. In Art. 8 The Apostle also indicates the purpose for which He offers such persistent warnings against deception on the part of false teachers; “so that we do not lose what we have worked for, but that we may receive a full reward” (cf. Gal 4:11, 1 Sol 3:5). By this the Apostle also eliminates possible objections from those deceived by false teachers. “Some of this kind of people may say: if I do not believe in the coming of Christ in the flesh, but spend my life in good deeds, can’t I really stand with the pious with these deeds? Can’t I really get rewards for these? The apostle ahead destroys such an objection. He says: whoever denies the coming of Christ in the flesh should not think about receiving the full reward for his deeds, which he will offer to true believers, nor about counting himself among the completely pious. On the contrary, everyone who transgresses His commandment, that is, Christ who came in the flesh, and does not remain in His teaching, does not have God. For if He who came to teach people the perfect knowledge of God is looked upon with disdain, then how can one still be pious when one despises the very Teacher of divine subjects? No, such a person is an atheist” (Blessed Theophilus). 2 John 1:9. Anyone who transgresses the teaching of Christ and does not abide in it does not have God; He who abides in the teaching of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 2 John 1:10. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not accept him into your home and do not welcome him. 2 John 1:11. For the one who greets him participates in his evil deeds. The Apostle proves the need for fidelity to the entire teaching of Christ, v. 9, and negatively, saying that “whoever transgresses the teaching of Christ and does not abid in it does not have God” (cf. 1 John 2:23), - and positively, asserting that he who abides in the teaching of Christ has both the Father and the Son (cf. 1 John 4:14-16). “Abides in the teaching of Christ, that is, in the Gospel, the one who philosophizes according to it, teaches, acts, and conforms to it throughout his entire life, internal and external” (Blessed Theophilus). Now, Art. 10-11, in view of the destructiveness of false teaching, which denied the incarnation of the Son of God in Jesus Christ, the Apostle, urgently warning Christians against being deceived by false teachers, demands that his spiritual children avoid all communication with false teachers - of course, first of all, beware of them as teachers, and avoid their disastrous false teaching, and then withdraw from communication with them in everyday affairs. The Apostle Paul advised Christians to exercise similar caution against false teachers and wicked people (2 Thess. 3:6; Rom. 16:17). 2 John 1:12. I have a lot to write to you, but I don’t want to write it on paper with ink, but I hope to come to you and speak mouth to mouth, so that your joy may be complete. 2 John 1:13. The children of your chosen sister greet you. Amen. The Apostle points out the reason for the brevity (of the second, as well as the third) epistle in his desire for a personal meeting with the readers - of course, probably one of the usual apostolic trips to survey churches. From the greeting from the children of the sister of the chosen lady, we can conclude that they were the closest disciples of the Apostle and were with him, as with the Apostle Paul his disciples and companions. You might be interested in: