Parallel 2YHN Intro

The Second Letter of John

Purpose

To outline the appropriate response to false teachers and to encourage believers to love one another

Author

Likely the apostle John

Date

Around AD 85–90

Setting

Written to a community of believers—probably in Asia Minor—who had either already encountered false teachers or were likely to do so soon

Second John is the shortest book in the New Testament, containing only thirteen verses. In antiquity, the entire letter would have fit on one sheet of papyrus. The first letter of John elaborated the principles of continuing in the truth, loving fellow believers, and watching out for false teachers. This letter gives us an example of applying these principles to a concrete situation.

Setting

The setting of 2 John is similar to that of 1 John (see 1 John Book Introduction, “Setting”). False teachers had been traveling in Asia Minor, teaching a heresy about Jesus known as Docetism. These deceivers rejected the apostolic teaching that Jesus, the divine Christ, had a physical, human body, and they were persuading others to think the same way. These deceivers were probably the heretics John alludes to in his first letter. Some of the members of the church, influenced by this teaching, had broken away to form a new sect. The apostle John was exhorting the believers in Asia Minor to be strong in their faith, in their grasp of the truth of the apostolic message concerning Jesus Christ, and in their love for one another.

Summary

This personal letter begins with a greeting (1:1-3) and then states the author’s wishes (1:4-11). Above all, John wanted his readers to continue adhering to the truth and to love one another. John warns the believers about false teachers who might come among them, and he encourages them to hold on to the apostles’ teachings concerning Jesus Christ so that they will receive their full reward. At the same time, he commands them not to welcome false teachers into their meetings or their homes or to help them in any way. They should not even wish them well; to do so would be to participate in their heresy. John closes his letter with a promise to visit soon and with greetings from the church.

Author

Some scholars have thought that the John who penned this letter (1:1) was a different John from the apostle, but there are strong reasons to conclude that John the apostle wrote these letters (see 1 John Book Introduction, “Author”).

Recipients

The recipients of 2 John were identified as a “chosen lady and . . . her children” (1:1). This might refer to a specific woman named Kyria and her biological children (the Greek word kyria, “lady,” can be a proper name). However, it is likely that John was speaking about a particular local church (“the chosen lady”) and its individual members (“her children”; cp. 1 Pet 5:13). If so, 2 John was probably sent to one of the churches under John’s care in Asia Minor.

Meaning and Message

The message of 2 John is twofold. First, the members of the Christian community must love one another (1:5). The outworking of this love follows Jesus’ commands (1:6). Second, John warns the church about false teachers who needed to be exposed, avoided, and shunned.

Many of the New Testament Epistles were written, at least in part, to deal with some form of heretical teaching. This is true of several of Paul’s letters: Galatians (Gal 1:6), Colossians (Col 2:16-23), 2 Thessalonians (2 Thes 2:1-3), and 1 Timothy (1 Tim 4:1; 6:20-21). Peter wrote his second letter to counter false teachers (2 Pet 2:1-22), and Jude wrote his letter for the same reason (Jude 1:3-4). John’s letters, likewise, were written as antidotes to the poisonous effects of false teachings, such as Gnosticism and Docetism, that were infecting many of the early churches.