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INTRODUCTION TO

THE SECOND LETTER OF SAINT JOHN

Author and Date The writer refers to himself, not by name, but by his title: "the elder" (2 Jn 1). Because the author of 3 John describes himself in the same way, and because the Johannine letters are doctrinally and stylistically quite similar to each other, Christian tradition has generally attributed all three of these epistles to a single author, namely, the Apostle John, son of Zebedee, one of the Twelve (Mk 3:17). Nevertheless, some scholars dispute both the apostolic and common authorship of 1, 2, and 3 John. Even in the ancient Church, an opinion circulated that 2 and 3 John did not come from the pen of the apostle. The basis for this judgment was a primitive tradition, traceable to the second-century bishop Papias of Hierapolis, that someone named "John the Elder" lived at the same time as John the Apostle and apparently in the same region of Ephesus in Asia Minor (quoted in Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 3, 39). Though plausible, given the author's self-description in the opening verse, the evidence for attributing 2 John to this otherwise unknown figure is too slight to overturn the traditional ascription. On the other hand, the long-held conviction that all three letters come from the Apostle John is supported, not only by the strength of the evidence for John's authorship of 1 John, a view that was never seriously challenged in early Christian times, but also by an extensive list of similarities among the Johannine letters, especially between 1 and 2 John (e.g., compare 2 Jn 5 with 1 Jn 2:7; 2 Jn 7 with 1 Jn 2:18-22 and 4:1-2; and 2 Jn 12 with 1 Jn 1 : 4). These and other parallels suggest that 2 John not only comes from the same author as 1 John but was probably written about the same time, perhaps around A.D. 100. See introduction to 1 John: Author and Date.

Destination and Purpose The letter is written to a young missionary church under John's pastoral care. The location of this community is not specified, but presuming the reliability of the tradition that John spent his later years in Ephesus (see Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3, 1, 1), it is safe to conclude that the community was somewhere within the range of John's influence and authority in Asia Minor (southwestern Turkey). The letter warns believers of an approaching band of deceivers whose doctrines openly contradict apostolic tradition. Their denial that God became man in Jesus Christ is the most serious and disturbing of all (2 Jn 7). Readers are to stand guard against these incoming propagandists, who will likely attempt to spread confusion by infiltrating the house church where the community gathers for worship and instruction (10-11). John hopes the epistle will arrive in time to prevent just such a disaster.

Themes and Characteristics The Second Letter of John is one of the shorter writings in the NT. It is a brief pastoral letter from a shepherd to an endangered community of sheep. Though space did not allow for the development of theological or spiritual themes, John has managed to blend the right amount of commendation and caution to make a powerful impact on his readers. Commendation is in order for this church, called the "elect lady" (1), because the apostle is encouraged by their commitment to the truth and their persistent efforts to live out Jesus' commandment of love (4). John appeals to them to continue on the same course (5-6). Caution also is in order because false prophets are marching around Asia Minor with the erroneous idea that Jesus Christ never actually came "in the flesh" (7). These deceivers, under the guise of traveling missionaries, are bound to reach this area and attempt to worm their way into the community. Readers are forbidden to host them or even to greet them (10-11). The brief counsel delivered in this letter is only a prelude to the in-depth instruction that John hopes to give them in person (12). «