33 lines
8.1 KiB
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33 lines
8.1 KiB
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<title>Blue Letter Bible: Text Commentaries</title>
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Title = 'The Second and Third Epistles General of John';
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SubTitle3 = 'INTRODUCTION';
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<p align="center">Commentary by A. R. FAUSSET<br>INTRODUCTION
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<p id="Introduction">AUTHENTICITY.—That these two Epistles were written by the same author appears from their similarity of tone, style, and sentiments. That John, the beloved disciple, was the author of the Second and Third Epistles, as of the First Epistle, appears from IRENAEUS [<i>Against Heresies,</i> 1.16.3], who quotes <a onclick="return mV('2Jo',1,10,11);">2Jo 1:10-11</a>; and in [3.16.8], he quotes <a onclick="return mV('2Jo',1,7);">2Jo 1:7</a>, mistaking it, however, as if occurring in First John. CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA (A.D. 192) [<i>Miscellanies,</i> 2.66], implies his knowledge of other Epistles of John besides the First Epistle; and in fragments of his <i>Adumbrations</i> [p. 1011], he says, "John's Second Epistle which was written to the virgins (<i>Greek,</i> "<i>parthenous</i>"; perhaps <i>Parthos</i> is what was meant) is the simplest; but it was written to a certain Babylonian named <i>the Elect lady.</i>" DIONYSIUS OF ALEXANDRIA (in EUSEBIUS [<i>Ecclesiastical History,</i> 7.25]) observes that John never names himself in his Epistles, "not even in the Second and Third Epistles, although they are short Epistles, but simply calls himself the presbyter, a confutation of those who think John <i>the apostle</i> distinct from John <i>the presbyter.</i> ALEXANDER OF ALEXANDRIA cites <a onclick="return mV('2Jo',1,10,11);">2Jo 1:10-11</a>, as John's [SOCRATES, <i>Ecclesiastical History,</i> 1.6]. CYPRIAN [<i>Concerning the Baptism of Heretics</i>], in referring to the bishops at the Council of Carthage, says, "John the apostle, in His Epistle, has said, if any come to you" (<a onclick="return mV('2Jo',1,10);">2Jo 1:10</a>); so that this Epistle, and therefore its twin sister, Third John, was recognized as apostolic in the North African Church. The MURATORI fragment is ambiguous. The Second and Third Epistles were not in the <i>Peschito</i> or old <i>Syriac</i> version; and COSMAS INDICOPLEUSTES in the sixth century says that in his time the Syriac Church only acknowledged three of the Catholic Epistles, First Peter, First John, and James. But EPHREM THE SYRIAN quotes the Second Epistle of John. EUSEBIUS [<i>Ecclesiastical History,</i>] reckons both Epistles among the <i>Antilegomena</i> or <i>controverted</i> Scriptures, as distinguished from the <i>Homologoumena</i> or <i>universally acknowledged</i> from the first. Still his own opinion was that the two minor Epistles were genuine, remarking, as he does in <i>Demonstration of the Gospel</i> [3.5], that in John's "<i>Epistles</i>" he does not mention his own name, nor call himself an apostle or evangelist, but an "elder" (<a onclick="return mV('2Jo',1,1);">2Jo 1:1</a>; <a onclick="return mV('3Jo',1,1);">3Jo 1:1</a>). ORIGEN (in EUSEBIUS [<i>Ecclesiastical History,</i> 6.25]) mentions the Second and Third Epistles, but adds, "<i>not all</i> admit (implying that <i>most</i> authorities do) their genuineness." JEROME [<i>On Illustrious Men,</i> 9] mentions the two latter Epistles as attributed to John the presbyter, whose sepulcher was shown among the Ephesians in his day. But the designation "elder" was used of the apostles by others (for example, PAPIAS, in EUSEBIUS [<i>Ecclesiastical History,</i> 3.39]), and is used by Peter, an apostle, of himself (<a onclick="return mV('1Pe',5,1);">1Pe 5:1</a>). Why, then, should not John also use this designation of himself, in consonance with the humility which leads him not to name himself or his apostleship even in the First Epistle? The <i>Antilegomena</i> were generally recognized as canonical soon after the Council of Nicea (A.D. 325). Thus CYRIL OF JERUSALEM, A.D. 349, enumerates fourteen Epistles of Paul, and seven Catholic Epistles. So GREGORY NAZIANZEN, in A.D. 389. The Councils of Hippo, 393, and Carthage, 397, adopted a catalogue of New Testament books exactly agreeing with our canon. So our oldest extant <i>Greek</i> manuscripts. The Second and Third Epistles of John, from their brevity (which ORIGEN notices), and the private nature of their contents, were less generally read in the earliest Christian assemblies and were also less quoted by the Fathers; hence arose their non-universal recognition at the first. Their private nature makes them the less likely to be spurious, for there seems no purpose in their forgery. The style and coloring too accord with the style of the First Epistle.
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<p>TO WHOM ADDRESSED.—The Third Epistle is directed to Gaius or Caius; whether Gaius of Macedonia (<a onclick="return mV('Act',19,20);">Act 19:20</a>), or Gaius of Corinth (<a onclick="return mV('Rom',16,23);">Rom 16:23</a>; <a onclick="return mV('1Cr',1,14);">1Cr 1:14</a>), or Gaius of Derbe (<a onclick="return mV('Act',20,4);">Act 20:4</a>), it is hard to decide. MILL believes Gaius, bishop of Pergamos [<i>Apostolic Constitutions,</i> 7.40], to be the person addressed in <a onclick="return mV('3Jo',1,1);">3Jo 1:1</a>.
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<p>The address of the Second Epistle is more disputed. It opens, "The elder unto the <i>Elect lady</i>" (<a onclick="return mV('2Jo',1,1);">2Jo 1:1</a>). And it closes, "The children of thy <i>elect</i> sister greet thee" (<a onclick="return mV('2Jo',1,13);">2Jo 1:13</a>). Now, <a onclick="return mV('1Pe',1,1,2);">1Pe 1:1-2</a>, addresses the <i>elect</i> in Asia, etc., and closes (<a onclick="return mV('1Pe',5,13);">1Pe 5:13</a>), "The Church that is <i>at Babylon, elected</i> together with you, saluteth you." Putting together these facts, with the quotations (above) from CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA, and the fact that the word "Church" comes from a <i>Greek</i> word (<i>kyriake</i>) cognate to the <i>Greek</i> for "lady" (<i>kyria;</i> "belonging to the <i>Lord,</i>" <i>kyrios</i>); WORDSWORTH'S view is probable. As Peter in Babylon had sent the salutations <i>of the elect Church</i> in the then <i>Parthian</i> (see above on CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA) <i>Babylon</i> to her <i>elect sister</i> in Asia, so John, the metropolitan president of the elect Church in Asia, writes to <i>the elect lady,</i> that is, Church, in Babylon. NEANDER, ALFORD, and others, think the <i>Greek</i> "<i>kyria</i>" not to mean "lady," but to be her <i>proper name;</i> and that she had a "sister, a Christian matron," then with John.
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<p> DATE AND PLACE OF WRITING.—EUSEBIUS [<i>Ecclesiastical History,</i> 3.25] relates that John, after the death of Domitian, returned from his exile in Patmos to Ephesus, and went on missionary tours into the heathen regions around, and also made visitations of the churches around, and ordained bishops and clergy. Such journeys are mentioned, <a onclick="return mV('2Jo',1,12);">2Jo 1:12</a>; <a onclick="return mV('3Jo',1,10,14);">3Jo 1:10, 14</a>. If EUSEBIUS be right, both Epistles must have been written after the Apocalypse, in his old age, which harmonizes with the tone of the Epistles, and in or near Ephesus. It was on one of his visitation tours that he designed to rebuke Diotrephes (<a onclick="return mV('3Jo',1,9,10);">3Jo 1:9-10</a>).
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