2 John 1-2 1The elder, to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth, 2because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever.
This short letter begins like other letters in the New Testament, with the common elements of ancient Greco-Roman letters. The one element missing is a statement clearly identifying the author. The only description given is the elder. The assumption is that the readers would know who this person was. The word itself implies not only age but the position, authority, and wisdom that comes with experience. Even though the letter is short, it must have carried enough weight so as to be recognized in the early church as important enough to be considered in the collection of the letters from John. The readers looked up to the author for direction, teaching, and wisdom. Since the early church, this elder has been identified as John.
The identity of the two recipients is also unclear. Much debate has occurred over who the chosen lady and her children were. Lady is feminine, which does not necessarily mean a female person in the Greek language. The word could be literal, referring to a female host or leader in a house church. Or it could be figurative in reference to a specific church, since “church” in Greek is feminine (ekklesia). John used the image of the church as the bride of Christ in Revelation 19:7-8. Lady (kyria) is the feminine of “lord” and shows respect due to this person. Likewise, children could be literal in reference to a mother and her descendants, or figurative for the spiritual disciples of a leader or house church. The lady was chosen because God had a special purpose for her.
The author, assumed to be the Apostle John, had a special relationship with this group. He uses two important words echoed in this letter: love (agapē) and truth (alētheia), two major themes in both the Gospel of John and 1 John. Love is both emotional—describing the good feeling one has towards another, relational—representing the special relationship between people, and spiritual—the decision to love no matter how the other person responds. Jesus commanded his disciples to love one another, which would bring cohesion to the group and be a powerful witness to the world (John 13:35).
Everything John wrote in this letter, even the difficult words, came through the filter of love.
Truth is repeated three times in these opening two verses, showing its importance to John. He wanted the recipients to know the truth about Jesus. Truth represents the good news Jesus brought and passed on to his disciples. Jesus revealed the Father and his kingdom. False teachings began to arise and circulate by the mid- to late first century. As 1 John indicates, one of the biggest problems was misinterpretation about the person of Jesus, particularly the balance of his humanity and divinity. Truth and love go together. Without the truth, love deteriorates into human emotions, which are often determined by circumstances. The truth of Jesus puts love on a higher level, with his own love shown on the cross setting the supreme example. Jesus embodied both love and truth (John 14:6). Love is supported by the truth. John and others had come to know the truth of Jesus, and this profound relationship of love would endure forever because it is the essence of eternal life. Knowing the truth of Jesus provides assurance for the present and the future.