Reading 2 John in English

7.2. Reading 2 John in English
What am I looking for in the English text? As you will recall, the English bible can serve as the entry point to the Greek text. In the first phase of the study, I will not do that. I am reading the English bible with another purpose. I want to familiarise myself with the passage that I will be dealing with, in its own context. Then, I will try to divide the text into various sections. I will look for differences between the translations that I am using.
I choose the NET and the KJV because these two translations differ from each other in a number of ways. The KJV is an older translation, and followed an older Greek text tradition. The NET is a modern translation and followed a different Greek text tradition. If you have the NET Bible with full notes, you will see where the Greek texts differ. These differences in the Greek text should be investigated further, with the help of advanced commentaries. I strongly recommend that you get the NET bible with full notes.
The first step, then, is to read 2 John in the two English translations a number of times. Do that until you are familiar with the content of the letter.
Prepare your own outline of the text. I give my outline here, section by section. You can compare yours with mine.
The NET identifies verses 1-4 as the Introduction and Thanksgiving. Do you agree with that? It seems to me that verses 1-3 are the normal greeting and verse 4 is the thanksgiving. In that case, I would suggest Greetings for what NET identifies as Introduction. My general outline for the first part of the letter will be as follows:
· Greetings 1:1-3.
· Thanksgiving 1:4.
In New Testament times the Greetings consisted of three parts: the writer (the elder, verse 1a), the recipients (the elect lady and her children, verse 1b and 2) and the Christian greetings (verse 3).
(a) From the elder, (b) to an elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth (and not I alone, but also all those who know the truth), 2 because of the truth that resides in us and will be with us forever.3(c) Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Son of the Father, in truth and love (2 John 1:1-3 NET).
In ancient letters, the name of the writer was mentioned at the beginning of the letter. In most of his epistles, Paul says something about himself, such as, ‘servant of Christ’, ‘apostle’ (Rom. 1:1). The normal Hellenistic way of greeting was chairein (‘greetings’), as we can see in Acts 15:23. It reads literally: ‘The apostles and elders and brethren greeting (chairein)’. But Paul used another form of greeting, charis (‘grace’), and added to it the normal Hebrew way of greeting, namely, ‘peace’.
My outline for this section then is:
· Greetings 1:1-3
o The Writer (1:1a)
o The Recipients (1:1b-2)
o Christian Greetings (1:3)
Are there differences between the translations? There is one noteworthy difference. The NET speaks about ‘an elect lady’, while the KJV called her ‘the elect lady’. In verse 3 the KJV has ‘Grace be with you … ’, whereas the NET says ‘Grace … will be with us’.
Verse 4 may be considered as a thanksgiving. This pattern is found in Paul’s letters. Paul’s letter often had a prayer, wish or thanksgiving. We find this in all his letters, except for Galatians and Titus (see for example Col. 1:3-8; 2 Cor. 1:3-7; Eph. 1:3-14).
I rejoiced greatly because I have found some of your children living according to the truth, just as the Father commanded us (2 John 1:4 NET).
According to NET the second pericope of the letter consists of verses 5-11. This section is entitled Warning Against False Teachers. As I read the section, I would like to group verses 5-6 together. The theme in these two verses seems to be ‘walking in love’. In verse 7 he will introduce the false teachers, called deceivers.
5 But now I ask you, lady (not as if I were writing a new commandment to you, but the one we have had from the beginning), that we love one another. 6 (Now this is love: that we walk according to his commandments.) This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning; thus you should walk in it (2 John 1:5-6 NET).
In verse 5 John reminded the lady of the commandment that Christians had from the beginning. The commandment is ‘that we love one another’. Verse 6 elaborates on what this love means. It means that we should walk according to God’s commandments. So, my outline for these two verses will be:
· Walk in love (1:5-6)
o Love one another (verse 5)
o Walk according to his commandment (verse 6).
Verse 7 starts with the word ‘for’ in the NET (as also in the KJV).
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, people who do not confess Jesus as Christ coming in the flesh. This person is the deceiver and the antichrist! (2 John 1:7 NET)
YLT (Young’s Literal Translation) starts the verse with ‘because’. This word indicates a clear relation between verse 7 and the previous verse. Even though verse 7 starts with a new theme, it builds on what was said before. Why should believers walk according to his commandment (verse 6)? ‘Because’ (verse 7 YLT) ‘many deceivers have gone out into the world’ (2 John 1:7a NET). Verse 7 then is about the deceiver, the antichrist. I will treat verse 7 separately, and give it the following title:
· The deceiver and antichrist (verse 7)
What are the differences between the translations? The KJV speaks about ‘Jesus Christ is come in the flesh’, whereas the NET speaks about ‘Jesus as Christ coming in the flesh’.
In verses 8-9 the elder warns the believers in the light of what he said before. Because there are deceivers, they should watch out and remain in the teaching of Christ.
8 Watch out, so that you do not lose the things we have worked for, but receive a full reward. 9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not remain in the teaching of Christ does not have God. The one who remains in this teaching has both the Father and the Son (2 John 1:8-9 NET).
The outline for verses 8-9 then is as follows:
· Watch out and remain in the teaching of Christ (1:8-9)
o Watch out (verse 8)
o Remain in the teaching of Christ (verse 9)
Verse 8 shows a major difference between the NET and the KJV.
That we lose not those things which we have wrought (2 John 1:8 KJV).
So that you do not lose the things we have worked for (2 John 1:8 NET).
The question is: Who will lose what was worked for, ‘we’ or ‘you’? This problem brings us back to the Greek text. It will not be possible to solve it based on the English text.
10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house and do not give him any greeting, 11 because the person who gives him a greeting shares in his evil deeds (2 John 1:10-11 NET).
In verse 10 the writer explained how the deceiver should be treated. He should neither be received nor greeted. My outline then is:
· How to treat the deceiver (1:10)
o Do not receive him (10a)
o Do not greet him (10b)
Verse 11 explains why believers should not receive or greet the deceiver. If you do that, you share in his evil deeds. This verse then is a warning not to share in the evil deeds of the deceiver.
· Do not share in the evil deeds of the deceiver (1:11)
The elder ends the letter with the normal closing and final greeting, which the NET calls Conclusion (verse 12-13).