A writing to the twelve tribes of the Jews; but addressing the discourse to all believers in common, whether they were gathered together or not, he omitted the form of the prescription. Here he writes of himself as "presbyter" and not "apostle," nor "servant of Jesus Christ," as the other apostles do. Indeed, he does not write himself an apostle, perhaps because he was not the first to preach the Gospel in Asia, but came after Paul—and not in transit, like him, who ran through the circuit of the Gospel, but remaining there, he set forth the discourse to those present. Nor yet does he call himself the "servant of Jesus Christ," for he was confident, because he was greatly loved, that he was outside the fear of servitude. He wished, however, to call himself only "presbyter," either because he was already an old man when he wrote these things (for "presbyter" signifies this), or else calling himself bishop by the name of presbyter; for at that time it was customary for the name of presbyter to be applied even to bishops, just as is manifest from the Acts which the blessed Luke wrote, and from the Epistle of Peter. Furthermore, he was not afraid to write to a faithful woman, for in Christ Jesus he knows neither male nor female. Moreover, in writing to one man, Gaius, he has Paul as a precedent—who wrote also to Titus and to Timothy, and even to Philemon, a private individual. B And these things are concerning the prescription. But it is also shown by the announcement and promise and the remaining disposition of the discourse that his Epistles are genuine, since in these also he frequently repeats the discourse, saying the same things about the same matters whenever even a slight occasion arises, and in this way he confirms the discourse. He testifies two things to this Elect Lady: one, that she walks in the truth, and the second, that she avoids heretics. He calls her "Elect," either from her name or from her great zeal for virtue, which he also says he loves in truth, and not her alone, but also all who are of the same character as she, those who have in themselves the firm truth; for this is what he signifies by saying: "Which abideth in us"; this, however, is faith in Christ. He says he loves "in truth," for it is possible to love even feignedly, with the mouth, as he himself indicated in the former Epistle concerning certain corrupted believers. But where he said: "Which abideth in us," that is, which is true and firm, he subjoined: "And it shall be with us forever," C signifying the certainty of the perseverance of the gift. For it happens that even those who are confirmed in something are shaken again, because they have not used the confirmation rightly. Again, however, after these things he subjoined: "Grace and mercy shall be with us," designating the good things that spring from perfect love. Saying "from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ," he added: "the Son of the Father." For He alone is properly Father. Therefore also Paul says: "Of whom every family in heaven and on earth is named." And again he adds: "In truth and love," bringing firmness to his discourse and a sure sign of the love of which he speaks. D
COMMENTARY ON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF SAINT JOHN
CHAPTER I.
Of the proem, concerning a right life in the love of God through faith in unchanging piety: and that one ought not to harbor a heretic or greet him, on account of the sin.
1, 4-7. *I rejoiced greatly that I found some of your children walking in truth, as we have received commandment from the Father. And now I entreat you, lady, not as though I were writing a new commandment to you, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we should walk according to His commandment. This is the commandment, as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it: for many deceivers have entered into the world, who do not confess Jesus Christ coming in the flesh.*
A *I rejoiced greatly.* For it is indeed a cause of the greatest joy to find someone walking without stumbling, in a straight course in the faith of Christ, according to His commandment. But what is the commandment? It is that which Christ says in the Gospels: "He who loves Me will keep My commandments." Now He calls Christ "Father," since He Himself is the Father of the sons who were given to Him by His own Father through a certain dispensation; according to what has been said: "Behold, I and the children whom God has given me." Observe also the genuine character of this Epistle, that it agrees through these things with what was said in the first: "And we know that he who loves God keeps His commandments." For it is the same thing to walk according to the commandments and to keep them. For virtues are active, and have their "being" according to their operation. B Therefore, he who ceases to move forward according to them does not keep or observe them. But to "walk" is said with regard to progress and increase. For as much as one acts according to virtue, so much does he proceed further, acquiring for himself a greater habit of what is good. For the way of virtue is infinite and never-failing. According to this, I think it is also said: "Into which the angels desire to look." For the magnificence of the good things which have been bestowed upon us by Him who became incarnate is so great that it is desirable even for angels to receive a small understanding of them. For this is what "to look into" signifies. And a sober person desires this, not one who ceases, but one who continuously progresses, and is illumined by sincere glory. C And since it is not possible to encompass the whole of that which is inexhaustible, it is desirable at least in some small measure to become a participant in it. He said, "not as though I were writing a new commandment to you," saying this in harmony with what was set forth in the previous Epistle, and at the same time showing that He presents it to those who have already been instructed in it, and of whom they had received experience by acting according to them, and not as though they were difficult and strange, afflicting them with sorrow by approaching things to which they were unaccustomed. "Not as though I were writing a new commandment to you." He adds also the work of the commandment: "that we love one another." And He explains love. That it has its "being" in walking according to it, and that the commandment from the beginning for the same reason was given for nothing else, if not D that you should walk in it, He says, and up and down the
A upper and lower things, turning them over; and by charity indeed persuading them to inseparability, and that they should not be torn away towards the seducers who were already walking in the world and rejecting the advent of the Lord through the flesh: but by this, that He admonishes them to walk according to the Lord's commandment which was from the beginning, he manifests that the opinion of the heretics, which is recent, is erroneous: and he exhorts them that by embracing the commandment which was from the beginning, they should not be seduced by their fraud. For Christ also commanded the disciples regarding these seducers, saying, "Many will come in my name, saying: I am the Christ, and will seduce many. Do not therefore follow B them." Therefore, he says, by keeping these commandments, He bids you not be seduced, but that you should consider him who says these things to be an antichrist.
I, 7-11. "This is the seducer and the antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we may not lose what we have wrought, but that we may receive a full reward. Everyone who transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ, does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ, he has both the Father and the Son. If any one comes to you, and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house, nor say to him, Hail. For he who says to him, Hail, communicates in his evil works."
"This is the seducer and the antichrist." With these words, for a more perfect explanation, it must be understood: "He therefore who does not confess these things," C so that it may be duly conjoined: "This is the seducer and the Antichrist." For without this, the speech would be disjointed and independent, namely, passing from the plural to the singular. This is, he says, the antichrist and the seducer. But by saying, "Who do not confess Jesus Christ coming in the flesh," and not "who have come," he manifests that he speaks of those who repel the second advent of the Lord: since even the Lord himself, saying, "Many will come in my name," speaks not of his first advent, but of the second. However, by true reasoning, they who reject the second, also reject the first. For if he who came in the flesh also promised the second advent, certainly he who rejects the second, rejects the first as well: for if he D believes he came, he also deemed the promise of him who came to be certain: but if he spurns the promise, by no reason can it be said that he believes even in the first. Therefore, I opine, the beloved disciple used this word, saying "coming," and not "having come," so that he might encompass those who deny both of the Lord's advents in the flesh. He enjoins them, therefore, to beware of them, and adds the reason: "Lest by clinging," he says, "to them, you lose those things which you previously wrought, but that you may receive your reward full, without any defect." But perhaps someone of such [people] will say: "What if I do not believe the advent of
A Christ in the flesh, but throughout my life do good works; can I not be counted with the pious and religious because of these works, and receive my reward for them?" Overcoming this objection beforehand, the Apostle says thus: "Let no one think that he who rejects the coming of the Lord in the flesh can, by [his own] works, attain the perfect retribution that is owed to the faithful, or be considered a worshiper of God at all; but everyone who transgresses His commandment—that is, of Christ who has come—and does not abide in His doctrine, has not God." B For if he who came to teach men perfect knowledge of God should be seen to be rejected, how could one still be a worshiper of God, who pushes away the guide to divine visions? Such a person, therefore, is an atheist [ἄθεος], just as, conversely, one is "theous" [God-containing or godly] and a friend of God, having in himself the entire fullness of the Godhead—namely, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit—who is established in the doctrine of Christ. For He Himself teaches about the Father, saying: "All things that the Father has are mine." And in many places He teaches about Himself and the Father, that the one is the Father and the other is the Son. And concerning the Spirit, when He says: "The Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father." And more perfectly than these, when He says: "Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." If, therefore, mention is made here by the disciple of the Lord only of the Father and of the Son, and not of the Holy Spirit, let nothing cause you to stumble. For he was pressed here to speak at the moment only about these, I mean the Father and the Son. And these things are said for the present, so that we may not be overly long. C But he "abides in the doctrine of Christ," that is, in the evangelical teaching, who thinks and acts according to it, living both contemplatively and practically; but he who leads himself away from this is an atheist. For just as he who, through an exact way of life, draws himself near to God, like Abraham, on which account he heard from Him, "I am your God," so he who lives outside the commandment of the Gospel is "atheist," having cut himself off from having God. But this person being "atheist"—that is, one who has estranged himself from the divine discipline—he who remains in it, this [person] has both the Father and the Son. For concerning such a one, the Son also said, "We shall come to him," with the Father, of course, "and make our abode with him." D For from the keeping of the commandments, he has made himself a temple and house of God, and has God dwelling within, since the "having of God" is twofold. For all creatures are said to have God, according to that which Paul said: "For in Him we live and move and are." But this is said after the manner of subsistence. In another way, however, God is said to be had by the one who serves God through goodness; according to which meaning also God is called the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of all the friends of God among the Hebrews, it must be understood in respect to the things now being said: "He who has the Son has also the Father." For he who has seen the Son, as the Son Himself also says, "has seen the Father." And conversely, "I..."
the friends of God among the Hebrews. And this is to be attributed to the things that are to be said now: "He who has the Son, has the Father." For he who has seen the Son, just as the Son himself says, "has seen also the Father." A And again: "I am in the Father, and the Father is in me," says the same Savior, so that also from this the consubstantiality of the Father and the Son may be known. And if anyone should say that he who receives the disciples also has the Son and the Father—for the Savior also says concerning them, "He that receiveth you, receiveth me: and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me"—let him know that he is speaking wrongly in this way, and does not understand as he ought. For these things were said regarding doctrine, since he who has received the apostles, by admitting their doctrine, has through them received the Son and the Father who are teaching. — And in another way: Since he who abides in the doctrine has both the Son and the Father, and the apostles remained in the doctrine, in such a way that they were also preaching it, therefore he who receives them as being temples of God, by the very fact of receiving them, has the Son and the Father who are in them. "If there come any unto you." B He reassures those to whom he writes. If anyone, he says, comes to you without this confession, not only let him not obtain protection from you, but let him not even be deemed worthy of the greeting of salvation, saying these things accurately, as this greeting is owed only to those of like character and like faith with us. For whom do we wish well, if not those of like character and like faith? So if such a greeting of salvation were offered by us to the impious, it would surely be offered as if to the faithful and those who are accepted by us, and they would be taken as our associates through this, and would have dragged us down to their own abyss.
CAPUT II
Promise of his coming for the hope of future benefit.
1, 12-13. "Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink. But I hope to come unto you, and speak mouth to mouth, that our joy may be full. The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen."
He taught that the reason for the brevity of the Epistle, both in this one and in the following one, is that he hoped to come to them, and by his own presence and appearance to add the things that were wanting. But regarding that which he adds, "The children of thy elect sister greet thee," some wish to argue C that the Epistle is written not to a woman, but to a Church: concerning which I have decided to dispute nothing.
The end, with God's assistance, of the Second Epistle of John.
ARGUMENT OF THE THIRD CATHOLIC EPISTLE OF JOHN
A This Epistle is concerning hospitality. And first, he commends Gaius, for whom testimony regarding hospitality was borne by all, and he exhorts him to remain in the same purpose, and to escort and welcome the brethren. Furthermore, he acknowledges his contribution, but he blames Diotrephes, as one who neither gives anything himself to the poor, but even hinders others from doing so, and prattles much. He says that people of such a sort are strangers to the truth, and do not even know God. And he recommends Demetrius, bearing the finest witness to him.
BY ANOTHER WAY, THE ARGUMENT
He writes this Epistle also, recommending certain brethren. He writes to Gaius, and bears him witness of great hospitality, which he also extols with great praises. For he says that he who does good is of God. And he stirs him up even more by those things for which he denounces Diotrephes, who had not known to do this. He also praises Demetrius, who does the same, and provides faithful testimony to him. This Epistle is brief, for the cause heretofore mentioned in the first Epistle.
CHAPTERS OF THE THIRD CATHOLIC EPISTLE OF JOHN
1. A prayer for perfection, and thanksgiving for the confession of the hospitality of the brethren for Christ's sake: in which he also deals with the baseness and inhumanity of Diotrephes.
2. Concerning Demetrius, to whom he bears the finest witness. C
3. Concerning his arriving to them shortly for their benefit.