THEOPHYLACT OF BULGARIA ARCHBISHOP OF BULGARIA EXPOSITION OF THE SECOND EPISTLE OF SAINT JOHN
AARGUMENT OF THE SECOND CATHOLIC EPISTLE OF JOHN. John writes this epistle as presbyter or elder to the Elect Lady and her children. The occasion of this epistle is as follows: seeing her children behaving correctly in faith, and many seducers going about saying that there was no coming of the Lord in the flesh, he writes this Epistle: in which, first of all, he commends her children as walking uprightly; then he teaches that our mystery is not something new; and again he exhorts to charity and to persevere in the doctrine delivered to them. Otherwise, he teaches that anyone who denies that Christ has come in the flesh is an Antichrist; and he commands that no one should receive such men into their house, nor greet them. And thus he concludes the Epistle.
BCHAPTERS OF THIS EPISTLE. 1. After the prologue, concerning a righteous life in the love of God, through faith that is pious and unchangeable. In which [it is stated] that one must not harbor a heretic, nor greet him, because of the sin. 2. The promise of his coming in relation to hope for our benefit.
SECOND EPISTLE OF THE HOLY APOSTLE JOHN.
A Ver. 1. "The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth, and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth." Some have thought that this Epistle and the one following it are not by John the Apostle, but by another of the same name, because in this and in the one following he calls himself a presbyter or elder; and he writes to a woman, and to one Gaius, and [it is addressed to] a single person, just as the woman is a single person; which, they say, does not seem consistent with a Catholic Epistle. Moreover, neither is the beginning of this Epistle such as that in the former; for he begins that one in a different way. However, I say that John began the former Epistle in a different manner, with no prefixed inscription, because he was not writing to a specific person, nor to the Church of certain places, as the blessed Peter did, signifying that he was writing specifically to the Jews who were in the Dispersion, and before him the divine James; but he was holding a discourse common to all believers, whether assembled or not assembled, and therefore he omitted the form of an inscription. B But here he calls himself a presbyter or elder, and not an apostle, nor a servant of Jesus Christ, as the other apostles do. He does not write himself an apostle, perhaps because he was not the first to preach the Word in Asia, but it was Paul, and [Paul] did not do it in passing, as the other preached, but by remaining there and being present. Nor does he call himself a servant of Jesus Christ; for he was confident, because of being loved exceedingly by Him, that he was free from the fear of slavery. He chose to call himself only an elder because he was already an old man when he wrote these, or because he also indicated himself to be a bishop by means of the word "elder," for it was customary at that time for the name of elder to be applied also to bishops. Nor did he hesitate to write to a faithful woman, since "in Christ Jesus" he recognized "neither male nor female." C And writing to one Gaius, he had the example of Paul, who wrote to Titus and Timothy, and to Philemon, who was a private person. Let these things be said regarding the inscription. From the phrasing and the rest of the economy of the discourse, the genuineness of the [next] two Epistles is shown.
A Since here too he often brings back the discourse, saying the same things about the same matters whenever even a slight occasion occurs, in order to confirm more strongly that which he teaches. He urges two things upon this Elect one: first, that she might walk in love; second, that she might turn away from and flee from heretics. He calls her Elect, either from the name or from the zeal for virtue, which he says he loves in truth, and not only her but also all those who are of the same character as her, those who have the truth implanted within themselves. For this is what he signifies by the phrase, “which abides in us,” namely, faith in Christ. He says to love “in truth.” For it is possible also to love feignedly by word, as he himself in the first Epistle indicated regarding certain frigid believers. But having said, “which abides in us,” he added, “and will be with us forever.” B To these he again adds, “Grace and mercy will be with us,” showing the blessings which spring forth from perfect love. “From God the Father,” he says, “and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” He added, “the Son of the Father.” For He alone is properly the Father of the Son. Whence Paul also says: “From whom every fatherhood in heaven and on earth is named.” Again, he adds, “in truth and love,” providing security to the discourse and a mark of the love of which he speaks.
VERS. 2, 3. “Because of the truth which abides in us, and will be with us forever. Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.” That is, the true and firm kind, and not feigned, or that which has only the appearance of love.
VERS. 4-6. “I rejoiced greatly, because I found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. And now I beg 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 walk according to his commandments.” Truly it is a matter of the highest joy to find someone running the race of the faith of Christ blamelessly according to his commandment. But what is this commandment? C It is, indeed, that of which Christ says in the Gospel: “He who loves me will keep my commandments.” He calls Christ “Father” now, since he is also the Father of the sons who were given to him by the Father through the economy, according to the word: “Behold, I and the children whom God has given me.” Observe also the genuineness of this Epistle, that it agrees through these things with that which was said in the first Epistle: “And we know that he who loves God keeps his commandments.” For to walk according to the commandments is the same as to keep them. Virtues are active, and have their existence through being exercised. Therefore, he who ceases from walking in them does not keep them in any way either. Moreover, to walk is spoken of in terms of progress or increase. For by as much as anyone acts according to virtue, by so much does he advance in things before him, D acquiring for himself more of the good.
A And in this sense I think it is said also, "In which things the angels desire to look." For so great is the magnitude of the blessings bestowed upon us by Him who became man, that it is desirable even for the angels to obtain a brief understanding of them; for this is what "to look" implies. But any person of sound mind desires this, not that which will cease, but that which proceeds eternally. And since it is impossible for the inexhaustible to be grasped in its entirety, it is a cause for satisfaction if one may even in some measure come to have a part in it. And whereas he has said, "I do not write a new commandment to you," he speaks this in agreement with those things in the first Epistle. He adds also the purpose of the commandment, "That we should love one another." And he explains love, that it consists in walking according to it, and that the commandment from the beginning was given for no other reason than that, as he says, you might walk in it. B
This is the commandment, even as you 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. He turns the same matters over and over, upwards and downwards: by love, indeed, providing for them not to be broken apart nor to separate themselves toward the deceivers who were already walking in the world and rejecting the Lord’s sojourn in the flesh; and by the passage concerning walking according to the commandment, displaying that the opinion of the misled heretics from the beginning was recent, and exhorting those who hold to the commandment from the beginning not to be led away by their deception. C For Christ also commanded the disciples concerning these deceivers, saying, "Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. Do not, therefore, go after them." Keeping all the commandments, therefore, he says, he bids us not to be deceived, but to consider him who says these things to be the Antichrist. For this person, he says, is the Antichrist and a deceiver. But by saying, "Those who do not confess Jesus Christ coming in the flesh," and not "who have come," he indicates that there were some who rejected the second coming of Christ; since the Lord Himself also says, "Many will come in my name," not speaking of His first coming, but of the second. However, in a true sense, those who reject the second also abandon the first. D For if He who appeared in the flesh also promised the second, he who rejects the second absolutely rejects the first as well. For if one believes that He appeared, he will also judge the promise of him who appeared to be trustworthy; but if he rejects the promise, there is no argument that he does not also reject the first. For this reason, I think, he thus made use of the phrase.
“the one coming,” not “the one having come,” so that he might include those who deny both of the Lord’s comings in the flesh. A
*This is the deceiver and the Antichrist.* One must supply the following words for greater clarity: “He, therefore, who does not confess these things,” so that the phrase “This is the deceiver and the Antichrist” may follow logically. For without those words, the discourse does not flow correctly.
VERS. 8, 9. *Look to yourselves, that you do not lose what you have worked for, but may receive a full reward. Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God.* He attempts to alienate them from those who deny both of the Lord’s comings; and he adds the reason: “Lest,” he says, “by association with them, you lose what you have worked for, but rather receive an undiminished reward.” But perhaps someone of this sort will say: “What then? If I do not believe in the coming of Christ in the B flesh, but I live a life filled with good works, am I not able to be numbered among pious men on account of these works, nor receive the reward for them?” In order to remove this objection in advance, the Apostle says that no one who rejects the coming of Christ in the flesh should think that he will receive the perfect recompense which is owed to the faithful, or that he should be considered pious at all. But everyone who transgresses, he says, the commandment of Christ Himself—who came in the flesh—and does not abide in His teaching, does not have God. For if He who came to teach men the perfect knowledge of God is Himself rejected, how can such a man be a pious worshiper of God when he casts off the interpreter of divine mysteries? C This man, therefore, is godless, just as he who is inspired by God and beloved by God, and who holds in himself the whole fullness of the Godhead—namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—is he who is established in the teaching of Christ. For He Himself teaches, saying concerning the Father: *All that the Father has is mine.* And in many places He teaches concerning Himself and concerning the Father, that the one is Father and the other is Son; and concerning the Spirit, when He says: *The Holy Spirit whom I will send to you from the Father.* But more perfectly than these, when He says: *Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.* And if the disciple of the Lord mentions only the Father and the Son in this place, yet not the Holy Spirit, D do not be offended in any way; for there was no reason to speak here of anything other than these two persons, I mean the Father and the Son.
*He who abides in the teaching of Christ, he has both the Father and the Son.* He abides in the teaching of Christ, that is, in the evangelical teaching, he who thinks, teaches, and acts according to it, living both theoretically and practically. But he who leads himself away from it is godless. For just as he who lives perfectly makes himself familiar to God, like Abraham, who merited to hear from Him: *I am your God*; so, too...
A he who lives outside the commandment of the Gospel is godless, having detached himself from possessing God. But since this man is godless—having, I say, alienated himself from divine instruction—he who remains in it has both the Father and the Son. For concerning such a one, the Son also said: *We will come to him and make our home with him*, explicitly with the Father. For by the observance of the commandments, he has made himself a temple and dwelling-place of God, and has God as an inhabitant. Now, there is a twofold way of possessing God. For even all creatures are said to possess God, regarding which Paul also said: *For in Him we live, and move, [and are]*; and this is found to be in the mode of subsistence. But otherwise, we say that he who serves God through virtue also possesses God, in the sense that God is called the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and in general of the beloved Hebrews. For turning now B to what has been said: *He who has the Son, has also the Father.* For he who has seen the Son, as He himself says, has seen the Father; and conversely: *I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me*, He himself says. So that from this, too, the consubstantiality of the Father and the Son is known. But if anyone says that in this way he who receives the disciples also has the Father and the Son, according to what is said: *He who receives you receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me*; let such a person know that he is speaking wrongly and opposing in a way he ought not. For these things were said regarding doctrine. Since he who receives C the apostles with assent, and their doctrine, has through them received the Father and the Son as teachers. And otherwise: Since he who remains in the doctrine has both the Son and the Father, and the apostles remained in the doctrine, in that they preached it; he who therefore receives them, being temples of God, by that very act of receiving them has the Son who is in them and the Father.
*If anyone comes to you, and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house, and do not greet him. For he who greets him, shares in his evil deeds. Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you, and to speak face to face, that our joy may be full.*
He reassures those to whom the Epistle is directed, that if anyone comes D to you without this confession, do not let him receive even the hospitality of your company, but do not even deem him worthy of a greeting, saying these things precisely, as if such a greeting is owed only to those of like character and like faith with us. For whom would we pray a greeting, if not those of like character and like faith? So that if such a greeting were offered by us to the impious, it would certainly be offered to those of like character and like faith as ourselves, and we would have shared with them by means of it, and they would have dragged us down into their own pit. He teaches the reason why he wrote the Epistle briefly, both here and in the next,