That We Love One Another

John’s 2^nd epistle begins with these words, “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” (2 John 1:1). The student manual says this about who he might have been referring to: “The Second Epistle of John was written to ‘the elect lady and her children’ (2 John 1:1). Since the epistle addresses a group of people, many commentators conclude that ‘the elect lady’ actually refers to a Christian congregation (see 2 John 1:13). The Greek term for church is feminine, and it was common to personify the Church as a woman (see Ephesians 5:25–27, 32; Revelation 12:1–4, 17; 19:7–8). Another possibility is that ‘the elect lady and her children’ were John’s wife and family.” While perhaps the “Church” interpretation is more widely accepted, I really like this idea that John was writing to his own family in this epistle. We don’t have anywhere else in the New Testament where that might be the case, and so if it were true then it would give us an example of tender words written by a husband and father to his family. The fact that the Lord would use the same appellation of “elect lady” for Emma, Joseph Smith’s wife, in Doctrine and Covenants 25:3 gives at least credence to the idea that John was indeed writing to his wife specifically and not to the Church in general. I think it gives the epistle a different and familial feel to consider that John was addressing his wife and children, earnestly desiring their safety and protection and spiritual well-being.

               Assuming, then, that these terms “lady” and “children” literally referred to John’s immediate family, then we see in this epistle his love and concern for them. He wrote, “I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father” (v4). He rejoiced to know that his children were keeping the commandments of the Savior, just as faithful parents in all ages of sought that for their children. He also wrote, “And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk after his commandments” (v5-6). That to me is a tender expression of devotion as John earnestly hoped that he and his wife would continue in love one towards another. But that love alone wasn’t enough; he knew that together they needed to keep the commandments of the Savior for their relationship to truly prosper eternally. Living in the time when apostasy was rampant, we see John’s love for them as well in how he hoped to keep them spiritually safe from the wicked: “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward” (v7-8). John knew the dangers that threatened the believers in his day as many sought to pull them away from the truth faith, and his desire was to help his family navigate the confusion and hold fast to the gospel of Jesus Christ. He urged them not to even bring these dangerous people into their home, and perhaps he was worried because he was abroad and not there physically in their home to help protect them (v10). I love his final expression of affection: “Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full” (v12). He could write to them, but he knew his joy would only be full when they were together again as a family. Understood this way, I think this 2^nd epistle of John is a powerful example of a father and husband who loved his wife and children, and it should encourage us to likewise love and care for our own families.