The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: the Second Epistle of S. John
There is an allusion to a very pretty Hebrew pun, libeclura gebira, meaning the same as chosen , or elect Lady . Similarly, S. Jerome instructed several noble Roman matrons by his words and his writings, and drew many of them to Bethlehem to the monastery of S. Paula and S. Eustochium under his direction. This is how he answers the charge brought against him for associating with these women (Epist. 140 ad Princip.), “If men would search the Scriptures , I should not speak to women. If Barach had been willing to go out to battle there would have been no triumph for Debora. Jeremiah is shut up in prison, and, in order that Israel should not perish for lack of a prophet amongst them, Huldah the prophetess is raised up. The priests and Pharisees crucify the Son of God, but Mary Magdalen is weeping at the Cross, is preparing ointments, is seeking Him in the tomb. She interrogates the gardener, she recognises the Lord, she runs to the disciples, she tells them He is found. While they are doubting, she is full of confidence. She is a true tower (πύργος), yea a very tower of ivory and cedar looking toward Damascus, that is to the Blood of the Saviour, which calls to deeds of penitence. It ceased to be with Sara after the manner of women, and Abraham was made subject unto her, and it was said to him, ‘ Whatsoever Sara saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice.’ ” But this particular conduct of S. Jerome is certainly not for every one to imitate ; indeed, with young women it should be wholly avoided.
And her children: Clement of Alexandria testifies that these children were virgins, and thus are affectionately saluted by the virgin John. It seems then that Electa brought up her daughters for virginity and holiness, so that her home might be called a very Parthenon, or convent of virgins.
Whom I love in the truth, i.e. truly, sincerely. In the truth, i.e. in Christian charity. Or, in the truth , i.e. in the Lord, who is Truth.
This word is not in Liddell and Scott , but I take it to be a feminine form of *6pyot.
And not I only , &c. “ This common love removes all suspicion of private affection, and makes it of greater force,” says the Inter . Gloss.
Ver. 2. — For the Truth’s sake . He means, I love them in the Truth, because they themselves constantly adhere to the Truth, i.e. to the true faith. And Electa and her daughters showed that they had this true faith, because they showed it in works of love to the brethren. Therefore did S. John love them. “ I love them,” he means to say, “for the Truth's sake, because they live a life agreeable to the truth of the Gospel.”
Ver. 3. — Grace, mercy , and peace be with you. Concerning this salutation I have spoken in the beginning of St. Paul’s Epistles to Titus, the Romans, and Corinthians. He adds mercy (or, as the Syriac translation , compassions) to grace , that by the mercies which they had received , and were daily receiving from God through Christ, he might stir up Electa and her children to show like mercy to their neighbours. For all, however holy they may be, still are poor and weak, and need the mercy of God, either because they fall, or are in danger of falling.
In truth and love, understand, that ye may persevere and increase in them. Catharinus takes it differently, thus: “The grace, mercy, and peace which I ask for you consist in the truth, i.e. true doctrine, in faith, and the charity in which ye sincerely love one another for God’s sake. For in those two things the perfection of Christ consists. This is a very apposite meaning, easy and obvious, and requires nothing to be understood, or supplied.”
I was exceeding glad because I found of thy children. Of thy children . This is a Hebraism. There is a similar grammatical form in Ps. lxxii. 16, “To Him shall be given of the gold of Arabia, and they shall worship of Him ” (de ipso ), i.e. “ shall worship Him.”
Electa seems to have had many sons or grandsons, for they too are called children.
Walking in the Truth : ordering their lives according to the rule of the Gospel. Observe, he does not say standing, or sitting, to signify that they made daily progress in the Christian life, and went on from virtue to virtue, in which he proposes them as a model for imitation.
As we have received commandment from the Father . For the Father has commanded through the Son, even as Christ saith ( John xv. 15), “All things whatsoever I have heard of the Father I have made known unto you.”
Ver. 5. — And now , I beseech thee , Lady, &c. This must be referred to the end of the verse, that we love one another. I beseech thee, lady, to exercise thyself, and those who belong to thee, in mutual love. For this commandment of love is not recent and new, but delivered to me and the rest of the Apostles at the very beginning of the Gospel. Observe the modesty of S. John as something which ought to be imitated by Prelates, in that he says, I beseech thee , Lady , when he might have said, I command thee, O my daughter .
Ver. 6. — For this is the commandment . . . that ye should walk , &c. Viz., that ye should make careful progress in evangelical truth and love, growing and making progress in the love of God and your neighbours, as I enjoined upon you in the very beginning of my preaching.
Ver. 7. — Because many seducers are going out into the world. He now passes to the second branch of his epistle, from charity to evangelical truth. For these two virtues are inseparable sisters and companions. Now the word because gives the reason for what he had said in the verse preceding. “ I have said that ye should walk in charity, should make progress in the commandment of Gospel truth and charity, because many seducers are gone out into the world, who endeavour to overturn this truth, and as a consequence Christian charity, and to tear it from you. Of such therefore ye ought to beware as of wolves. For they strive to draw you away from union with Christ to their own conventicles of Satan.”
This is a seducer and an antichrist. Whosoever thinks, or teaches, that Christ has not come in the flesh, has not been incarnate ; this man is a deceiver.
Ver. 8. — Lest ye lose that which ye have wrought: the Greek reads in the first person, lest we lose, &c. Lest I should have preached to you in vain, and lest both I and you should lose all our former labour. As the old saying hath it, “ There is no greater unhappiness than to remember that we once were happy.”
But that ye may receive a full reward. That is, if ye take heed to yourselves, and persevere, your perseverance will bring you a full reward. Full, i.e. copious and abundant. For he who falls back, even though he afterwards repent, receives only a half reward, for he loses all the time and the works of the period of his apostasy. The Greek has ἀπολάβωμεν, that we may receive , for the reward of an Apostle and teacher is full when he sees the fruit of his works in his disciples, and when he is honoured and crowned, not only in himself, but in them. As S. Paul says, “ What is our hope, or joy, or crown of glory ? Ye are our glory and joy.”