The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: the Second Epistle of S. John
Ver. 9. — Whosoever goeth back, &c. The Greek is παραβαίνων, i.e. who transgresses . The Syriac reads, he who passes by, and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ , has not God for his friend.
Ver. 10. — If any one come to you, and bring not this doctrine, &c. S. John in this place not only advises, as some think, but also commands Electa and all the rest of the faithful not to receive to hospitality, nor say Hail, to any one who brings another doctrine, i.e. one which is contrary to the orthodox faith of Christ. For he who saith hail to such is partaker of their evil deeds. That is, he seems to favour and applaud the heretical teacher.
Observe, not only by human and canon laws, as since the time of S. John they have been enacted by Pontiffs and Councils, heretics are to be avoided in three cases. The first is, when there is danger lest you or yours should be perverted by them, which is a thing which ordinarily happens. For, as S. Paul saith, “ Their word doth
2d. When, by receiving, you would seem to favour his heresy, and tacitly profess or encourage it. As, for example, if you were to receive to your house and table a recognised Calvinistic minister, who came for the purpose of propagating his heresy. In the same way it would be wrong to be present at his preaching, or eucharists, or to communicate with him in sacris .
3d. When you give scandal to others, so that they, thinking you to be a host and patron of heretics, should be by your example emboldened to do the same.
These cases being excepted, intercourse with heretics is not forbidden by the Divine and natural law, especially if necessity, or mercy, or grave benefit counsels it.
What S. John here teaches by way of precept he enforced by his example. For having entered into a bath, as soon as he saw Cerinthus there, he sprang out, crying, “ Let us flee quickly lest the bath in which is Cerinthus, the enemy of the truth, should fall
S. John's disciple, S. Polycarp, followed his master, saying in his Epistle to the Philippians, in allusion to these words of S. John, “ Abstain,” he says, “ from scandals, and from false brethren, who bear the name of the Lord in vain, who cause foolish men to go astray. For every one who confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, he is antichrist : and he who confesses not the mystery of the Cross is a devil.” Thus wrote holy Polycarp, and he acted accordingly. For meeting the heretic Marcion, and being asked by him if he knew him, he answered, “ I know thee to be the devil's first-born.”
Thus S. Hermenegild was slain by command of his father, Levvi-gild, king of the Goths, because he would not receive the Eucharist at Easter from an Arian bishop. This is related by S. Gregory (3 Dial. 31), who calls him a martyr of the Church.
Eusebius of Vercelli, being taken by the Arians, preferred to die of hunger rather than take food from those heretics.
S. Paphnutius took Maximus Bishop of Jerusalem by the hand when he was through simplicity associating with heretics, and led him away from them, saying, “ I cannot suffer so venerable a bishop to sit in the seat of pestilence, and to communicate with unclean heretics even by a word.”
When S. Martin communicated with the Bishops of the Ithacian sect, in the hope of saving them, he was warned by an angel not to do so. And although he repented, he experienced a diminution of grace, so that he did not work so many miracles as he had previously wrought (Sulp. Sever. lib . 3 Dial.)
Still more are heretical books to be avoided. For these pestilent productions conceal their heresy like a plague under an appearance of elegance and wisdom, and instil it into the minds of the readers. In this present age the heresy of Luther and Calvin has been dispersed through so many kingdoms by means of their books. If you wish to take away their heresy, take away their books and their ministers. In truth you will have taken it away as soon as you have substituted pious and learned priests and preachers.
Neither say godspeed (ave) to him . The Syriac has, ye shall not say either hail to him or farewell. The ancient Romans said ave , or salve at coming in, vale at going out. Ave then here means the same as the Greek χαίρειν, rejoice.
For he who saith to him Ave (Syriac rejoice) is a partaker in his evil deeds . For he who salutes a heretical teacher seems to approve his heresy. Some Latin copies add here, Lo , I have told you before-hand, that ye may not be confounded in the day of the Lord.
Ver. 12. — Having many things , &c. Either because they were confidential , or because letters might perish, or fall into the hands of unbelievers, who would interpret them falsely.
For I hope to come unto you. This shows that this letter was not written and sent to a lady at Babylon, as Clement of Alexandria says, but to some one in Asia Minor, or Greece near to Ephesus. For S. John, who was now in extreme old age and infirm, was wont to make excursions to the neighbouring cities of Asia to instruct and confirm them, but not to go as far as Babylon.
That your joy may be full: For the living voice of a Doctor and Apostle, especially S. John, would bring far more joy, instruction, comfort, and devotion than any mere letters.
Ver. 13. — The children of thy sister Electa salute thee. From hence Oecumenius and our Serarius maintain that the name of Electa , to whom this Epistle is inscribed, is an appellative noun and the title of some particular church. They think the meaning is, “The children of thy sister, i.e. the faithful of the elect Church of Ephesus, salute thee, O elect Church of Corinth. Some think that these Electas were particular persons, but were called sisters, not as being so in the flesh, but because they were disciples of the same master, S. John.
It is probable that the sister of Electa was also called Electa on the principle that in many families two or more children bear the same name, so that there are two Johns, two Peters, two Marys, or Margarets. I add what I have intimated at the commencement of the Epistle, that Electa is not so strictly a proper as an appropriated name, a title, so to say, of dignity and office which is bestowed upon several persons discharging similar functions. Electa thus seems to have been the name of a chief matron, who like a mother supported the ministers of the Church, the widows, the orphans, and the poor, and who as a Deaconess presided over the instruction and government of other women in the Church. The meaning then is, “ O Electa, mother of the faithful in the Church, say of Corinth, the children of thy sister, who is also Electa, a mother of the faithful, in the Church of Ephesus, from whence I write, salute thee.” It is in favour of this that the Greek article is prefixed to Electa, which is not usual in the use of proper names, but to names of dignity and office appropriated to certain persons.
It is an instance of the kindness and courtesy of S. John that he salutes Electa, not only in his own name, but in the name of his grandchildren.
Some Greek and Latin codices add, Grace be with them. Amen. This is a salutation worthy of S. John and common with S. Paul.