The Background of 2 John

The original text of 2 John is in Greek and is also known as the “Second Epistle of John.” The books of Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2, and 3 John, and Jude are called the General Epistles or Catholic Epistles because they are not addressed to specific recipients and their author is John, not Paul.

2 John and 3 John are the two shortest books in the New Testament. 2 John contains 245 Greek words, and 3 John has 219 Greek words, both of which could fit on a single sheet of papyrus. Church tradition holds that the author of this letter is the Apostle John. He likely wrote these two letters from Ephesus in the 90s AD to nearby churches in Asia, applying the teachings on truth and love from 1 John to practical situations. This letter has a chiastic structure:

• A.  Greeting (verses 1-3)
• 　B. Truth with love (verses 4-6)
• 　　C.  Be cautious of false teachers (verses 7-8)
• 　B1. Love with truth (verses 9-11)
• A1. Farewell (verses 12-13)

In 30 BC, Octavian defeated the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt, ending the Roman Civil Wars and establishing control over the entire Mediterranean and Black Sea regions. The Roman Empire’s legal system was relatively fair and strict, and the territory enjoyed long-term peace and good security. Land and sea travel were unimpeded, and the Roman roads and a common Greek language unified the vast empire, allowing people of different ethnicities to live in peace, work happily, and trade freely. This period ushered in the “Pax Romana,” a period of relative prosperity that lasted for two hundred years. During this time, travel for ordinary people was more convenient than ever before, which enabled the gospel to spread rapidly in the first century.

Because inns were scarce and had a bad reputation at the time, traveling believers would typically seek hospitality from local believers. However, this mutual love among believers was sometimes abused and even exploited by heretics. Therefore, the Didache, a first-century church manual, stipulated the following rules:

1. A visiting apostle should stay for only one day, or two if necessary; if they stay for three days, they are a false prophet (Chapter 11, verse 5).
2. When an apostle leaves, they should not take anything with them except enough food to last until their next stop; if they ask for money, they are a false prophet (Chapter 11, verse 6).
3. If someone claims to be led by the Spirit to ask for money or other things, do not listen to them; but if they ask for donations for others in need, do not judge them (Chapter 11, verse 12).
4. A regular traveling believer should stay for a maximum of two days, or three if necessary (Chapter 12, verse 2). If they want to stay longer, they must earn their keep and not be idle; if they are unwilling to do so, they are exploiting Christ (Chapter 12, verses 3-5).

We must read 2 John and 3 John together to have a balanced understanding of truth and love. The former warns against heretics (2 John 7), while the latter encourages the spread of the gospel (3 John 8). The former opposes a church that is too open (2 John 10), while the latter rebukes a church that is too narrow-minded (3 John 10). The former warns against welcoming false teachers (2 John 10), while the latter encourages hospitality for gospel messengers (3 John 6). The former cautions against participating in the evil deeds of false teachers (2 John 11), while the latter calls for being a fellow worker in the truth with gospel messengers (3 John 8).