I really enjoyed this week’s reading of 1, 2, and 3 John. A lot of really good blog questions arose while reading, but most of them were not blog worthy. While reading through 2^nd John speaks about the elect lady and her children.  Most of 2^nd John focuses on this woman, but no name was given to identify this woman. It really confused me because if she was the center focus of the reading why wasn’t she given a name? The question I intend on finding is: Who was the woman John was writing to throughout the 2^nd John?

 

The research to this question proved to be a task within itself, but some reliable sources were found. Like most of my blog topics they always have multiple views and this one is no different than the rest.  The following website: http://newlife.id.au/equality-and-gender-issues/the-chosen-lady-in-2-john/  came to multiple conclusions about this woman’s identity. The website’s most appealing conclusion about the woman’s identity eventually ended up with a name.  The following was stated:  “What was the chosen’s name?  Εklektē means “chosen” or “elect”.  This woman was obviously a Christian, chosen by God, as all Christians are.  While it is more likely that the word “elect” is simply used to describe the lady, Clement of Alexandra believed that Eklektē was this woman’s name; a name we would translate as “Electa”.  If so, eklektē kuria in 2 John 1 could be translated as “to Lady Electa”.

   From what I read this could be the woman John was addressing in 2^nd John. One reason why this might be the case is due to the end of the letter where he says “he would continue writing, but he would rather talk face to face”. That line is what lead me to this question in the first place! If John was not addressing one woman then why was the entire book devoted to this “elect lady”. I could end my blog here, but I’ll move to the possibility of him addressing a congregation or multitude of people.

    Here’s what another website said: “. Revelation 12 and other scriptures symbolize the Church as a woman. Galatians 4:26 teaches that God’s Church is the spiritual mother of Christians—her “children.” Notice II John 13: “The children of your elect sister greet you.” Many scholars believe that John was referencing the Church at Ephesus, from which he may have written”. This information was taken from: “http://rcg.org/questions/p115.a.html”.

 

 

Although I find this to be a viable source, I still believe John was writing to a particular woman. It does not appear to me that he was addressing a big group of people. John wrote this book in the style of addressing one particular woman. I could be wrong, but from what I gathered specifically the last passage “I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink.  I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face”. It gives the impression of one particular woman whose identity might be “Lady Electa”; either way this was a particular woman from what I gathered while reading through this book.