I have much to write to you: as in 1 John 1.4 the verb “to write” refers to the fact rather than to the manner of communication; hence, for example, “I have much to tell you” (Good News Translation, similarly in several other versions). Such a rendering has the advantage of avoiding the suggestion that John wanted to write but not to use paper and ink, a contrast that is certainly not intended.

I would rather not use paper and ink, or ‘I do not want to do so by means of (or using) paper and ink,’ ‘I prefer not to tell you those things on paper (and) with ink.’ I would is in the aorist, which in letters is often used with reference to the present, that is, to the time of writing.

Use paper and ink is in this context synonymous with write. The receptor language may prefer another synonym such as ‘to put on paper,’ ‘to write a letter (literally a paper)’; compare also New English Bible‘s “to put down in black and white.”

Paper referred originally to a sheet of papyrus. The name of any material commonly used in the receptor culture to write letters on may serve as a translation. Similarly in the case of ink (in the Greek literally “what-is-black”) for what one uses to write with.

I hope: in this context the verb has most of the basic semantic components mentioned in the note on 1 John 3.3. Its goal, however, is not one of God’s great promises but a common fact of daily life. Some of the renderings used here are ‘I want,’ ‘I will probably be able,’ ‘I think I will.’

To come to see: the Greek has a rather generic expression for movement towards a person. Specified in accordance with the context, this leads to terms meaning “to visit.”

Talk with you face to face (literally “mouth to mouth”) contrasts with write and use paper and ink. The prepositional phrase serves to emphasize that the talking will imply a personal meeting. Some equivalent expressions in other languages are ‘to speak to you with the living voice’ (Bible de Jérusalem), ‘converse with you eyes to eyes (or lips to lips).’

For So that our joy may be complete, compare comments on 1 John 1.4. In the present verse our may be interpreted as referring to the writer only, a form often occurring in letter writing. But the pronoun can also be taken as including both the writer and his readers. The latter interpretation is the more natural one here, after the reference to a personal meeting and talk of the writer with his readers.

Quoted with permission from Haas, C., de Jonge, M. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on The Second Letter of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .