SIL Translator’s Notes on 2 John 2000

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 John 1:11

11a

(Good News Translation) For: (Logical Relationship) The connecting word shows that this verse gives the reason for the instruction not to welcome the false teachers.

11b

shares in: (Meaning) This indicates that a person who welcomes a false teacher is helping him, and so he is becoming a partner with the false teacher in his evil deeds.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 John 1:1

Section 1–3

Greetings

Read 1–3 carefully in both Berean Standard Bible and Good News Translation. Compare the two versions.

Section Theme: This is the introduction to the letter. In verse 1 the writer says who he is and who he is writing to. In verse 3 he gives a greeting in the form of a blessing. These three elements were the formal parts of the introduction to most Greek letters written at that time. In these verses John also introduces the ideas of love and God’s truth, which are the main things he wants to remind his readers of in this letter.

1a–b

The elder, To: (Discourse Feature) This is the typical form of a Greek letter of John’s time. However in many languages the writer of a letter introduces himself in the first person singular. For example, “I, the elder, am writing to….” In translation the natural form for starting a letter should be used.

elder: (Meaning) Although John was an old man when he wrote this letter, he is probably using the term elder here with the meaning “church leader” or “senior Christian,” as in Acts 14:23 and Titus 1:5-6.

chosen: (Passive Construction) It may be necessary to make explicit that it is God who has chosen the “lady” to be among his people.

lady and her children: (Discourse Feature) John is using these terms to refer to a local church and its members. However, this is not a Greek figure of speech. John here uses these terms as a kind of secret code, probably to avoid mentioning names and putting Christians in danger of persecution. Therefore these terms should be kept in your translation and not changed to “church” and “Christians,” since that would be hiding the fact that John was writing in code here.

whom I love: (Pronoun Reference) John means that he loves both the lady and her children.

in the truth: (Alternative Interpretations) There are two different interpretations of what the Greek phrase means here:

(1) It probably means “truly/really.” (Good News Translation, New English Bible, Living Bible, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

(2) It may mean “because we all believe in God’s truth.”

1d–e

not I alone, but also: (Ellipsis) This is a short way of saying “I am not the only one who truly loves you. All who know the truth also love you truly.”

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 John 1:12

Section 12–13

Final comments

Read 12–13 carefully in both Berean Standard Bible and Good News Translation. Compare the two versions.

Section Theme: These verses contain John’s final comments and greetings to close the letter.

12b

I would prefer not to do so with paper and ink: (Meaning) John is not saying that there is anything wrong with using paper and ink. This is merely another way of saying that he would prefer to talk with them face to face.

paper and ink: (Translation) This is an idiom meaning “in a letter.” In your translation you should consider what is the natural way of saying this in your language.

12d

face to face: (Translation) This is also an idiom. It should be translated by a natural phrase for having a friendly personal talk with someone.

12e

complete: (Meaning) As in 1 John 1:4, this means “as great as it can be,” “without any sadness or anything to spoil it.”

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 John 1:2

the truth that abides in us: (Meaning) John means that he loves the people he is writing to because both he and they know and believe the truth that God has taught them.

will be with us: (Collocation) In some languages it may not be natural to talk about an abstract thing like “truth” being with a person. The meaning here is that we will never stop knowing God’s truth.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 John 1:13

13a

children…sister: (Discourse Feature) John is using these terms in the same way that he used “lady” and “children” in verse 1. See the note on verse 1. Here these terms refer to the church and its members in the place where John was.

elect: (Passive Construction) As in verse 1, this is referring to the fact that God has chosen this “sister” to be among his people.

13b

send you greetings: (Pronoun Reference) The you here is singular, referring to the lady.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 John 1:3

Grace, mercy, and peace: (Discourse Feature) This seems to have been a standard Christian greeting, since something like it appears in most of the New Testament letters. In translation it should sound like a greeting. It should not be in focus as if it were a teaching or a prayer that John made up.

the Son of the Father: (Translation) In your language it may be necessary to state this in full, “the son of God our father.”

will be with us: (Alternative Interpretations) There are two different views about the grammar of the Greek verb here:

(1) It probably signifies a greeting in the form of a wish, “May grace, mercy and peace…be with us.” (Good News Translation, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, King James Version)

(2) It may be signifying a statement. For example, Grace, mercy and peace…will be with us. (Berean Standard Bible, The Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible, Revised Standard Version, Living Bible)

3b–c

in truth and love: (Meaning) Here John repeats his theme of truth and love. He means that we may experience God’s grace, mercy and peace as we put into practice the truth we have learned from him and as we love one another. See The Jerusalem Bible.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 John 1:4

Section 4–11

Obey God’s commands and reject false teaching

Read 4–11 carefully.

Section Theme: This section contains the main purpose of the letter. John reminds his readers of the importance of obeying God’s commands. He therefore warns them not to have anything to do with false teachers who reject the truth about Christ.

Paragraph 4–6

Read 4–6 in both Berean Standard Bible and Good News Translation. Compare the two versions.

Paragraph Theme: John expresses his approval of his readers’ Christian lives and urges them to obey God’s commands, especially the command to love one another.

to find: (Alternative Interpretations) There are different views about which sense the Greek verb is being used in here:

(1) It is probably being used in the sense of finding out or hearing that something is true.

(2) Some think it is used in the sense of meeting someone or discovering something.

some of your children: (Meaning) John is not contrasting some who are living by the truth and some who are not. He is saying that he has only heard about some of them and this is what he has heard.

your children: (Discourse Feature) The same term should be used here as in verse 1.

walking in the truth: (Metaphor) This is a Greek metaphor meaning, “putting into practice in their lives the truth which God has revealed about how he wants them to live.”

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 John 1:5

dear lady: (Translation) In your translation the appropriate term should be used here. John is a respected elder addressing a respected lady. See note on 1b.

not…a new commandment: (Focus) John is referring to a command from God, not from himself. As in 1 John 2:7, he is saying that when Christians are living as God wants them to live they must be always loving one another. He reminds his readers that this command is not new, because Jesus had given it to his disciples many years before (John 13:34).

from the beginning: (Meaning) As in 1 John 2:7, this refers to the time when they first became Christians.

that we love one another: (Focus) This is John’s main point in this verse. To make the emphasis clear you may need to put it at the beginning of the verse, as in Good News Translation, or make it an independent sentence as in New International Version (2011 Revision).

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Source: SIL Translator's Notes on 2 John 2000

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 John 1:11

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 John 1:1

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 John 1:12

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 John 1:2

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 John 1:13

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 John 1:3

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 John 1:4

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 John 1:5

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