2 Johannes 1:1
Den ældste til den udvalgte dame og hendes børn, som jeg elsker i sandhed; og ikke kun jeg, men også alle, der kender sandheden
(en) Den ældre. Kirkens tradition fortæller os, at den ældste var apostlen Johannes, forfatteren til dette brev og flere andre bøger i Det Nye Testamente. Nogle siger dog, at brevet blev skrevet af en anden Johannes, en efeser kendt som John the Presbyter, men der er få beviser, der understøtter dette.
Det antages generelt, at John var en gammel mand, da han skrev dette brev. Derfor kan "den ældste" være mere end en titel, men en anerkendelse af Johannes' rige livserfaring og hans misundelsesværdige omgang med Jesus. Hvis du fik et brev fra John, vidste du, at du talte med en respekteret ældste i kirken.
(b) Hvem var den udvalgte dame og hendes børn? No one knows. Some believe she was a metaphor for the church in general, but this is unlikely since John longs to speak to her face to face (2 John 1:12). The New Testament letters were sent to people. Even when they were sent to churches, someone had to receive the mail and read it. And if the chosen lady symbolizes the church, who are her children? Also the church? That doesn’t make sense. Why would John write a letter “to the church and her church”?
Who was the chosen lady? Was she Mary, the mother chosen to bear the Savior and loved by all in the early church? Was she Mary or Martha of Bethany? Was she the woman in Babylon mentioned by Peter (1 Pet. 5:13)? Nobody knows. The best we can say is she was an unnamed leader of a church, and her children were the people in it.
(c) Hvem jeg elsker i sandhed. Johannes kærlighed er usmagelig kristen kærlighed. Det er den rigtige vare.
(d) Alle der kender sandheden meaning believers who have put their faith in the one called Truth (see 2 John 1:2).
2 Johannes 1:2
for sandhedens skyld, som bliver i os og vil være med os for evigt:
(en) Sandheden, som forbliver i os is Jesus. Every believer has the Spirit of truth within them (1 Cor. 3:16). See also the indgang for 1 John 1:8.
(b) Will be with us forever. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would take up permanent residence in the hearts of the believer. “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever” (John 14:16). What a wonderful affirmation of our eternal security in the Lord.
Yderligere læsning: "Evige sikkerhed skrifter”
2 Johannes 1:3
Nåde, barmhjertighed og fred vil være med os, fra Gud Fader og fra Jesus Kristus, Faderens Søn, i sandhed og kærlighed.
(en) Nåde, barmhjertighed og fred. Like the other apostles, John began his letters with a foundation of the love and grace that comes from God (Rom. 1:7, 1 Pet. 1:2). Our God is a merciful, gracious and forgiving Father (Matt. 6:14, 18:27, Luke 7:47, 15:22, 23:34, John 1:14, 2 Th. 2:16, Heb. 4:16, Rev 1:4).
(b) Gud Faderen... Faderen. God is not a distant judge or bookkeeper weighing us in the scales, but our heavenly Father who has blessed us with grace, mercy and peace. In this short epistle, John refers to God as the Father four times. Like Jesus (John 6:46) and the apostle Paul (Rom. 8:15), John had a revelation of a God who loves us like a Father. See also the indgang for 1 John 3:1.
(c) Jesus Kristus, Faderens Søn. In contrast with those deceivers who denied Jesus (2 John 1:7) or his sonship (Matt. 27:40), John preached the good news of Jesus Christ “the Son of the Father.” Jesus is no mere teacher or prophet; he is the Son of the Most High (Luke 1:32) and the Son of God (1 John 3:8).
(d) Sandhed og kærlighed are two of John’s favorite themes. Like Paul, John loved the truth and was only interested in “speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15). One without the other would not do (1 John 3:18).
2 Johannes 1:4
Jeg var meget glad for at finde nogle af jeres børn, der vandrer i sandhed, ligesom vi har modtaget befaling om at gøre fra Faderen.
(en) Dine børn refers to the spiritual offspring of the chosen lady, people she had led to or nurtured in the Lord. All believers are children of God the Father (1 John 2:1), but those who plant the life-giving word and lead us to faith can be considered our spiritual parents. In his third epistle, John speaks of his joy at hearing how his children are walking in the truth (3 John 1:4).
(b) Går i sandhed is analogous to walking in the light (1 John 1:7) and walking according to his commandments (2 John 1:6). It is walking by faith (2 Cor. 5:7) and walking in the Spirit (Gal. 5:25). It is continuing in the grace of God (Acts 13:43) and continuing in the faith (Col. 1:23). It is refusing to be seduced into sin or self-trust and staying settled in Christ. It’s keeping his word (Rev. 3:8), his deeds (Rev. 2:26), his faith (Rev. 2:13), and the word of his perseverance (Rev. 3:10). In short, it is walking in the same manner Jesus walked (1 John 2:6), which is in total dependence on the Father (John 5:19).
We who know the truth (2 John 1:1) walk in truth because the Truth abides in us (2 John 1:2). We walk in the light because Jesus the Light lives in us (John 8:12).
(c) Vi har modtaget befaling. I den gamle pagt adlød folk Moses love for at blive antagelige for Gud; i det nye stoler vi på og adlyder vores Fader, fordi vi ved, hvor meget han elsker os. Kærligheden og nåden i vers 3 går forud for vandring i sandhed og lydighed i vers 4.
(d) Den bud to walk in truth is analogous to the commandment to believe in Jesus (1 John 3:23). John is essentially saying, “I was very glad to hear your people are continuing in the grace of God.” John had personal experience with busy churches that had wandered from their first love (Rev. 2:4). This wasn’t one of those.
(e) Faderen; se indgang for 2 John 1:3.
2 Johannes 1:5
Nu beder jeg dig, frue, ikke som om jeg skrev et nyt bud til dig, men det, vi har haft fra begyndelsen, at vi skal elske hinanden.
(en) Dame. John bruger ikke det nedladende "kære dame", som nogle oversættelser har det. Han kalder hende kyria, som er den feminiserede udgave af kyrios, a word meaning lord or master. The recipient of his letter was an important woman, a VIP. Was she a noble woman or a benefactor like Phoebe (Rom. 16:1)? Was she a church leader like Nympha and Chloe (1 Cor. 1:11, Col. 4:15)? We can only guess. But there seems little doubt that she was a woman of some influence within the church.
(b) Et nyt bud. John reminds the lady about the new commandment the church received from Jesus, namely the command to “love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34). This new commandment is sometimes referred to as the law of Christ (1 Cor. 9:21, Gal. 6:2).
Jesus was once asked to name the greatest commandment in the law. Jesus replied that the first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (Matt. 22:36-38). Note that this is the greatest commandment i loven. Under the law-keeping covenant, the flow was from you to the Lord (Deut. 6:5, 10:12). You loved God because it was a law that came with consequences. But in the new covenant of grace, we love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19). Jesus laid down his life for all. When we receive his great love, we are empowered to love others as we love ourselves. This is why Jesus referred to the law of Christ as a new commandment (John 13:34).
(c) Begyndelsen, hvilket betyder det bud, de hørte fra begyndelsen af deres omgang med Kristus. Selvom det er et nyt bud, er det ikke nyt for hende. Se også indgang for 1 John 1:1.
(d) Det gør vi ikke elske hinanden because it is a law that must be obeyed, as though we were still under the old covenant. Rather, we are able to love one another because we have received the love and grace of the Father that is revealed to us through the Son (2 John 1:3). We are able to love others because God first loved us (1 John 4:19). See also the indgang for 1 John 3:11.
2 Johannes 1:6
Og dette er kærligheden, at vi vandrer efter hans bud. Dette er budet, ligesom I har hørt fra begyndelsen, at I skal vandre i det.
(en) Dette er kærlighed. Love is not merely a sermon or a sonnet; love is something we reveal by our actions (1 John 3:18). Love is preferring one another, seeking the best for them, and even laying down our lives for them (1 John 3:16).
(b) At vi vandrer efter hans bud. Johannes prædiker ikke Moses' befalinger, men Jesu befalinger. "Gør, hvad Jesus sagde."
The commands of Moses are hard and heavy (Act 15:10), but the commands of Jesus are not burdensome (1 John 5:3). Moses instructed the children of Israel to keep all the laws of the old covenant, but Jesus instructs the children of God to love one another (John 13:34, 15:12, 17). Just as the followers of Moses are recognized by their love for the law, the disciples of Jesus are known by their love for one another (John 13:35).
(c) Den nye bud to love one another (2 John 1:5) is an expression of the Father’s commandment to believe in his Son Jesus (1 John 3:23). The former is the fruit of the latter.
(d) Begyndelsen; se indgang for 1 John 1:1.
(e) Gå i den means love one another with the love that God gave you (1 John 4:19).
2 Johannes 1:7
For mange bedragere er gået ud i verden, de som ikke anerkender, at Jesus Kristus kommer i kødet. Dette er bedrageren og antikristen.
(en) Deceivers are false teachers, false prophets and those with an antichrist spirit who deny that Jesus is the Christ (1 John 2:22) or has come in the flesh (2 John 1:7) or is the Son of God (1 John 5:10)? John’s warnings were justified because the early church was plagued by many deceivers, many antichrists, and many false prophets (1 John 2:18, 4:1).
(b) Rejst ud i verden. Deceivers left the church community because they never belonged (1 John 2:19). The world was their home and those in the world listened to them (1 John 4:5).
(c) Those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. Some false teachers went around saying that the Messiah had not come in the physical form of a man. John reminded us that he had touched Jesus with his hands (1 John 1:1).
(d) An antikrist ånd er en, der benægter, at Jesus er Kristus, eller at han er kommet fra Gud i form af et menneske (se indgang for 1 John 2:18).
2 Johannes 1:8
Pas på jer selv, at I ikke mister det, vi har udrettet, men at I kan få fuld belønning.
(en) Pas på jer selv. Beware of deceivers who draw people to themselves and away from Jesus. John’s warnings about false teachers and false prophets echo those given by Paul (2 Cor. 11:13), Peter (2 Pet. 2:1), and Jude (Jude 1:4).
(b) Hvad vi har opnået. Johannes, den udvalgte dame og hendes børn havde sået det gode sæd ved at forkynde evangeliet. Hans bekymring var, at falske mennesker ville underminere det, de havde gjort.
(c) Du kan muligvis modtage en fuld belønning meaning spiritual offspring. Just as fish are a fisherman’s reward, spiritual children are the reward for those who labor in the gospel. Both the elder and the lady had led people to Jesus. John’s concern was that some might be led astray by deceivers (2 John 1:7). He tells us how to recognize these deceivers in verse 9 and how to deal with them in verse 10. See also the indgang for 1 Cor. 3:14.
2 Johannes 1:9
Enhver, der går for vidt og ikke bliver i Kristi lære, har ikke Gud; den, som bliver i læren, han har både Faderen og Sønnen.
(en) Enhver, der går også langt, at de går ud over Kristus, har savnet målet. Kristus er det første skridt og det eneste skridt, rejsen og destinationen. Alt, hvad der skulle gøres for at gøre dig hellig, retfærdig og acceptabel for Gud, blev udført af Jesus. Alt, hvad vi måtte tilføje til hans offer, forringer kun hans færdige arbejde.
(b) Holder sig ikke or dwell in the good news of Christ. Some read this as a threat to the believer’s salvation, as in, “fail to continue in the teaching of Christ and you will no longer have God.” But John is talking about deceivers who “do not acknowledge Jesus Christ” (2 John 1:7). He is describing false prophets, wolves in sheep’s clothing, rather than believers (1 John 4:1).
(c) Kristi lære is the gospel or good news of Jesus, the Son of God. This gospel declares the unconditional love of your heavenly Father (1 John 4:9, 19), the complete forgiveness of all your sins (1 John 1:7, 2:2, 10), and the invitation to live in eternal fellowship or union with Jesus (1 John 1:3, 4:9).
(d) Forbliver ikke i Kristi lære. Instead of abiding or making their home in the message of Christ, some move on to empty philosophy and dead religion. They embrace another gospel (Gal. 1:8) effectively preaching another Jesus (2 Cor. 11:4).
(e) Den, der holder sig or makes their home in the message of Jesus will not be distracted by those who “go too far” and tempted to add dead works to grace. John is repeating Jesus’ exhortation to: “Abide in me” (John 15:4). See also the indgang for 1 John 2:6.
(f) Har både Faderen og Sønnen. Faderen og Sønnen er en pakkeløsning.
The religious Jews of the first-century believed in God, but they did not receive the Son he sent. John makes it plain that you can’t have one without the other (1 John 2:23).
2 Johannes 1:10
Hvis nogen kommer til dig og ikke bringer denne lære, så tag ikke imod ham i dit hus, og hils ham ikke;
(en) denne undervisning meaning the teaching or gospel of Christ (2 John 1:9).
(b) Modtag ham ikke i dit hus. Byd ikke falske profeter velkommen og giv dem ikke en platform.
Some interpret John’s words as “Don’t invite sinners to your home,” but Jesus was a friend of sinners. Jesus came to seek and save the lost and we don’t represent him well by shutting our doors in their faces. John is talking about false prophets and false teachers who are preaching an antichrist message (2 John 1:7). “Distance yourself from such people.” Inviting such people to stay in your home at a time when the church met in people’s homes, was tantamount to giving them an endorsement.
(c) Hils ikke på ham som troende, fordi han ikke er troende. Du må ikke på nogen måde introducere eller godkende en falsk lærer.
2 Johannes 1:11
thi den, der hilser ham, deltager i hans onde Gerninger.
In other words, have nothing to do with those preaching an antichrist message. Again, John is not talking about unbelievers in general, but false teachers and deceivers (2 John 1:7). In a post-truth world, we have a high tolerance for people who see things differently from us. But John was not afraid to draw lines in the sand. Truth is divisive (Matt. 10:34).
2 Johannes 1:12
Skønt jeg har mange ting at skrive til dig, vil jeg ikke gøre det med papir og blæk; men jeg håber at komme til dig og tale ansigt til ansigt, så din glæde kan blive fuldkommen.
(en) Jeg har mange ting at skrive til dig. John had much to say about Jesus. John once said, “If all the deeds of Jesus were written down, the world could not contain all the books” (John 21:25).
(b) Jeg vil ikke gøre det med papir og blæk. Why was John a reluctant writer (3 John 1:13)? Was it on account of his old age or a shortage of papyrus? Was he worried about the censorship of an oppressive government? Most likely he just preferred face to face conversation. “I hope to come to you and speak face to face.”
(c) For at din glæde kan blive fuldkommen. “Our joy” may be a better translation. John is already glad (2 John 1:4). He wants the chosen lady to be glad too.
2 Johannes 1:13
Din udvalgte søsters børn hilser på dig.
The children or spiritual offspring.
Chosen. Det oprindelige ord (eklektos) is used to describe believers or the elect or those chosen by God (Col. 3:12).
“Many are called, but few are chosen,” said Jesus (Matt. 22:14). God’s call goes out to all but not all respond. Those who respond to the call of God are called the elect or the chosen. “For you are a chosen generation” (1 Pet. 2:9). In a manner of speaking, the chosen choose themselves. But since the Lord initiates the call, it’s accurate to say we are God’s chosen (Rom. 8:33, Eph. 1:4, 2 Th. 2:13, 2 Tim. 2:10).
Din udvalgte søster. This letter begins with a greeting to a chosen lady and it closes with a greeting from a chosen sister. In a generic sense, chosen means believer. In context, both women were spiritual mothers or leaders within the church because they had raised up spiritual offspring.
Can women lead in the church? If we are to take the scriptures as our final authority, the answer can only be a resounding yes. In the New Testament, where pastors are generally not named, as many as six pastors were women, including the two chosen women af 2 John.
Yderligere læsning: "Kvindelige præster i Bibelen”
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