PerryDox – BeJustAChristian

I had doubts 2 John is a chiasmus. After struggling on my own and searching others’ attempts, the doubt increased. Literally, hours were spent on what should have been – at least I thought should have been – a simple task. That task is, to determine if 2 John is chiastically arranged; and if so, find it. I am confident the below arrangement is fairly accurate if not totally correct. Like all outlines, there are parts more obvious than others. This final re-creation also differs from the others researched.

So what gives me confidence this arrangement is on the right path, if not totally correct? First, some were obvious: A.A’ & B,B’. Technically this is called an inclusio. Think of these as bookends. Just because a writer uses this technique does not necessarily mean he is writing chiastically; but it does hint he possibly is.

Second, the center (I,I’) is obviously central to the message. This is necessary for something to be chiastically written. John wrote both positively and negatively in 1 and 2 John in refuting the Gnostics. Positively by emphasizing the gospel message which includes the flesh of Jesus and love; and negatively in pointing out specifically their wrong teaching concerning the flesh of Jesus and lack of love; hence calling them anti-christs. Part of the authenticity of the positive message in 1 John is focusing on the message being “In the beginning” of the Christ age. 1 John’s first phrase is “In the beginning;” and “from the beginning” (v.5) is the central message of 2 John.  I could have combined H and I into one, but since it fit to divide, I did. If combined, it emphasizes that what was from the beginning is the command we love one another. In dividing them, another very central point also becomes more emphasized: John is not writing something new, but instead is emphasizing the original message. Since this was so central to the authenticity of the message in 1 John, I thought it would be important and emphasized in 2 John; and this arrangement shows it is. This would be important in defeating the Gnostics who relied on new revelations contrary to the original message.

Third, is D,D’. Verse 9 is probably the most controversial, contested, and possibly complicated, section of 2 John. There are four different interpretations of the doctrine of Christ. Is it only one thing? If so, then suggestions are Jesus came in the flesh (v.7), or love. Is it every specific doctrine? If that is the correct answer, then the application is if we are incorrect – “goes beyond it” – on any teaching, then we are without Christ and the Father. Ironically this puts knowledge above everything which is exactly the problem of the Gnostics. A fourth position, the one I take, is that the abiding or remaining in the doctrine of Christ is holding as the only authority the message that is from Christ from the beginning. This matches well the central message. This also opposes the Gnostic doctrine of illumination. When v.9 connected to v.2 chiastically, the doctrine of Christ is “the truth that remains in us and will be with us forever.” This means the doctrine of Christ is not about Christ, but Christ is the source or authority which is the already revealed word of God. This matches very well with 1 John (especially 4:1-6); and Jesus’ last words in Matthew 28:18-20.

Fourth, one of the intriguing but small connections is E, E’. In E (3a). John uses the common address, “grace, mercy, and peace.” Paul usually uses just grace and peace, but does include mercy in 1 Tim.1:2: “To Timothy, my true son in the faith. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”  What is different in 2 John is the elder includes a future verb tense, while in the Pauline epistles the salutations contain no verb. Why does John do that? Noticing that E is in the future tense matches perfectly with E’ (v.8) answers why: “Watch yourselves so you don’t lose what we have worked for, but that you may receive a full reward.” What is our future reward? Fuller grace, fuller peace, and fuller mercy.

So again, with 2 John, we learn that chiasms are more than just novelties. They are even more than just a cultural type of organization or outlining. Chiasms help to answer curiosities within the text and interpret difficult segments. Therefore I consider the struggle in reorganizing 2 John worth it because it personally helped me answer questions about the text.

ABBREVIATED CHIASM

A – ELECT LADY (1a)

B – CHILDREN (1b)

C – I & YOU (1c)

D – TRUTH REMAINS (2)

E – GRACE MERCY PEACE (3a)

F – JESUS CHRIST (3b)

G – WALKING IN TRUTH (3c-4)

H – URGE (5a)

I – NOT NEW (5b)

I’ – FROM BEGINNING (5c)

H’ – LOVE (5d)

G’ –WALKING IN LOVE (6)

F’ – JESUS CHRIST (7)

E’ – FULL REWARD (8)

D’ – REMAIN IN TEACHING (9-11)

C’ – I & YOU (12)

B’ – CHILDREN (13a)

A’ – ELECT SISTER (13b)

REARRANGED CHIASM

A – ELECT LADY (1a) The Elder: To the elect [eklektos] lady [kuria]

A’ – ELECT SISTER (13b) of your elect [eklektos] sister send you greetings.

• The connection is obvious. Greetings are implied in A, stated in A’. Both contain eklektos. And both lady and sister are females.
• Connecting these counters the suggestion that the lady written to is named Eklecta. If she is, then it is quite the coincidence that greetings are sent from another lady with the exact same name.

B – CHILDREN (1b) and her children [teknon]:

B’ – CHILDREN (13a) The children [teknon]

• As stated in the introduction, this is another obvious connection.
• It is possible to shorter the overall chiasm by making A,A’ and B,B’ one instead of two segments. Breaking them up, though, works according to the way John structures.

C – I & YOU (1c) I love [agape] all of you in the truth [alētheia] — and not only I, but also all who have come to know the truth [alētheia] —

C’ – I & YOU (12) Though I have many things to write to you, I don’t want to do so with paper and ink. Instead, I hope to be with you and talk face to face so that our joy [chara] may be complete.

• This connection bewildered me and I wondered if it had a specific counter-part or was just an extended portion of another. What both contain is the emphasis on the personal relationship John has with this other church.

D – TRUTH REMAINS (2) because of the truth [alētheia] that remains [meno] in us and will be with us forever.

D’ – REMAIN IN TEACHING (9) Anyone who does not remain [meno] in Christ’s [Christos] teaching [didachē] but goes beyond it, does not have God. The one who remains [meno] in that teaching [didachē], this one has both the Father [patēr] and the Son [huios]. (10) If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching [didachē], do not receive him into your home, and don’t say, “Welcome,” [chairō] to him; (11) for the one who says, “Welcome,” [chairō] to him shares in his evil works.

• Meno is an important word to John in 1 John (24x). Here it is only used three times in 13 verses, but all of them are in these two parts. Therefore they are linguistically connected.
• As stated in the beginning, if these are the two correct corresponding parts, then we have the doctrine of Christ explained as the truth that is for all and in them. The doctrine is the original message they had already received and did not need illumination from the Gnostics.
• While working on the chiasm, for a brief period I thought it possible that v.9 would be connected v.7. If that had been the case, then we would be making a different interpretive conclusion. So if you see others making this, be careful to check the other connections to see if it is forced or if I am incorrect. We can also learn a warning. If we were already convinced toward the doctrine of Christ (v.9) only referring to the incarnation (v.7), then we could force the connection. The benefit of using chiasms to interpret is to allow the connections to flow naturally. When forced, we force an interpretation onto the text.
• Another Gnostic connection is that John is stating that truth is the doctrine of Christ, that is, what Christ taught. This means it is not what the Gnostics taught.

E – GRACE MERCY PEACE (3a) Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us

E’ – FULL REWARD (8) Watch yourselves so you don’t lose what we have worked for, but that you may receive a full reward.

• As shown in the beginning, our full reward is still in the future. Therefore it is not just knowledge received as a Gnostic would claim.
• Within the NT there is a “Now – Not Yet” tension on several topics: Kingdom, Salvation, and as we see here Grace, Mercy, and Peace.

F – JESUS CHRIST (3b) from God the Father [patēr] and from Jesus [Iēsous] Christ [Christos], the Son [huios] of the Father [patēr],

F’ – JESUS CHRIST (7) Many deceivers [planos] have gone out into the world; they do not confess the coming of Jesus [Iēsous] Christ [Christos] in the flesh. This is the deceiver [planos] and the antichrist.

• The obvious linguistic connection is the repetition of “Jesus Christ.”
• What is not so obvious is connecting the fleshly sonship to the Father. Or course, this is seen in Luke’s retelling of the virgin conception.
• Implied in this connection is that the deceivers are in opposition to the Father. The Father and Son and in sync.

G – WALKING IN TRUTH (3c) in truth [alētheia] and love [agapē]. (4) I was very glad [chairō] to find some of your children [teknon] walking [peripateō] in the truth [alētheia], in keeping with a command [entolē] we have received from the Father [patēr].

G’ –WALKING IN LOVE (6) And this is love: that we walk [peripateō] according to His commands [entolē]. This is the command [entolē] as you have heard it from the beginning: you must walk [peripateō] in love [agapē].

• There are several linguistic connections: love, walk, and command.
• There is also a topic connection: truth is not only connected to love but comes from commands.

H – URGE (5a) So now I urge you, dear lady [kuria] —

H’ – LOVE (5d) that we love [agape] one another.

• There is no linguistic connection.
• There is a seamless flow which suggests we can break it apart from being the center of the chiasm.

I – NOT NEW (5b) not as if I were writing you a new command [entolē],

I’ – FROM BEGINNING (5c) but one we have had from the beginning —

• As stated in the prelude, this makes for an important central message in contradicting the Gnostics. The command which is not new and is from the beginning is not received via Gnostic illumination.

Extended Chiasm

A – ELECT LADY (1a) The Elder: To the elect [eklektos] lady [kuria]

B – CHILDREN (1b) and her children [teknon]:

C – I & YOU (1c) I love [agape] all of you in the truth [alētheia] — and not only I, but also all who have come to know the truth [alētheia] —

D – TRUTH REMAINS (2) because of the truth [alētheia] that remains [meno] in us and will be with us forever.

E – GRACE MERCY PEACE (3a) Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us

F – JESUS CHRIST (3b) from God the Father [patēr] and from Jesus [Iēsous] Christ [Christos], the Son [huios] of the Father [patēr],

G – WALKING IN TRUTH (3c) in truth [alētheia] and love [agapē]. (4) I was very glad [chairō] to find some of your children [teknon] walking [peripateō] in the truth [alētheia], in keeping with a command [entolē] we have received from the Father [patēr].

H – URGE (5a) So now I urge you, dear lady [kuria] —

I – NOT NEW (5b) not as if I were writing you a new command [entolē],

I’ – FROM BEGINNING (5c) but one we have had from the beginning —

H’ – LOVE (5d) that we love [agape] one another.

G’ –WALKING IN LOVE (6) And this is love: that we walk [peripateō] according to His commands [entolē]. This is the command [entolē] as you have heard it from the beginning: you must walk [peripateō] in love [agapē].

F’ – JESUS CHRIST (7) Many deceivers [planos] have gone out into the world; they do not confess the coming of Jesus [Iēsous] Christ [Christos] in the flesh. This is the deceiver [planos] and the antichrist.

E’ – FULL REWARD (8) Watch yourselves so you don’t lose what we have worked for, but that you may receive a full reward.

D’ – REMAIN IN TEACHING (9) Anyone who does not remain [meno] in Christ’s [Christos] teaching [didachē] but goes beyond it, does not have God. The one who remains [meno] in that teaching [didachē], this one has both the Father [patēr] and the Son [huios]. (10) If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching [didachē], do not receive him into your home, and don’t say, “Welcome,” [chairō] to him; (11) for the one who says, “Welcome,” [chairō] to him shares in his evil works.

C’ – I & YOU (12) Though I have many things to write to you, I don’t want to do so with paper and ink. Instead, I hope to be with you and talk face to face so that our joy [chara] may be complete.

B’ – CHILDREN (13a) The children [teknon]

A’ – ELECT SISTER (13b) of your elect [eklektos] sister send you greetings.

Tags: Chiasm

This entry was posted by PHall on Thursday, December 17th, 2015 at 9:33 am and is filed under II John. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.