Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

2 John 1:11

For ὁ γὰρ λέγων ([902][903]) read ὁ λέγων γάρ ([904][905][906]). When γάρ appeared in the third place, the copyists frequently transposed it to the more usual second place.

[902] 9th century. All three Epistles.
[903] 9th century. All three Epistles.
[904] 4th century. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the monastery of S. Catherine on Mount Sinai, and now at Petersburg. All three Epistles.
[905] 5th century. Brought by Cyril Lucar, Patriarch of Constantinople, from Alexandria, and afterwards presented by him to Charles I. in 1628. In the British Museum. All three Epistles.
[906] 4th century. Brought to Rome about 1460. It is entered in the earliest catalogue of the Vatican Library, 1475. All three Epistles.

11. ὁ λέγων γὰρ αὐτῷ χ. Much more, therefore, he that by receiving him into his house affords a home and head-quarters for false teaching. The reading ὁ γὰρ λέγων is an obvious correction.

κοινωνεῖ τ. ἔργοις αὐ. τ. πονηροῖς. As R.V., partaketh in his evil works: literally, with much emphasis on ‘evil’, partaketh in his works, his evil (works). Κοινωνεῖν occurs nowhere else in S. John, but he uses the cognate κοινωνία, 1 John 1:3; 1 John 1:6-7. The word for ‘evil’ (πονηρός) is the same as that used of ‘the evil one’, 1 John 2:13-14; 1 John 3:12; 1 John 5:18-19. What is involved, therefore, in having fellowship with such men is obvious. At a Council of Carthage (A.D. 256), when Cyprian uttered his famous invective against Stephen, Bishop of Rome,—Aurelius, Bishop of Chullabi, quoted this passage with the introductory remark, “John the Apostle laid it down in his Epistle”: and Alexander, Bishop of Alexandria (C. A.D. 315), quotes the passage as an injunction of “the blessed John” (Socrates H. E. I. vi.). The change from ‘deeds’ to ‘works’ may seem frivolous and vexatious, but it is not unimportant. ‘Works’ is a wider word and better represents ἔργα: words no less than deeds are included, and here it is specially the words of these deceivers that are meant. Moreover in 1 John 3:12 the same word is rendered ‘works’ of the ἔργα πονηρά of Cain. See on John 5:20; John 6:27; John 6:29. Wiclif and the Rhemish have ‘works’ here.

At the end of this verse some Latin authorities add: Ecce praedixi vobis, ut in die Domini non confundamini (or in die Domini nostri Jesu Christi). Wiclif admits the insertion; the Rhemish does not: Cranmer puts it in italics and in brackets. It has no authority.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

2 John 1:11

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