Who Is the “CHOSEN LADY” of 2 John?
In the brief epistle of 2 John, the apostle addresses his letter to the “chosen lady.” Who is this woman? Consider the key verses:
The elder,
To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I alone, but also all who know the truth
2 John 1:1 (BSB)
5And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another.
Some versions of the Bible call her the “elect lady” (KJV and ESV) while the revised NIV refers to her as “the lady chosen by God.” Whether “chosen lady,” “elect lady” or “the lady chosen by God,” who is this “dear lady”?
While some believe “chosen lady” to be a figure of speech for the local church that was to receive the letter and “her children” as members of that assembly, it’s more likely that John was writing an actual woman and her children who were well known to the apostle (whether these children were physical children or spiritual children is up for debate). I say “more likely” because that’s the way the letter reads (for instance, the final verse makes a reference to the children of her sister), plus John’s third epistle was written to an actual man, Gaius (3 John 1:1).
This female friend of the apostle is a most excellent and honorable woman who entertained traveling ministers in her home, verified by verse 10. I describe her as “most excellent and honorable” because the Greek term for “lady” is kuria (koo-REE-ah), which is the feminine form of kurios (KOO-ree-os), the Greek word for “Lord” (which is used to translate the Hebrew YHWH from the Old Testament, e.g. Romans 10:13). The fact that John mentions her children but not her husband suggests that she was a widow
It’s also possible that members of the local church met at her house à la the assembly that met at Aquila & Priscilla’s home (1 Corinthians 16:19), particularly since the epistle includes general instructions relatable to a local church. If this is so, why is John writing this woman and not the leader of this fellowship, i.e. the pastor? Or is “the chosen lady” the leader of this possible assembly? If you were an apostle over many assemblies and had instructions for a particular fellowship, would you not write the leader of that assembly or would you write the female owner of the house in which the church happened to meet?
Our conclusion is that this “chosen lady” was at least a respected believer known by John who opened her home to intenerate ministers.
It’s also possible that an assembly met at her house and the believers thereof are the “children” John speaks of. It’s even possible that she was the leader of this fellowship. While these are possibilities, there’s not enough info to draw absolute conclusions. Still, why would the great apostle write some insignificant female homeowner concerning key issues involving the local Church? If that’s all the “chosen lady” was, why would this letter end up a part of the God-breathed Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16)?
Related Topics:
Women of the Bible / Women in Ministry
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Church of Christ — What Is It?
When Did the NEW TESTAMENT Start? When Did the CHURCH Begin?
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Should Pastors Schedule Other FIVEFOLD MINISTERS at Services?
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