Who is involved?
John, the elder – An apostle of Christ Jesus who referred to himself in the gospel of John, as the disciple whom Jesus loved. He was the son of Zebedee and the brother of James. He was a fisherman by trade, who left his net to follow Jesus. Was called by Jesus, "A Son of Thunder."
The chosen lady and her children – scholars go back and forth as to whether this was a specific woman and her children or if this is referencing a church and its members. Either way, the principles can be applied to the church (as a whole) or to individual believers (in their private homes). She was a wonderful woman of God who had been showing hospitality to the apostates (false teachers) in the church.
What is happening?
John is warning the chosen lady and her children (the church and its members) of the importance of balancing love with truth. There are false teachers moving into the church; trying to distort Christian doctrine. John is concerned that the church will lovingly welcome these false teachers instead of taking a stand for truth. He is teaching the young church that whenever love and truth go head-to-head, truth (found in the gospel) must prevail.
Where is it happening?
Most likely, the churches in Asia Minor.
When is it happening?
It was probably written near the end of John’s life; somewhere around 90-100 AD. Many scholars believe that the three letters (1 John, 2 John, 3 John) were written around the same time frame.
Why is it happening?
To Cause the Audience to Learn: Love Should be Expressed Within the Boundary of Truth
How does it point to Jesus?
Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son. | 2 John 1:9 ESV
