Who is the Lady?

[rural_preacher]

Who is the Lady to whom John wrote in 2 John?

[SumTinWong]

From the NET Bible notes:
"This phrase may refer to an individual or to a church (or the church at large). Some have suggested that the addressee is a Christian lady named “Electa,” but the same word in v. 13 is clearly an adjective, not a proper name. Others see the letter addressed to a Christian lady named “Kyria” (first proposed by Athanasius) or to an unnamed Christian lady. The internal evidence of 2 John clearly supports a collective reference, however. In v. 6 the addressee is mentioned using second person plural, and this is repeated in vv. 8, 10, and 12. Only in v. 13 does the singular reappear. The uses in vv. 1 and 13 are most likely collective. Some have seen a reference to the church at large, but v. 13, referring to “the children of your elect sister” is hard to understand if the universal church is in view. Thus the most probable explanation is that the “elect lady” is a particular local church at some distance from where the author is located."

[Matthan]

I believe John is writing generally to the entire congregation of the Church. The Greek word he uses is the same as "Lord", only feminine in nature.

Matthan

[AJ]

I believe that John is referring to a congregation.

[daveleau]

My initial impression is that this is a Christian woman that is being addressed. The Greek for "church" is similar to the word used for lady, but there isn't much else to lead us to believe it is figurative or allegory. The idea that the word sounds similar is a common fallacy in linguistics. If there were more than just the word for lady sounding like the word for church, then I would say it were allegory. The context doesn't lead to it and there isn't any historical keys or language that might suggest allegory. So, I would tend to take this as a specific woman in a church.

There's nothing to support the idea that she is a pastor. This is written to an elder in the church, not the pastor. If she were the pastor, surely John would have addressed it directly to her.

Regardless if the woman is the church or a Christian matron (as Gill, Henry and Clarke say she is), the message does not change. The writing is a superb example for any Godly church or person. It may not be correct to assume that it is the church, but to apply it to the church is a great way to use the passage.

[ZiSunka]

"The Elder, To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth, 2 because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever: 3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you F1 (http://bible1.crosswalk.com/OnlineStudyBible/bible.cgi?passage=2jo+1&version=nkj&showtools=0#F1) from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. 4 I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father.

5 And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. 6 This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. "

Which one? I see two references to "lady" each referring to a different thing. The first one is an actual person, a woman who is an admired leader at her church, a woman who raised godly children. The second is a reference to the body of believers who may all be decendants of the elect lady.

[Lynn73]

I tend to think he's addressing an actual Christian lady in the church.