Big Favor if someone could please do it...

DAL

I'm trying to decide whether to upgrade to just Silver or go for Gold (and build from there), but I'm struggling a little bit with the Exegetical Summaries Series.  I'm not sure if I need it and the previews don't help me much to decide.  Could anyone who owns these post a  complete chapter with introduction to help me evaluate the content and make a decision.  How about 2 John complete comments since it's only a one chapter letter.

I will greatly appreciate the help if possible.  For the little preview I've seen, it seems like if I don't own all the major commentaries that it makes a reference to, then I can't really use them much (kind of like the Lexham Guides), but then again, I can't really tell unless I see a full preview of the contents of at least one full chapter.

Thanks again and blessings!

DAL

Bruce Dunning

I'm not sure if you realize but 2 John is 21 pages long. I don't think it wise to post it all here but here are the first two verses which should give you a good taste of what it is like. Unfortunately the formatting does not show up and that is what I consider one of the strong points. Hope this helps.

EXEGETICAL SUMMARY OF 2 JOHN

  p 198  Title: The Second of John
 QUESTION—Who wrote this letter?
  The writer calls himself ὁ πρεσβύτερος ‘the Elder’. The similarities of structures, word choices, and topics between the Gospel of John, 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John lead most commentators to assign them to a single author [AB, Alf, Br, Brd, EBC, EGT, ICC, Lns, My, NIC, NTC, TH, TNTC, Ws; NJB]. Most think that the writer was the Apostle John and assume that he was also known as “the Elder” [Alf, Br, Brd, EBC, EGT, Lns, My, NTC, TNTC, Ws; NJB]. Some think that it was not the Apostle John [AB, Herm, HNTC, ICC, NCBC, WBC], but may have been a follower of the Apostle John [AB, WBC].

DISCOURSE UNIT: 1–3 [AB, Alf, Br, EBC, EGT, Herm, Lns, NCBC, NIC, NTC, TH, TNTC, WBC, Ws]. The topic is the opening formula [AB], the address and greeting [Alf, Br, EGT, Herm, Lns, NCBC, NIC, NTC, TH, TNTC, WBC, Ws], the introduction [EBC].

1 The eldera to-(the)-chosenb ladyc and to-her children,d
    LEXICON—a. πρεσβύτερος (LN 53.77) (BAGD 2.b.β. p. 700): ‘elder’ [BAGD, HNTC, LN, Lns; all versions], ‘presbyter’ [AB, BAGD, WBC].
    b.      ἐκλεκτός (LN 30.93) (BAGD 1.b p. 242): ‘chosen’ [BAGD, HNTC, LN; NASB, NIV, NJB, REB, TNT], ‘elect’ [AB, Lns, WBC; KJV, NAB, NRSV], ‘dear’ [TEV].
    c.      κυρία (LN 87.54) (BAGD 1, 2. p. 458): ‘lady’ [AB, BAGD, HNTC, LN, WBC; all versions], ‘mistress’ [BAGD, Lns].
    d.      τέκνον (LN 10.36) (BAGD 2.c p. 808): ‘child’ [AB, BAGD, HNTC, LN, Lns; all versions], ‘offspring’ [WBC].
 QUESTION—Why does the writer call himself ὁ πρεσβύτερος ‘the elder’?
    1.      The term means only that he was an elderly person [Alf, HNTC, My]. His age and experience gave him qualities valued by the church [HNTC].
    2.      The term was used of older respected Christian leaders [AB, Br, Herm, ICC, Lns, NCBC, NTC, TH, TNTC, Ws]. It was an honorary title given to the surviving apostles [Br, ICC, Lns, NTC, TNTC, Ws] and to those who handed down the Christian traditions [AB, Herm, ICC, NCBC, TH].
    3.      The term indicates that he was a church official [EBC, NIC, WBC]. He was equivalent to a bishop who had authority over the region in which his readers lived [EBC].
 QUESTION—What is meant by ἐκλεκτῇ ‘chosen’?
  It means that God chose the lady to belong to himself [BAGD, HNTC, Lns, NIC, WBC; REB, TNT] and to give her salvation [TH]. It was a standard designation for Christians [TH].
   p 199  QUESTION—To whom does κυρίᾳ ‘lady’ refer, and to whom does τέκνοις αὐτῆς’ ‘her children’ refer?
    1.      ‘Lady’ is a metaphorical reference to a church, and the individual members of that congregation are called her ‘children’ [AB, BAGD, Br, Herm, HNTC, ICC, Lns, My, NCBC, NIC, NTC, TH, TNTC, WBC, Ws; NJB, TEV]. One commentator thinks that instead of one particular church, the letter was to be passed from church to church, each of which in turn would be the lady [Herm]. The children need not be all males [Alf], the designation ‘children’ includes daughters [My].
    2.      It refers to an individual lady and her children [Alf, Brd, EGT].
     2.1      Her name is not mentioned [Brd]: to the elect lady.
     2.2      The lady’s name is κυρία [Alf, EGT]: to the elect Kyria.

whom I lovea inb truth,c
    LEXICON—a. pres. act. indic. of ἀγαπάω (LN 25.43): ‘to love’ [AB, HNTC, LN, Lns, WBC; all versions]. See this word at 1 John 2:10; 3:10, 11, 14, 18, 23; 4:7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 19, 20, 21; 5:1, 2; 3 John 1.
    b.      ἐν with dative object (LN 70.4): ‘in’ [AB, HNTC, WBC; all versions except TEV], ‘in connection with’ [Lns], ‘within the fellowship of’ [TNT].
    c.      ἀλήθεια (LN 70.4) (BAGD 3. p. 36): ‘truth’ [AB, HNTC, Lns, WBC; all versions except TEV]. The phrase ἐν ἀληθείᾳ ‘in truth’ is translated as an adverb modifying ‘I love’: ‘truly’ [BAGD; TEV], ‘really’ [LN].
 QUESTION—To whom does οὕς ‘whom (masculine plural)’ refer?
  It refers to both the lady and her children [AB, Alf, Br, Brd, EGT, My, TH, TNTC, Ws].
 QUESTION—What relationship is indicated by the preposition phrase ἐν ἀληθείᾳ ‘in truth’?
    1.      It refers to the truth of the gospel [AB, Alf, Br, Brd, EBC, EGT, Herm, HNTC, ICC, Lns, NCBC, NIC, TNTC, WBC]: whom I love in connection with the truth. He loves them as fellow believers, all believing the truth [Br]. Love is based on fellowship in Christian knowledge and faith [EGT]. Love is regulated by the truth [ICC]. He loves in a way that is consistent with Christian revelation [AB, NIC]. Truth abiding in the writer brings about such Christian love [Alf].
    2.      It is adverbial, indicating the manner in which he loves [BAGD, ICC, LN, My, TH, Ws; TEV]: whom I truly love.

and not I onlya butb also all the-(ones) having-knownc the truth,d
    LEXICON—a. μόνος (LN 58.51) (BAGD 1.a.γ. p. 527): ‘only’ [AB, BAGD; all versions except REB], ‘alone’ [BAGD, HNTC, LN, Lns, WBC; REB].
    b.      ἀλλά (LN 89.125): ‘but’ [AB, HNTC, Lns, WBC; all versions except NJB], ‘for so’ [NJB].
    c.      perf. act. participle of γινώσκω (LN 32.16) (BAGD 6.a.α p. 161): ‘to know’ [BAGD, HNTC, Lns, WBC; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, REB, TEV], ‘to come to know’ [AB, BAGD; NAB, NJB, TNT], ‘to come to   p 200  understand’ [LN]. The perfect tense indicates that the knowledge was acquired in the past and is now a present possession [Brd, Lns, NIC, WBC]. The focus is on the present knowledge [NTC].
    d.      ἀλήθεια (LN 72.2) (BAGD 2.b. p. 36): ‘truth’ [AB, BAGD, HNTC, LN, Lns, WBC; all versions].
 QUESTION—What is meant by πάντες οἱ ἐγνωκότες τὴν ἀλήθειαν ‘all who know the truth’?
  ‘The truth’ refers to the truth of the gospel [BAGD, Brd, ICC, Lns, My, NIC, TH, TNTC, WBC, Ws] and to know the truth includes accepting it and being committed to it [NIC]. Those who know the truth are all Christians [AB, Alf, Br, EBC, EGT, Herm, HNTC, ICC, Lns, My, NCBC, NTC, WBC]. There is an implied contrast with the false teachers who do not know the truth [EBC, HNTC, ICC, My, NTC, TH, TNTC, WBC].

2 because-ofa the truthb remainingc ind us,
    LEXICON—a. διά with accusative object (LN 89.26): ‘because of’ [NIV, NJB, NRSV, TNT], ‘because’ [TEV], ‘on account of’ [HNTC, WBC], ‘for the sake of’ [Lns; KJV, NASB, REB], ‘based on’ [AB; NAB].
    b.      ἀλήθεια (LN 72.2): ‘truth’ [AB, HNTC, Lns, WBC; all versions]. See this word at v. 1.
    c.      pres. act. participle of μένω (LN 68.11): ‘to remain’ [LN, Lns, WBC; NJB, TEV], ‘to abide’ [AB; NAB, NASB, NRSV], ‘to dwell’ [HNTC; KJV, REB], ‘to live’ [NIV], ‘to be’ [TNT]. See this word at 1 John 2:14.
    d.      ἐν with dative object (LN 89.119): ‘in’ [AB, HNTC, Lns, WBC; all versions except REB], ‘among’ [REB]. See this word at 1 John 2:14.
 QUESTION—What relationship is indicated by διά ‘because of’?
  It indicates the reason that the writer and all those who know the truth love the elect lady and her children [Alf, Brd, EBC, Herm, ICC, Lns, NIC, TH, TNTC, WBC, Ws]: we love all of you because of the truth that remains in us. The truth creates an inner compulsion to love [NIC, WBC]. They love each other because of the truth they share [TNTC, Ws]. Some consider this clause to be directly related to ‘I love’, and the clause ‘and not only I, but also all who know the truth’ is parenthetical [Brd, TH, WBC; NIV]. Others connect it directly to the clause ‘all who know the truth’ to show how the truth is the motivation for love [Alf, EBC]. One commentator refers to two relationships: all who know the truth know it because the truth abides in all Christians and that abiding truth causes them to love the lady and her children [AB].
 QUESTION—What is meant by τὴν ἀλήθειαν ‘the truth’?
  It means the Christian truth as in the preceding clause [AB, Brd, EBC, Herm, Lns].
 QUESTION—To whom does ἡμῶν ‘us’ refer?
  It is inclusive and refers to the writer together with those to whom he writes [Alf, ICC, Lns, My, NIC, TH, TNTC, WBC, Ws].

  p 201  and will-be witha us to the age.b
    LEXICON—a. μετά with genitive object (LN 89.108): ‘with’ [AB, HNTC, Lns; all versions], not explicit [WBC].
    b.      αἰών (LN 67.95) (BAGD 1.b. p. 27): ‘age’. The phrase εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ‘to the age’ is translated ‘forever’ [AB, HNTC, Lns, WBC; all versions], ‘to eternity’ [BAGD].
 QUESTION—What is the significance of the change from ἐν ‘in’ to μετά ‘with’?
  Some commentators think there is no semantic difference intended [TH, TNTC, WBC]. Others make distinctions. The truth remains in our hearts and will be with us as a companion [Lns]. ‘With’ emphasizes the objectivity of the truth [My].


Anderson, J. (2008). An Exegetical Summary of 1, 2, and 3 John (2nd ed.) (197–201). Dallas, TX: SIL International.