The Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner Revision)

The second epistle of St. John, a single chapter, in the Rheims New Testament as revised by Challoner, with his introduction, chapter summary and notes.

The Apostle commends Electa and her family for their steadfastness in the true faith and exhorts them to persevere, lest they lose the reward of their labours. He exhorts them to love one another. But with heretics to have no society, even not to salute them. Although this Epistle is written to a particular person, yet its instructions may serve as a lesson to others, especially to those who, from their connections, situation, or condition in life, are in danger of perversion.

Chapter 1

He recommends walking in truth, loving one another and to beware of false teachers.

1 The Ancient to the lady Elect and her children, whom I love in the truth: and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth,

2 For the sake of the truth which dwelleth in us and shall be with us for ever.

3 Grace be with you, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus the Son of the Father: in truth and charity.

4 I was exceeding glad that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.

5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as writing a new commandment to thee, but that which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another.

6 And this is charity: That we walk according to his commandments. For this is the commandment that, as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in the same:

7 For many seducers are gone out into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a seducer and an antichrist.

8 Look to yourselves, that you lose not the things which you have wrought: but that you may receive a full reward.

9 Whosoever revolteth and continueth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. He that continueth in the doctrine, the same hath both the Father and the Son.

10 If any man come to you and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into the house nor say to him: God speed you.

11 For he that saith unto him: God speed you, communicateth with his wicked works.

12 Having more things to write unto you, I would not by paper and ink: for I hope that I shall be with you and speak face to face, that your joy may be full.

13 The children of thy sister Elect salute thee.

Notes to Chapter 1

Verse 1. The ancient.... That is, the ancient bishop St. John, being the only one of the twelve apostles then living. To the lady Elect.... Some conjecture that Electa might be the name of a family, or of a particular church; but the general opinion is, that it is the proper name of a lady, so eminent for her piety and great charity, as to merit this Epistle from St. John.

Verse 10. Nor say to him, God speed you.... This admonition is in general, to forewarn the faithful of the dangers which may arise from a familiarity with those who have prevaricated and gone from the true faith, and with such as teach false doctrine. But this is not forbidding a charity for all men, by which we ought to wish and pray for the eternal salvation of every one, even of our enemies.

Colophon

This page gives the Second Epistle of St. John the Apostle from the Douay-Rheims Bible as revised by Bishop Richard Challoner (1749–1752). The Old Testament was first published by the English College at Douay in 1609–1610 and the New Testament by the English College at Rheims in 1582, both translated from the Latin Vulgate. The transcription's title page describes the whole as revised and diligently compared with the Latin Vulgate by Challoner. Its printed base is a later edition in the Challoner line, issued electronically by Catholic Software, and is not proven to be the 1749–1752 printing itself; it is therefore labelled "Challoner revision" rather than dated.

Transcription: the public-domain electronic text prepared by Dennis McCarthy and Tad Book and distributed by Project Gutenberg (eBook no. 1581; first released December 1998, last revised 23 September 2023). Challoner's book introductions, chapter summaries and notes are given in full. The transcription prints each note as a paragraph after the verse it explains; here the notes are gathered after each chapter and keyed to that verse. Wording, spelling and punctuation are left exactly as transcribed; only line-wrapping, the contents list and the e-text's own header, footer and licence matter have been removed.

Licence: public domain. This is an archival transcription, not a Good Works Translation.

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