Iohannis Ii 1
1 Senior Electae dominae, et natis eius, quos ego diligo in veritate, et non ego solus, sed et omnes, qui cognoverunt veritatem,
To an eminent Christian Lady, and to her Children, from the Officer of the Church. I sincerely love you all, and not I only, but also all those who have learned to know the Truth.
We love you for the sake of that Truth which is always in our hearts; yes, and it will be ours for ever. (aiōn g165)
3 Sit vobiscum gratia, misericordia, pax a Deo Patre, et a Christo Iesu Filio Patris in veritate, et charitate.
Blessing, mercy, and peace will be ours — the gift of God, the Father, and of Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son — in a life of truth and love.
4 Gavisus sum valde, quoniam inveni de filiis tuis ambulantes in veritate, sicut mandatum accepimus a Patre.
It was a great joy to me to find the lives of some of your children guided by the Truth, in obedience to the command that we received from the Father.
5 Et nunc rogo te domina, non tamquam mandatum novum scribens tibi, sed quod habuimus ab initio, ut diligamus alterutrum.
And now, I pray you, Lady — not as though I were writing a new command for you; no, it is the command which we had from the first — Let us love one another.
6 Et haec est charitas, ut ambulemus secundum mandata eius. Hoc est enim mandatum, ut quemadmodum audistis ab initio, in eo ambuletis:
And this is love — to live in obedience to the Father’s commands. This is the Command as you learned from the first, to live in a spirit of love.
7 quoniam multi seductores exierunt in mundum, qui non confitentur Iesum Christum venisse in carnem: hic est seductor, et antichristus.
I say this because many impostors have left us to go into the world — men who do not acknowledge Jesus as Christ come in our human nature. It is that which marks a man as an impostor and an anti-Christ.
8 Videte vosmetipsos, ne perdatis quae operati estis: sed ut mercedem plenam accipiatis.
Take care that you do not lose the fruit of all our work; rather, reap the benefit of it in full.
9 Omnis, qui recedit, et non permanet in doctrina Christi, Deum non habet: qui permanet in doctrina, hic et Patrem et Filium habet.
Every one who goes beyond the limits of the Teaching of the Christ has failed to find God; the man who keeps to that Teaching — he has found both the Father and the Son.
10 Si quis venit ad vos, et hanc doctrinam non affert, nolite recipere eum in domum, nec AVE ei dixeritis.
If any one comes to you and does not bring this Teaching, do not receive him into your house or welcome him;
11 Qui enim dicit illi AVE, communicat operibus eius malignis. Ecce praedixi vobis, ut in die Domini non confundamini:
for the man who welcomes him is sharing with him in his wicked work.
12 Plura habens vobis scribere, nolui per chartam et atramentum: spero enim me futurum apud vos, et os ad os loqui: ut gaudium vestrum plenum sit.
Though I have a great deal to say to you, I would rather not trust it to paper and ink, but I am hoping to come and see you, and to speak with you face to face, so that your joy may be complete.
13 Salutant te filii sororis tuae Electae.
The children of your eminent sister send you their greetings.
