in calling us His children, the manifestation of Christ
to take away sin, love of our brother the sign that we are spiritually
changed, to believe in Christ and love one another the commandment of
God (iii.).

Acknowledgment of the incarnation is the test of spirits, to love one
another is to be like God, perfect love loses fear (iv.).

Faith in the incarnation overcomes the world, the three {261} witnesses
to the incarnation, eternal life possessed if we have the Son, prayer,
freedom from sin, knowledge through Jesus, who is the true God and
eternal life (v.).

THE SECOND EPISTLE OF JOHN

[Sidenote: The Author.]

The writer does not insert his name in the Epistle, but simply
describes himself as "the elder." Some writers have therefore supposed
that it was written by the presbyter named John, who lived at Ephesus
about the close of the apostolic age. But Irenaeus, who was not likely
to be mistaken in such a matter, certainly regarded it as the work of
the apostle, and the _Muratorian Fragment_ apparently so regards it.
Clement of Alexandria was certainly acquainted with more than one
Epistle by St. John, and a Latin translation of his _Hypotyposes_
definitely says, "the Second Epistle of John, written to virgins, is
very simple." Moreover, the title "elder" or "presbyter" is by no
means incompatible with apostolic authorship. St. Peter in 1 Pet. v. 1
expressly describes himself by this title, nor does the title appear to
have become confined to the presbyters or priests of the Church until
about A.D. 200. The similarity to the First Epistle is strong, seven
of the thirteen verses having parallels in the First Epistle. If the
Epistle were a forgery, it is probable that the writer would have
claimed to be an apostle in unmistakable language. And if the author
were not a forger, but the presbyter who was for some years a
contemporary of the apostle, it is hardly likely that he would have
been content to write this diminutive letter, which does little more
than sum up part of the First Epistle. The language of the Second
Epistle bears almost the same relation to that of the first as the
first bears to that of the Gospel. There is a fundamental likeness
combined with a few fresh expressions, such as "walk _according to_,"
"_coming_ in the flesh" instead of "come in the flesh," "to have God."

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[Sidenote: To whom written.]

"Unto the elect lady and her children." The interpretation of these
wo