FootnoteThis second letter of the apostle John is addressed from "the elder" to "the elect lady and children", a phrase which could symbolically mean a congregation. It has been commented that this phrase may have been used in order to confuse any enemy who might come in possession of the letter. As in other writings of the apostle John, in it the importance of loving each other is underscored. It also countered an error that was creeping into the church where some were saying that Christ had not come in the flesh.