Episode 135: Recovering a Lost Woman in the New Testament: Lady Eclecte and 2 John (Lincoln Blumell)

What if the only letter in the New Testament addressed to a woman has been hiding in plain sight? As one of the shortest texts in the New Testament, Second John is often overlooked and dismissed as a condensed version of First John. Traditionally, its opening line has been read as addressed "to an elect lady"–a phrase understood metaphorically as the Church personified as a woman. This interpretation has dominated Greek editions of the New Testament for over 150 years, reinforcing the view that the letter was not directed to an individual but to a community.

In this episode, associate dean of research in Religious Education, Lincoln Blumell, discusses his recently published scholarship that challenges this long-standing assumption. Drawing on evidence from papyri, manuscripts, and other sources, Dr. Blumell argues that the text should instead be rendered "to the lady Eclecte," identifying a named woman as the recipient. This reinterpretation not only clarifies the meaning of the letter but also makes Second John the only text in the New Testament canon addressed directly to a woman, reshaping its significance and offering new insight into the role of women in the New Testament Church.

Publications:

• Lady Eclecte: The Lost Woman of the New Testament (Fortress Press, 2025)
• Didymus the Blind's Commentary of Psalms 26:10–29 and 36:1–13 (Brepols Publishers, 2019)
• New Testament History, Culture, and Society: A Background to the Texts of the New Testament (Religious Studies Center, 2019)
• "'Is Jesus's Yoke Easy"? Reconsidering the Translation in Matthew 11:30" (BYU Studies, forthcoming)
• "A Ptolemaic Petition from a 'Judeo-Egyptian' (Ἰουδαιοαιγύπτιος)," with Kerry Hull, in Journal of Jewish Studies, 75.2 (2024)
• "The Text of the New Testament," in The King James Bible and the Restoration (Religious Studies Center, 2011)
• "The Greek Texts of the New Testament," Y Religion Podcast, Episode 20 (2020)
• Website: https://lincolnhblumell.com/

Click here to learn more about Lincoln Blumell