Show Notes
Breaking news in biblical studies: the “elect lady” in 2 John may not be a metaphor for the Church after all—she may be a real woman with a real name: Eclecte. In this episode, New Testament papyrologist Lincoln Blumell (with research assistant Spencer Kraus) explains the textual and grammatical puzzle behind 2 John’s opening, why the traditional reading created problems, and how ancient letter-writing conventions + manuscript evidence point to a restored reading that makes sense of the Greek.
We also talk about why this matters: what it could mean for how we read 2 John, what it suggests about women’s roles and authority in early Christian house churches, and how this connects with Restoration history—including Joseph Smith’s use of 2 John when organizing the Relief Society.
The book and other resources: https://amzn.to/4q2a5Mb
https://interpreterfoundation.org/journal/finding-the-elect-lady
===Informed Saints Credits=== Produced by The Ancient America Foundation Producer: Spencer Clark Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye
===Discover=== If any of our thoughts resonated with you, consider learning more about the single most influential book in our lives. https://www.discoverbookofmormon.org/
===Content Disclaimer=== The views expressed represent ours alone and do not necessarily reflect the official position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
#InformedSaints #BibleStudy #NewTestament #2John #BiblicalStudies #TextualCriticism #ChristianHistory #WomenInTheBible #GreekNewTestament #LatterDaySaints #ReliefSociety #ScriptureStudy
More from Informed Saints
Did Joseph Smith ever reveal where the Book of Mormon took place? The very first missionaries told reporters that Lehi landed in Chile, and that the Nephites' final battle ran all the way from Panama to New York. So where did that picture come from, and has the question ever been settled by revelation?
Was Quetzalcoatl really Jesus Christ? Is the famous "Lehi Stone" actually a carving of Lehi's tree of life? And if the Book of Mormon is true, why hasn't DNA found the Nephites? A Mesoamerican historian who believes the Book of Mormon takes on the myths that never seem to die.
We're diving into the top highlights and reveals of the October 2026 General Conference, including a surprising address from President Christofferson on the spiritual dangers of gambling.
Jesus told us to search Isaiah diligently—so why does it so often feel like a closed book? What if the passages that confuse us most are actually some of the most carefully crafted poetry in all of scripture?
Everyone knows where the Hill Cumorah is… right? Joseph Smith received the gold plates from a hill in upstate New York. But is that the same hill where Mormon hid the Nephite records and the Nephites made their last stand in Mormon 6? It's one of the most debated questions in Book of Mormon geography, and the history behind it may surprise you.