“The chosen lady and her children”
The elder, To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth, and not I alone, but also all who know the truth. (2 John 1:1 BSB)
What it sounds like today
A letter addressed to a particular woman and her family.
The cultural key
'The elder' is the writer's understated self-title. 'The chosen lady and her children' is most widely understood as a local congregation personified as a lady, her 'children' being its members, especially since the letter closes with greetings from 'the children of your elect sister', naturally read as a sister church. Some scholars think a real woman named Kyria or Electa is meant, or an unnamed prominent hostess. The veiled address may also reflect a setting where naming a church outright could invite trouble. Either way, John writes with warmth and caution to a community he is guarding from deceivers.
Recovered meaning
John writes, probably, to a whole church pictured as a beloved lady with her children, greeting them with guarded affection. The coded, family language suits a letter meant to protect a fragile community from false teachers.