Translating ‘wish him well’ (chairein)
In 2 John 1:10-11, it says, regarding former Christians who have returned to the world:
‘Therefore, if anyone comes to you and doesn’t bring this teaching [anymore], don’t let him into your home, nor wish him well [Greek: chairein], for the one who wishes him well [Greek: chairein] is then sharing in his wicked actions.’
The Greek word itself literally means:
- To rejoice
- To be glad
- ‘Greetings!’
- ‘Farewell!’
- ‘Hail!’
It’s a way of saying a greeting (while meeting or departing), and sometimes appears in letters and other documents. It’s root means to be glad or to rejoice and be happy. It was used in a similar way to the English expression ‘farewell’, literally, to wish that someone fares well.
So this is a little more than merely saying ‘hello’ or ‘goodbye’ to someone, as it’s a way of wishing that someone continues on well in life.
That sort of greeting would obviously be entirely inappropriate to say to somebody who has left the Anointed One’s teaching, returned to the world, and may now be doing evil. So the Apostle warns against giving such greetings to such people.
So this is not about saying simple words like ‘hello’ or ‘goodbye’ to someone, but showing approval to someone who has abandoned their formerly Christian life. That’s why we translate it as ‘wish him well’.
Some emotionally controlling groups would have you believe that this is about socially cutting off repentant sinners until some arbitrary time has passed, or until some bureaucratic process has been completed. It is not.