ELETTA. – In the heading of II Io. one reads: “The presbyter to an E. Lady (ἐκλεκτῆ, κυρία) and her children.” In the epilogue: “The children of your sister, the E., greet you” (v. 13). The most common interpretation sees in the term E. a synonym for Church.
Also in I Pt. 5:13 the Church of Rome (Babylon) is called “co-e.” In our case, the collective sense is evident from the shift from the “you” singular to the “you” plural (vv. 5, 8, 10, 12). The children of the E. are the elect (criatianti). Every church formed by the elect is “e.” The Church, the mystical bride of the Lord, is “Lady.”
Since the article is absent from the heading, one may think that II Io. is a kind of circular letter.
Less probable are the interpretations that regard the terms e. and Lady (kyria) as proper names.
Pietro De Ambroggi