More Than a Lady

The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth;... II John 1:1

"This verse is usually translated something such as: “The elder, to the chosen lady and her children… (NIV). The Greek word translated “lady,” (kuria) is the feminine form of the word “lord” (kurios), as in “Lord” Jesus. Using the word “lady” worked very well at the time the King James Version was written, because at that time, “lords,” and “ladies” were those of high society who ruled households and had great influence. Over time, however, the word “lady” came to be used more of a well-mannered woman, not necessarily a powerful and influential one.

Some versions use “mistress” to translate kuria, and 100 years ago that worked very
well, because the “mistress” was the ruler of the house. However, we today usually think
of a mistress as a “kept woman,” and the translation does not work well.

As our society loses its social stratification, the words and titles that clarified those positions disappear too, leaving us without a good English translation of kuria."