2 John

1.1-13

With only 13 verses in 2 John, it is more of a postcard than a letter. Much more has been written about it than was ever written in it. It is shorter than all New Testament books except the slightly shorter letter immediately following it in 3 John. But the consistency of themes in these two (2 & 3 John) letters with 1 John and the fourth Gospel is unmistakable. A close parallel to 2 John is seen in Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus, "but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is Christ" (Eph. 4:15). Ephesus is the same city where John is presumed to have written 1st and 2nd John. Addressing this letter to the elect lady and her children, many commentaries have chosen to consider this a metaphoric terminology for the church. John MacArthur writes that such an interpretation is inconsistent with the transition between the singular form of the personal pronoun "you" in verse 5 and the plural form in verse 12, which would more naturally apply to a woman and her children than a church and its members. Based on the warnings contained in 1 John and reemphasized here in 2 John against heretics (vv7,10-11), and specifically against welcoming them into your home (v10), it may be that this woman inadvertently or unwisely opened her home to a traveling heretic who was traveling from church to church taking advantage of Christian hospitality. Despite the admonition, the theme of the letter is the importance and boundaries of loving in the truth.

CHAPTER 1

Walk in Truth and Love

1 The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth,
2 for the sake of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever:
3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
4 I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we received commandment from the Father.
5 Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another.
6 And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.
7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.
8 See to yourselves, that you do not lose what we accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.
9 Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. The one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.
10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting,
11 for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.
12 Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be made complete.
13 The children of your elect sister greet you.