2 John

¹ The Elder, To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth, ² because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever: ³ Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. ⁴ I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received a commandment from the Father. ⁵ And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. ⁶ This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. ⁷ For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. ⁸ Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. ⁹ Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰ If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; ¹¹ for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. ¹² Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full. ¹³ The children of your elect sister greet you. Amen.

Commentary

Vs. 1-3 ¹ The Elder, To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth, ² because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever: ³ Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

Here the Apostle John in opening this epistle, addresses himself as the Elder, (which can be a reference to age, but here is clearly a reference to his position as an elder in the church). Now John addresses his epistle to one of the brethren whom he calls the elect lady and her children. This woman then must have been one of his disciples whom he was discipling along with her children (that is those believers who were there with her). Now John does not hesitate to declare his love for them, and not only his love for them, but also all those who have known the truth their love for them, who have heard about their faith In Christ (Vs. 1). And so, from this (and many other passages) we see that the early believers openly expressed their love and concern for each other. Having then greeted the elect lady and those of her household, John now reaffirms their faith saying to them that the truth is not only in them all, but will be with them all forever (Vs. 2; John 14:6). This then is another verse which reaffirms their (and our) eternal security In Christ Jesus. Having then declared his own and the brethren everywhere love for them, John’s finial opening address then is a declaration of God’s own love for them, and reaffirmation of them, (and us all), and so he says, Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. Consider then that this is not a mere “well-wishing”, but rather it is declaration that God’s grace, God’s mercy, and God’s peace, will be with them (and us too), because we too believe and trust in His Son the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:27). It’s a great and edifying opening that should never be overlooked.

Vs. 4 “I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received a commandment from the Father.”

 The Apostle John now declares his own joy at hearing about their faith In Christ and how they are faithfully following Him (i.e., walking in the truth), just as we received a commandment from God the Father, that all who would believe in Him must obey and keep His Sons Commandments (Matt. 17:5).

Vs. 5-6 ⁵ And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. ⁶ This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.

The Apostle John then reminds the elect lady, and thus us all, that keeping and obeying the Father and His Son the Lord Jesus Christ begins with walking in love towards each other, which is not a new commandment but is the Commandment that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself gave us (John 13:34-35). Therefore, as the Scripture says, love does no harm to another, therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law (Rom. 13:10), so we should all strive to become harmless and blameless children in this world that is so riddled with harm and hate (consider Matt. 10:16; Phil. 2:14-16; Heb. 7:26; 1 Thess. 3:12-13).

Vs. 7 “For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

The Apostle John now moves to the pressing issue, warning them (and us all) saying, “For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”

These evil people then were infiltrating the local assemblies and house churches and denying the Lord Jesus Christ’s Person as being both the Son of God and the Son of Man, and so they are nothing other than agents of Satan and thus are rightly called a deceiver and antichrist. Today we have the “Jehovah Witnesses” who also prey upon people’s belief in God and desires to know Him by also denying and undermining the Fullness of God’s Son and His Word. And so, you need to aware of these sorts of deceivers, for they bear the spirit of the antichrist, therefore have nothing to do with them.

Vs. 8 “Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.” 

Here the Apostle John is not referring to working for one’s salvation, but rather the work one puts into learning about and believing in the Lord Jesus Christ’s Person as testified to in the Scriptures. For it is our own individual responsibility to preserve our own faith in Him, by not accepting any teachings or doctrines that are contrary to Him and His Word given us by Him. Now this we also do so that we too may receive a full reward when He rewards all who have believed in Him, and faithfully followed Him. And so once again knowing God’s Word is the only defense against the deceiver and the antichrist who comes in many types, doctrines, and practices.

Vs. 9 “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.” 

It then is a simple matter of fact that whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. That then is how you will always know false teachers, false prophets, false brethren. For neither their lives nor their doctrine coincides with Christ’s. In contrast then to them is all of us who abide in the doctrine of Christ, for we don’t want to argue or contend with those who rightly teach it and keep, nor will we deny any part of it, for we believe it all, and want to keep it all, and thus we teach and proclaim it all! 

Vs. 10-11 ¹⁰ If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; ¹¹ for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. 

Therefore, the Apostle John makes it clear that we must not receive nor greet anyone who does not bring this doctrine, (Vs. 9), that is anyone who is knowingly undermining the Testimony and the Doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ we are to shun and having nothing to do with them, not even to greet them, for in greeting them we only give validity to them and their lying doctrine, and thus share in their evil deeds. Now there is a spiritual element in this commandment and warning as well. And so, one should very careful not to become involved with those who are teaching the doctrines and lies of demons, lest they open themselves up to demon spirits as well. 

Vs. 12-13 ¹² Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full. ¹³ The children of your elect sister greet you. Amen. 

John now closes out this epistle by saying that he would much rather speak with the elect lady in person than with pen and ink, (something the text messing world is now sadly missing; meaningful and real face to face conversations), so that their joy may be full. For believers joy in being with each other is just another sign of our true standing with Christ. “The children of your elect sister greet you. Amen.” Not only then did John miss them, but also many other brethren who also knew her and them.

Scripture Quotations 

New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson.