2 John 1:9
“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →To abandon the teaching of Christ is to be without God; to abide in it is to have both the Father and the Son.
What Does 2 John 1:9 Mean?
The elder draws a sharp line. To 'transgress' and not 'abide in the doctrine of Christ' — to push beyond the true teaching about Jesus and leave it behind — is to be left without God. The teaching concerning Christ is not optional decoration; it is the very ground on which fellowship with God stands.
By contrast, the one who 'abideth in the doctrine of Christ' has 'both the Father and the Son.' To remain in the truth about Jesus is to be held by the Father and the Son together. The reader is gently warned and richly encouraged: do not wander past Christ in search of something supposedly higher. Stay in Him, and you possess the deepest treasure there is — God Himself.
In the Original Language
didachē (διδαχή), 'doctrine' — teaching or instruction, here the apostolic message about who Christ is.