Chapter 1
Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.
Just read this chapter →Scripture
KJV1The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;
2For the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.
3Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
4I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.
5And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
6And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
7For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
8Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
9Whosoever 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.
10If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
11For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
12Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.
13The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.
“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.”
Overview
The elder writes to the elect lady and her children, whom he loves in the truth. He rejoices that some of her children walk in truth and repeats the commandment to love one another. He warns against deceivers who do not confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, identifying them as antichrist, and instructs the church not to receive such persons into their house or give them greeting, lest they share in their wicked works.
Key Themes
Walking in Truth and Love
Truth and love are inseparable for the believer — walking in truth means obeying God's commandments, and the core commandment is to love one another.
Warning against Deceivers
Many deceivers deny that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh — these are antichrist, and believers must guard against them to protect their full reward.
Guarding Sound Doctrine
Those who go beyond Christ's teaching and do not abide in it do not have God — believers are not to welcome or support those who bring a different gospel.
Study Questions
How does John's greeting show the relationship between truth and love (vv. 1-3)?
What does the commandment to 'love one another' (v. 5) look like when combined with the warning against false teachers?
Why is the confession that Jesus Christ 'is come in the flesh' (v. 7) so essential to the Christian faith?
What does it mean to 'abide in the doctrine of Christ' (v. 9), and what are the consequences of going beyond it?
How should believers today apply the instruction not to receive false teachers into the house (v. 10)?
Connection to Christ
The central confession is that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh — the incarnation is the dividing line between truth and deception. Abiding in the doctrine of Christ means having both the Father and the Son, and this confession protects the church from antichrist deception.
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through 2 John 1. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?
2 John
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