2 John 1:11
“For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →To wish such a false teacher well is to share in his evil work.
What Does 2 John 1:11 Mean?
This short verse completes the thought of the one before it. To 'bid God speed' to a teacher who denies the truth about Christ is not a harmless courtesy; it makes one a 'partaker of his evil deeds.' To encourage and assist such work is, in a real sense, to join in it.
The elder is showing that our choices ripple outward. Welcoming and blessing what opposes the gospel is not neutral; it lends our weight to harm. The reader is sobered but also dignified by this: what we support matters. We are called to a discerning love that refuses to bless what would damage others' faith, while still longing, as the whole letter does, for all to walk in the truth.
In the Original Language
koinōneō (κοινωνέω), 'partaker' — to share or have fellowship in, the same root behind the rich New Testament word for communion.