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BOOK 63 OF 66 · GENERAL EPISTLES · KING JAMES BIBLE

2 John 1

2 John book home•Chapter 1 of 1•13 verses
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REVIEWED OVERVIEW

2 John 1 Overview

John writes to the elect lady and her children, rejoicing that some walk in truth and urging continued love according to God’s commandments. He warns that many deceivers deny Jesus Christ coming in the flesh and tells believers not to support teachers who do not abide in the doctrine of Christ. Truth and love must remain joined.

2 JohnBook
1Chapter
13Verses
General EpistlesDivision

Before you read 2 John 1

Coming from

1 John 5 closes with assurance of eternal life in the Son, confidence in prayer, and a warning against idols.

In this chapter

John writes to the elect lady and her children, rejoicing that some walk in truth and urging continued love according to God’s commandments. He warns that many deceivers deny Jesus Christ coming in the flesh and tells believers not to support teachers who do not abide in the doctrine of Christ. Truth and love must remain joined.

Leads into

The canonical sequence continues into 3 John.

Key understandingExplore deeper

The identity of the ‘elect lady’ may be an individual woman and household or a figurative way of addressing a local church; the letter’s main message does not depend on dogmatism about that question.

Withholding hospitality from false teachers concerns materially enabling their doctrinal mission, not refusing ordinary kindness to every unbeliever.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Truth and love belong together

Christian love walks according to God’s commandments.

Christology is non-negotiable

Denying Jesus Christ come in the flesh marks deception.

Believers must not finance false teaching

Hospitality can become participation when it advances corrupt doctrine.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

1 John 4:1–3

John also commands testing spirits by their confession concerning Jesus Christ.

3 John 5–8

The positive counterpart commends supporting faithful gospel workers.

Galatians 1:8–9

Paul likewise rejects teachers who corrupt the gospel.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not use the letter to justify lovelessness

The command to guard truth is itself framed by repeated commands to love.

Do not support false teachers under the banner of hospitality

John says enabling their work makes one partaker of evil deeds.

Do not stretch ‘doctrine of Christ’ into every secondary disagreement

The immediate focus is the true identity and teaching of Christ.

Read 2 John 1 watching for…

Truth and love repeated together.

The commandment ‘from the beginning.’

The deceivers’ Christological error.

The warning about losing reward.

The boundary on hospitality.

TWBC REVIEW STANDARD

Plain language. Scripture first. Fact distinguished from inference. No filler. No fake certainty. Designed to help you read the Bible itself.

Chapter outline4 sections
1-3John greets the elect lady and her children in truth and love4-6John rejoices that her children walk in truth and reminds them to love one another7-11Believers are warned about deceivers who deny Christ and are told not to support their false doctrine12-13John hopes to speak face to face and sends greetings
1

The 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;

2

For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.

3

Grace 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.

4

I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.

5

And 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.

6

And 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.

7

For 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.

8

Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.

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.

10

If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:

11

For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

12

Having 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.

13

The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.