2 John 1

Because 2 John is a short letter of only one chapter, this chapter constitutes the entire book. In the canon it follows 1 John and precedes 3 John. It briefly revisits the commandment to love and the problem of false teachers addressed in 1 John.

Outline

• Verses 1–3 "The elder" writes to the elect lady and her children. He declares that he loves them for the truth's sake and wishes them grace, mercy, and peace.
• Verses 4–6 He rejoices that some of her children are walking in truth. He urges them to love one another, not according to a new commandment but according to the one they have had from the beginning, and he states that love is walking after God's commandments.
• Verses 7–11 He warns that many deceivers, that is, antichrists, have gone out who deny that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. He says that whoever abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son, and he instructs his readers neither to receive into their house nor to greet anyone who does not bring this doctrine.
• Verses 12–13 He has much to write but, rather than using paper and ink, hopes to speak with them face to face. The letter closes with greetings from the children of the elect sister.

Key Verses

• 2 John 1:6 "And this is love, that we walk after his commandments" unites love with obedience to the commandments.
• 2 John 1:7 "who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh" provides the criterion by which teaching that denies the Incarnation of Christ is identified as deception.
• 2 John 1:10 "receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed" is the principal verse concerning how to treat false teachers.

People and Places

• The elder is the title by which the author refers to himself. Church tradition has identified him as the apostle John.
• The elect lady is the recipient of the letter; her children are mentioned with her.
• The elect sister is the mother of the children who send greetings in verse 13.

No place names appear in the text.

Points for Reflection

• Views differ regarding the author, "the elder." The traditional view identifies him as the apostle John, while some scholars identify him as "John the Elder," a separate figure mentioned in early church records.
• Some read "the lady" as an actual woman, while others take it as a figure for a local church. On the figurative reading, "her children" are the members of that church and "the sister" is another church.
• Verse 7 is nearly identical in content to 1 John 4:2–3. Scholars commonly point to Docetic teaching as the background of this verse—the claim that Jesus did not actually come in the flesh but only appeared to do so.
• The commandment in verse 5 echoes "love one another" in John 13.
• Verses 10–11 reflect the contemporary custom of welcoming itinerant teachers into one's home and providing them with food and lodging. Some read these verses narrowly as forbidding the official welcome and support of false teachers, while others read them broadly as calling for the avoidance of any contact with them.

In the Korean Church

In sermons and teaching on guarding against heresy, verses 10–11 are frequently cited as the basis for advising believers not to admit door-to-door evangelists into their homes.