# 2 John 01 đź“–: Truth and Love
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[[-2 John Overview]] | [[2 John 01]] | [[3 John 01]]
> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#🧠Chapter Summary]]
> [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#🔎 Key Observations / 🛟 Life Application]]
> [[#đź’¬ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#đź”— Related Passages]]
> [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#đź“‚ Internal Notes]]
## đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
### Introduction and Thanksgiving
**Principle**: The truth lasts forever.
[[#Verse 01.]] From the elder, to an elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth (and not I alone, but also all those who know the truth),Â
[[#Verse 02.]] because of the truth that resides in us and will be with us forever.Â
[[#Verse 03.]] Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
[[#Verse 04.]] I rejoiced greatly because I have found some of your children living according to the truth, just as the Father commanded us.
### Warning Against False Teachers
**Principle**: Walk together in love.
[[#Verse 05.]] But now I ask you, lady (not as if I were writing a new commandment to you, but the one we have had from the beginning), that we love one another.Â
[[#Verse 06.]] (Now this is love: that we walk according to his commandments.) This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning; thus you should walk in it.Â
[[#Verse 07.]] For many deceivers have gone out into the world, people who do not confess Jesus as Christ coming in the flesh. This person is the deceiver and the antichrist!Â
[[#Verse 08.]] Watch out, so that you do not lose the things we have worked for, but receive a full reward.
[[#Verse 09.]] Everyone who goes on ahead and does not remain in the teaching of Christ does not have God. The one who remains in this teaching has both the Father and the Son.Â
[[#Verse 10.]]Â If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house and do not give him any greeting,Â
[[#Verse 11.]]Â because the person who gives him a greeting shares in his evil deeds.
### Conclusion
[[#Verse 12.]] Though I have many other things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink, but I hope to come visit you and speak face to face, so that our joy may be complete.
[[#Verse 13.]]Â The children of your elect sister greet you.
## đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary
###### Overall.
###### Verse 01.
###### Verse 02.
###### Verse 03.
###### Verse 04.
###### Verse 05.
###### Verse 06.
###### Verse 07.
###### Verse 08.
###### Verse 09.
###### Verse 10.
###### Verse 11.
###### Verse 12.
###### Verse 13.
## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
#### Interesting connection between first, second, and third John:
- 1 John was likely written to the same churches mentioned in Revelation 2 and 3. It may have been written to the entire church. The point was to encourage the believers and to warn against the false doctrine of Gnosticism.
- 2 John was likely written to a particular church. There is some debate concerning if it was written to a lady who was overseeing a church or if John was referring to a particular church with a feminine pronoun.
- 3 John was written to a particular person. Gaius was likely involved in John’s ministry as a “personal assistant” or sorts. Someone who helped John conduct ministry.
1. 2 John has only 13 verses and could have fit on a single sheet of papyrus.
2. The author calls himself simply "the elder" (verse 1), a title of respect and age.
3. "The chosen lady" may be a specific woman or a way of describing a local church. Verse 13 mentions her "chosen sister."
4. The word truth appears five times in the first four verses.
5. Deceivers are those who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh (verse 7), the same concern found in 1 John 4:2-3.
6. Early churches met in homes, so welcoming a traveling teacher into the house (verse 10) meant giving him a platform in the church.
7. The early Christian manual called the Didache gave guidelines for testing traveling teachers and prophets.
8. The word for paper in verse 12 (*chartēs*) appears only here in the New Testament and refers to papyrus.
9. "Face to face" in verse 12 is literally "mouth to mouth" in Greek.
10. "That our joy may be complete" (verse 12) echoes 1 John 1:4.
## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## 🧠Chapter Summary
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, who came in the flesh (verses 3, 7). Grace, mercy, and peace come from Him in truth and love (verse 3), and remaining in His teaching means having both the Father and the Son (verse 9; John 14:6).
## 🔎 Key Observations / 🛟 Life Application
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đź’¬ Discussion Questions
1. John joins truth and love throughout this short letter (verses 1-6). Why do we need both, and which do you lean toward?
2. John says love means walking according to God's commands (verse 6). How does this challenge the way our culture defines love?
3. John warns against welcoming false teachers (verses 10-11). How can we be welcoming people while guarding the truth?
## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember
- đź“– verses 1-3: The elder loves the chosen lady and her children in the truth.
- đź“– verse 4: John rejoices that some of her children are walking in the truth.
- đź“– verse 6: This is love: that we walk according to His commands.
- đź“– verse 9: Whoever remains in the teaching of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
## đź”— Related Passages
- 🔗 v. 1 → 1 Peter 5:13 – A church greeted as "she who is chosen," like John's "chosen lady."
- 🔗 v. 4 → 3 John 3-4 – No greater joy than children walking in the truth.
- 🔗 v. 5 → John 13:34 and 1 John 2:7 – The command to love one another, heard from the beginning.
- 🔗 v. 6 → John 14:15 and 1 John 5:3 – Love shown by keeping His commandments.
- 🔗 v. 7 → 1 John 2:18-22 and 4:2-3 – Antichrists who deny the Son.
- 🔗 v. 8 → Hebrews 10:35 – Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
- 🔗 v. 9 → John 8:31 – If you remain in My word, you are truly My disciples.
- 🔗 v. 9 → 1 John 2:23 – Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
- 🔗 v. 10-11 → Romans 16:17 and Titus 3:10 – Avoid those who cause division with false teaching.
- 🔗 v. 12 → John 15:11 – That your joy may be complete.
- đź”— [[John 14#Verse 06.|John 14:6]] - Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
- đź”— [[John 13#Verse 34.|John 13:34]] - A new command: love one another.
- đź”— [[1 John 04#Verse 01.|1 John 4:1-3]] - Test the spirits.
- đź”— [[Galatians 01#Verse 08.|Galatians 1:8-9]] - Reject any other gospel.
- đź”— [[Romans 16#Verse 17.|Romans 16:17]] - Watch out for those who cause divisions.
## 🙏 Devotional Reflection
đź“ť SOAP: [[2 John 01 - SOAP|Love With Guardrails]]
## đź“‚ Internal Notes