2 John
In this short letter, the “Elder” John urged followers of Jesus to continue believing the truth and behaving in love toward one another. He also warned of the danger of heeding and harboring false teachers and expressed his desire to visit them soon.
In the central section of 2 John, . . . we have a brief summary of the great contrasts between truth and error, love and hatred, the Church and the world, which are dealt with at greater length in 1 John. - Stephen S. Smalley
To The Elect Lady And Her Children
Elder and Elect
Vs. 1 - The elder: To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth
Elder - The word is “presbuteros,” which originally meant an elder, not in the official but in the natural sense of the term. We would be better to translate it, "The ancient", or "The aged", for it is not from an ecclesiastical position but from his age and personal qualities that the writer of these letters draws his authority. - William Barclay
Peter also used the term “elder” to describe himself. Perhaps the term implied both authority and longevity.
1 Peter 5:1 - I exhort the elders among you as a fellow elder…
Elect Lady - The identity of the recipient or recipients of this epistle is in question. Some scholars have concluded that John wrote to a specific lady and her children. A more probable explanation is that John personified a particular local church as a lady and the Christians in it as her children. This view harmonizes with the personification of the church as Christ’s bride. - Thomas Constable
Son of The Father
Vs. 3 - 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.
This letter is much shorter than 1 John, but the apostle included many of the same themes, the most significant being his emphasis that Jesus was the Messiah, sent from God to accomplish His redemptive plan.
John’s description of Jesus Christ as the Son of God the Father is reminiscent of his emphasis on Jesus’ full deity both in his first epistle and in his Gospel. - Thomas Constable
I Was Glad
Vs. 4 - I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, in keeping with a command we have received from the Father.
John was encouraged to see some of his spiritual children both believing the truth and behaving lovingly toward one another. He began the letter by acknowledging the faithful before advising the foolish.
Love One Another
Vs. 5 - So now I ask you, dear lady—not as if I were writing you a new command, but one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another.
John’s primary call to these Christians was the same as his longer letter. The evidence of knowing God and living in a right relationship with Him was loving as He loves. To love God and others was the greatest commandment, and the apostle returned to this over and over in this letter. Loved people will love people.
1 John 4:7 - Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
1 John 5:2-3 - This is how we know that we love God’s children: when we love God and obey his commands. For this is what love for God is: to keep his commands.
Many Deceivers
Vs. 7 - Many deceivers have gone out into the world; they do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.
While John was thrilled to learn that many of these Christians had continued in faith and love, he also feared that some could be turned away from the truth by false teaching.
The false prophets or deceivers are linked to the Antichrist, no doubt the same ones in 1 John. They denied that Jesus is the Christ, a denial that marked them out as antichrists. - Zane C. Hodges
1 John 2:22 - Who is the liar, if not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This one is the antichrist: the one who denies the Father and the Son.
Watch Yourselves
Remain in The Truth
Vs. 9 - Anyone who does not remain in Christ’s teaching but goes beyond it does not have God. The one who remains in that teaching, this one has both the Father and the Son.
If the church John was addressing was not vigilant as he has just warned them to be, or if one (or more) of its members gave in to the new theology, John states that such a person transgresses (“parabaino” - to go aside) and does not abide (“meno” - to stay”) in the doctrine of Christ. He turns aside from the truth instead of remaining in it. The person who does not abide in the true doctrine about Jesus Christ does not have God with him in his new perspective and/or lifestyle. He is out of touch with God, while he who abides in the doctrine of Christ is vitally in touch with God. - Zane C. Hodges
Do Not Associate
Vs. 10 - If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your home, and do not greet him; for the one who greets him shares in his evil works.
John was entirely justified in warning his people that the wrong kind of wandering prophets might come claiming hospitality and in saying that they must on no account be received. There is no doubt that in the early church these wandering prophets became a problem. Some of them were heretical teachers, even if they were sincerely convinced of their own teaching. Some were nothing better than plausible rogues who had found an easy way to make a comfortable living. That is the picture which lies behind Second John. - William Barclay
John did not advocate the persecution of heretics here, but he strongly counseled his readers to give them no aid or encouragement in their destructive ministry. - Thomas Constable
Admittedly, great care should be exercised before applying such a radical withholding of hospitality from anyone. For the elder, it was applied only to antichristians who were committed to destroying the faith of the community. The issue involved more than disagreements in interpretation or personal misunderstandings among members of the body of Christ. It was radical and clearly defined unbelief, and it involved active and aggressive promotion of perversions of truth and practice that struck at the heart of Christianity. - Barker
I Hope to Come to You
Vs. 12 - Though I have many things to write to you, I don’t want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to come to you and talk face to face so that our joy may be complete.
It was the desire of the “elder” apostle to speak face-to-face with these “children” of the faith. Commentators note that we do not know if John ever had the opportunity to meet with them, only that he was hopeful of a joyful reunion.
