Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
2 JOHN
1 The elder,
To the lady chosen by God and to her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth— 2 because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever:
3 Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.
4 It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. 5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.
7 I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. 11 Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.
12 I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.
13 The children of your sister, who is chosen by God, send their greetings.
Application Notes
1:1-2 John wrote this second letter (which probably fit on one sheet of papyrus) to warn believers against inadvertently supporting false teachers. The number of itinerant evangelists and teachers had grown by the end of the first century; mixed in with the legitimate missionaries were others who were promoting heretical ideas about Christ and the gospel. Little has changed in 2,000 years. Advocates of unorthodox beliefs still exist and still attempt to confuse and deceive the people of God. This letter should serve as a wake-up call to believers to be alert, to be careful, and to be solidly grounded in the faith. Are you prepared to recognise false doctrine?
1:1 "The elder" is John, one of Jesus' 12 disciples and the writer of the Gospel of John, three New Testament letters, and the book of Revelation. (For more on John, see his profile on page 1833.) He wrote this letter shortly after 1 John to explain his previous warning about false teachers. The salutation "To the lady chosen by God and to her children" could refer to a specific woman or to a church whose identity is no longer known. John may have written this from Ephesus.
1:3-4 "The truth" refers to the truth about Jesus Christ, as opposed to the lies of the false teachers (see 1 John 2:21-23). John refers to truth five times in the first four verses of this brief letter. In contrast to so many in our culture who dogmatically deny truth ("There are no ultimate realities") or absurdly define it according to personal preference ("Your truth is your truth and my truth is my truth"), John declares the existence of an Absolute. God himself provides that ultimate standard by which all else can be judged. God is true, his words and ways are true, and whatever or whoever contradicts or opposes him is false, deceptive, and dangerous. Christian leaders, teachers, and parents must engage now in the difficult but critical battle for truth. To paraphrase a familiar saying: "All that is required for deception to triumph is for the people of the truth to do nothing." Begin an international campaign to teach those under your care how to distinguish between truth and error.
1:5-6 The statement that Christians should love one another recurs throughout the New Testament. In fact, love for one's neighbour is a very old command, first appearing in the third book of Moses (Leviticus 19:18). Knowing God's command is not enough; we must put it into practice (also see Matthew 22:37-39; 1 John 2:7-8). We can show love in many ways: by avoiding prejudice and discrimination; by accepting people; by listening, helping, giving, serving, and refusing to judge.
1:7 In John's day, many false teachers ("deceiver") were saying that spirit was good and matter was evil; therefore, they reasoned that Jesus could not have been both God and man. In strong terms, John warns against this kind of teaching. Many false teachers still promote an unbiblical understanding of Jesus today. These teachers are dangerous because they distort the truth and undermine the foundations of the Christian faith. They may use the right words but subtly change the intended meaning of Scripture, and Christians can be deceived.
1:7 The term translated "deceivers" can also be translated "impostors"; it carries the idea of leading someone else astray. Notice that this verse speaks of many such charlatans and pretenders; there are more than you might think. The great danger of deceitful leaders is that they seem so sincere and believable. They are not easy to recognise. Usually, they are winsome and attractive; otherwise, how would they gather people to themselves? We do not want to become paranoid and suspicious about everyone we meet, but we do need to be wise in evaluating the character and conduct of those who seek to influence people. The way your teachers live shows a lot about what they believe about Christ. (For more on testing teachers, see 1 John 4:1.)
1:8 To be "rewarded fully" refers not to salvation but to the rewards of loyal service. All who value the truth and persistently hold to it will win their full reward. Those who live for themselves and justify their self-centeredness by teaching false doctrines will lose that reward (see Matthew 7::21-23).
1:10-11 John instructs the believers not to show hospitality to false teachers. They were to do nothing that would encourage the heretics in their propagation of falsehoods. In addition, if believers were to invite them in, such an action would show that they were approving of what the false teachers were saying and doing. John is condemning the support of those who are dedicated to opposing the .true teachings of God, not condemning hospitality to unbelievers. John adds that a person who supports a false teacher in any way shares in the teacher's evil work.
1:10-11 We must treat false teaching as serious business, and we dare not overlook it. John took it so seriously that he wrote this letter to warn against it. Because our world has so many false teachings, we might be tempted to take many of them lightly. Instead, we should realise the dangers they pose and actively refuse to give heresies any foothold.
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)