“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” 2 Peter 1:20 – 2:1
Verses 1-2 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.
Here the apostle John refers to himself as “the elder”. The Greek word translated as “elder” is “presbuteros” and it means old man, elder woman, elder of age, advanced in life, or a senior. It does not mean a particular position in a church. There are only Bishops and Deacons in the church structure as established in the first century church. John was one of the 12 disciples of the LORD Jesus Christ and one of the fathers of the Church, and at the time of the writing of this letter, John was not a young man.
The Greek word translated as “elect” is “eklektos” and it means picked out or chosen. Christians are called chosen or elect of God. Remember that fact when considering the teaching that the Jews are God’s chosen people in exclusion of the Christians.
The Greek word translated as “lady” is “Kuria” and it only occurs two times in the Bible in this book of 2 John. The question is, “Was the apostle John writing to a specific woman or to a church?” This writer believes that John was writing to a church as he refers to the lady as “the elect”, he refers to others, obviously believers, who are also loving this lady “in the truth” and who also “have known the truth”, and he fails to give the name of the lady. John gives the name of the recipient of his third epistle, Gaius, so why not give the name of the lady if he is indeed writing to a specific woman?
Application: Once a person becomes a believer in the LORD Jesus Christ and receives the indwelling of the Holy Ghost/Spirit, truth becomes a part of the person because Jesus stated He was the truth and it is His spirit that indwells the believer.
Verse 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.
The apostle John is known as the apostle of love as his writings reflect and preach the statement of Jesus recorded in John 13:34, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”
Verse 4 I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.
So John was glad that these children, whether real children or whether the saved people in the church, were walking in truth. The Greek word translated as “walking” is “peripateo” and it means not only to walk, but to make one’s way or progress, to regulate one’s life, or to conduct one’s self. Since Jesus is the truth, to walk in the truth is synonymous with walking with Jesus or walking in a Christ-like manner through life. The commandment John is referring to is the one quoted above from John 13:34.
Verse 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.
John 15:12 “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
John 15:17 “These things I command you, that ye love one another.”
1 Thessalonians 4:9 “But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.”
Verse 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.
John 14:15 “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
John 15:10 “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.”
Verse 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.
The Greek word translated as “deceivers” is “planos” and it means misleading, leading into error, imposter, corrupter, and vagabond. John was warning that these people were around and to be aware of them. These deceivers would pervert the Word of God and the truth. These deceivers would deny that Jesus Christ had come to the Earth and thereby deny the entire Gospel. The major deceivers in John’s time were the Jewish leadership and religious leaders and followers who denied that Jesus was the Messiah and conspired to have Him killed. The Jews to this day deny that Jesus was and is the Messiah. They hate the name of Jesus, hate the followers of Jesus and are still looking for their Messiah to return and set up a Jewish kingdom here on Earth. But John called them an antichrist which means “the adversary of the Messiah” or against Christ.
Application: Today the practicing Jew remains an antichrist. But atheist, witches, satanist, and followers of false doctrine are also antichrist and against the things of God. These people infiltrate the Church all the time in the hope of weakening it and destroying it. False Bible versions, false interpretations of Bible prophecy, false teachings of Bible doctrine, false pastors in the pulpits and on media such as TV and Internet are prolific. Johns observation and warning is just as relevant today as it was almost 2,000 years ago.
Verse 8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
The term “look to yourselves” means to take heed, discern, or beware of the deception that can ruin the Christian walk and interfere with the eternal reward each believer will receive from the LORD if they overcome the deception of the world and of Satan to the end of their earthly life. See Revelation chapters 2 and 3 for some of the rewards promised to the Church if they remain overcomers.
Verse 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.
As stated before, verbs ending with “eth” in the King James Bible indicate ongoing action. So transgresseth means to depart or leave over time, in this case, leave the doctrine of Christ which will happen when influenced by deceivers of the Gospel. Abideth means to dwell or remain. To abideth not means to not dwell or remain over time. Those who transgresseth and do not remain in the doctrine of Christ do not have God in their lives. Those who abideth not do not remain dwelling with the LORD and will, in time, backslide away from the Gospel and from the LORD Jesus Christ.
Verses 10-11 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.
Anyone who does not believe or profess that Jesus Christ has already come to the Earth and paid the price for mankind’s sin through His death and shed blood on the cross is not to be allowed into a believer’s house or into the Church. This is pretty plain teaching. How many people or churches comply with this commandment from the apostle John?
God speed was a salutation. To endorse a deceiver in any way was to be an enabler of the deceiver’s evil deeds. Denying who Jesus is and denying what He has done and is doing is a sin leading to eternity in Hell. No believer should be involved with people who have this mindset. This does not mean that a believer should not be praying for the deceiver to repent and convert. Believers are to pray for everyone in the hope that every soul will be saved.
Application: Believers today can often be heard saying, “God bless you” to anyone, including unbelievers, and saying “bless you” when someone sneezes. Think about what the phrases mean and whether the above usages are appropriate based on what the apostle John penned in the verses above.
Verses 12-13 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. (2 John)
John sends a greeting from an elect sister. This most likely meant a fellow believer or another church. Regardless of whether this epistle was intended for a woman and her biological children or for a church and the converts within the church, the message is the same. Believers are to love each other, stay true to the LORD Jesus Christ and to the doctrine of Christ, and to beware of deceivers coming into the family of God to seek to destroy the faith.
Jesus is Found in Every Book of the Bible
In this second epistle from the apostle John, Jesus is love.