2 John
Expanded Bible
Do Not Help False Teachers
1 From the ·Elder [or old man; C Greek: presbyteros, referring to advanced age, a church office, or both; 1 Tim. 5:17; Titus 1:5; 1 Pet. 5:1; see 3 John 1].
To the ·chosen [elect] lady [C most likely a metaphor for a church] and her children [C the members of that church]:
I love all of you in the truth [C the truth about the Gospel of Jesus Christ], and all those who know the truth love you. 2 We love you because of the truth that ·lives [abides; remains] in us and will be with us forever.
3 Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, will be with us in truth and love.
4 I ·was very happy [rejoiced greatly] to learn that some of your children are ·following the way of [living by; L walking in] truth [C living as the Gospel requires], as the Father commanded us. 5 And now, dear lady, this is not a new command [L I am writing] but is the same command we have had from the beginning. I ask you that we all love each other. 6 And ·love means [L this is love:] ·living the way God commanded us to live [L walking according to his commands]. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is this: ·Live a life of love [L You must walk in it; C that is, in love; Rom. 13:1–10].
7 [L For] Many ·false teachers [deceivers] ·are in [L have gone out into] the world now [Mark 13:5–6, 22] who do not confess that Jesus Christ came to earth ·as a human [T in the flesh]. Anyone who does not confess this is ·a false teacher [L the deceiver] and ·an enemy of Christ [L the antichrist; C one who radically opposes Christ; 1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3]. 8 ·Be careful [Watch] yourselves that you do not lose everything you[a] have worked for, but that you receive your full reward.
9 Anyone who ·goes beyond [runs ahead of] Christ’s teaching and does not ·continue to follow only his teaching [L abide/remain in it] does not have God. But whoever ·continues to follow [L abides/remains in] ·the teaching of Christ [L the teaching] has both the Father and the Son. 10 If someone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not ·greet [welcome] that person or ·accept [receive] them into your house. 11 If you welcome such a person, you ·share [participate] in the evil work.
12 I have many things to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to ·come to [visit] you and talk face to face so ·we can be full of joy [our joy can be complete]. 13 The children of your ·chosen [elect] sister [see 1:1; C probably refers to another church] greet you [3 John 13–14].
Footnotes
- 2 John 1:8 you Some Greek copies read “we.”
2 John
1599 Geneva Bible
The Second Epistle of John
1 This Epistle is written to a woman of great renown, 4 who brought up her children in the fear of God: 6 he exhorteth her to continue in Christian charity, 7 that she accompany not with Antichrists, 10 but avoid them.
1 The Elder to the [a]elect [b]Lady, and her children, [c]whom I love in the truth: and not I only, but also all that have known the truth,
2 For the truth’s sake which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us forever:
3 Grace be with you, mercy and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the Father, with [d]truth and love.
4 [e]I rejoiced greatly, that I found of thy children walking in [f]truth, as we have received a commandment of the Father.
5 And now beseech I thee, Lady, (not as writing a new commandment unto thee, but the same which we had from the beginning) that we (A)love one another.
6 And this is that love that we should walk after his commandments. This commandment is, that as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
7 [g]For many deceivers are entered into this world, which confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. He that is such one, is a deceiver and an Antichrist.
8 [h][i]Look to yourselves, that we lose not the things, which we have done, but that we may receive a full reward.
9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that continueth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
10 [j]If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, (B)receive him not to house, neither bid him Godspeed.
11 For he that biddeth him Godspeed, is partaker of his evil deeds. Although I had many things to write unto you, yet would I not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak mouth to mouth, that our joy may be full.
12 The sons of thine elect sister greet thee, Amen.
Footnotes
- 2 John 1:1 This is no proper name, but to be taken as the word soundeth, that is to say to the worthy and noble Lady.
- 2 John 1:1 Excellent and honorable Dame.
- 2 John 1:1 The bond of Christian conjunction or linking together, is the true and constant profession of the truth.
- 2 John 1:3 With true knowledge, which hath always love joined with it, and following it.
- 2 John 1:4 This true profession consisteth both in love one toward another which the Lord hath commanded, and also especially in wholesome and sound doctrine, which also is delivered unto us: for the commandment of God is a sound and sure foundation both of the rule of manners and of doctrine, and these cannot be separated the one from the other.
- 2 John 1:4 According as the truth directeth them.
- 2 John 1:7 Antichrists fighting against the person and office of Christ, were already crept into the Church in the time of the Apostles.
- 2 John 1:8 He that maketh shipwreck of doctrine, loseth all.
- 2 John 1:8 Beware and take good heed.
- 2 John 1:10 We ought to have nothing to do with them that defend perverse doctrine.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
