Book of Common Prayer

¹ The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth^[a]— and not only I, but also all the ones having known the truth— ² because-of ^[b] the truth abiding in us. And it will be with us forever. ³ Grace, mercy, peace from God the Father, and from Jesus Christ the Son of the Father, will be with us in^[c] truth and love.

I Rejoiced To Find You Walking In The Truth. Be Loving One Another

⁴ I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in the truth, just as we received commandment from the Father. ⁵ And now I ask you, lady— not as-if writing you a new commandment, but the one which we had from the beginning— that we be loving one another. ⁶ And this is love: that we be walking according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you^[d] all heard from the beginning, that you should be walking in it.

Because There Are Many Deceivers. Watch Out, And Abide In The Teaching of Christ

⁷ Because many deceivers went-out into the world— the ones not confessing Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. ⁸ Be watching yourselves in order that you^[e] may not lose^[f] the things which we^[g] accomplished, but may receive a full reward. ⁹ Everyone going-ahead^[h] and not abiding in the teaching of Christ does not have God; the one abiding in the teaching— this one has both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰ If anyone comes to you^[i] and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into the house^[j] and do not speak greetings to him. ¹¹ For the one speaking greetings to him shares in his evil works.

¹² Having many things to write to you^[k] all, I did not want to do so with paper and ink. But I hope to come-to-be with you and to speak mouth to mouth, in order that our joy may be full. ¹³ The children of your chosen sister greet you^[l].

Regarding The Sabbath, Jesus Makes Himself The Issue: I Am Lord of The Sabbath

12 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry and began to pluck^[a] heads [of grain] and eat. ² And the Pharisees, having seen it, said to Him, “Behold— Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to be doing on a Sabbath”. ³ And the One said to them, “Did you not read [in 1 Sam 21:1-6] what David did when he was hungry, and the ones with him— ⁴ how he entered into the house of God and they ate the Bread of Presentation^[b] which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for the ones with him, but for the priests alone? ⁵ Or did you not read in the Law that on the Sabbaths, the priests in the temple profane^[c] the Sabbath and are guiltless^[d]? ⁶ But I say to you that a greater-thing than the temple is here. ⁷ But if you had known what it means [in Hos 6:6]— ‘I desire mercy, and not a sacrifice’— you would not have condemned the guiltless ones. ⁸ For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath^[e]”.

Jesus Deliberately Heals a Man On The Sabbath, Inflaming The Pharisees

⁹ And having passed-on from there, He went into their synagogue. ¹⁰ And behold— there was a man having a withered hand. And they questioned Him, saying, ‘Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath?’— in order that they might accuse Him. ¹¹ And the One said to them, “What person will there be from-among you who will have one sheep, and if this sheep falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and raise it? ¹² How much then is a person more-valuable than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to be acting commendably^[f] on the Sabbath”. ¹³ Then He says to the man, “Stretch-out your hand”. And he stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. ¹⁴ And having gone out, the Pharisees took counsel against Him, so that they might destroy Him.