Chronological
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].
Help Christians Who Teach Truth
1 From the Elder [or old man; C Greek: presbyteros, referring to advanced age, a church office, or both; 1 Tim. 5:17; 1 Pet. 5:1; see 2 John 1].
To ·my dear friend [L the beloved] Gaius [C an otherwise unknown Christian leader], whom I love in the truth [C the truth about the Gospel of Jesus Christ]:
2 ·My dear friend [L Beloved], I pray that you are ·doing well [prospering] in ·every way [all respects] and that your health is good, just as ·your soul is doing fine [it is well with your soul; your soul is prospering]. 3 [L For] I was very happy when some brothers and sisters came and ·told me [testified] about the truth in your life and how you are ·following [L walking in] the way of truth [2 John 4]. 4 Nothing gives me greater joy than to hear that my children [C members of the church under his spiritual care] are ·following the way of truth [walking in the truth].
5 ·My dear friend [L Beloved], ·it is good that [you are living out your faith when] you help the brothers and sisters, even those ·you do not know [L who are strangers]. 6 They ·told [testified before] the church about your love. ·Please help them [You will do well] to continue their trip [C as missionaries] in a way worthy of God. 7 [L For] They ·started out in service to Christ [L departed for the sake of the name], and they have been accepting ·nothing [no support] from nonbelievers [L Gentiles; pagans]. 8 So we should ·help [show hospitality to; support] such people; when we do, we ·share in their work [become coworkers] for the truth.
9 I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be ·their leader [first], will not ·listen to us [receive us; or accept our authority]. 10 So if I come, I will ·talk about [call to mind; bring attention to] what Diotrephes [C nothing further is known about this man] is doing, about how he ·lies and says evil things about us [slanders us with evil/malicious words]. But ·more than [not satisfied with] that, he refuses to ·accept [welcome; receive] the other brothers and sisters; he even ·stops [prevents] those who do want to ·accept [welcome; receive] them and ·puts them out of [expels them from] the church.
11 ·My dear friend [Beloved], do not ·follow [imitate] what is ·bad [evil]; ·follow [imitate] what is good [1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1; 1 Thess. 1:6; 2:14; 2 Thess. 3:7; Heb. 6:12; 13:7]. The one who does good ·belongs to [is from] God. But the one who does evil has never ·known [L seen] God.
12 Everyone ·says [witnesses/testifies to] good things about Demetrius [C likely the bearer of the letter to Gaius; otherwise unknown], and the truth agrees with what they say. We also ·speak [witness; testify] well of him, and you know ·what we say [our witness/testimony] is true.
13 I have many things I want to write you, but I do not want to use pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon and talk face to face. 15 Peace to you. The friends here greet you. Please greet each friend there by name [2 John 12–13].
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