2 John 1-13
1The elder,
To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth - 2because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever:
3Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, will be with us in truth and love.
4It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. 5And 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. 6And 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.
7Many 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. 8Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 9Anyone 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. 10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. 11Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.
12I 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.
13The children of your chosen sister send their greetings.
St. John wrote five books of the New Testament...He wrote The Gospel According to John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and the Revelations...
In his writings he learn that Jesus always talked and taught the Twelve about love...And although most of the books of the New Testament are letters, this book actually reads and seems like a letter (some of St. Paul's letters seem more like books than letters)...He is writing this letter to Jesus' followers that St. John calls the chosen lady and children...He is encouraging, these followers to love each other and obey the truth...Love and truth are closely related, especially when we think in terms of the spiritual, and of Jesus...
In his Gospel he tells us that Jesus is the truth and the way in chapter fourteen...St. John was happy that some of the followers were walking in this truth...It gave him no greater joy, knowing that these followers were following Christ...
St. John echoes his points on love in this letter...He tells us that love is not a new command, but something God has given us from the beginning...And as we have heard from the beginning, we are to walk in love...
He tells us Jesus came in the flesh and everyone should believe this...He called these nonbelievers, who do not believe that Jesus came in the flesh, deceivers and the antichrist...Of course, John was with Jesus for three years and was an eyewitness...He had firsthand knowledge of His Great Teacher and LORD...This letter encourages everyone to believe that Jesus did have a human body and was here in our earthly place, but now has joined God in the spiritual world... That Jesus came in the flesh is an important point John makes here...He warns us not to take those in who do not believe Jesus came in the flesh to earth and now is with our God, His Father...
Our faith is something we have studied and worked for, and they (the nonbeliever) wants to take it (our faith) away...By following nonbelievers and listening to them can make us doubt...We do not want our faith to have doubt or diminish, we want it strengthened...Having strong faith every day on our own is challenging, let along listening to nonbelievers, who don not believe in Jesus...St. John is a great encourager for us...
St. John ends this letter by sending a greeting to the children of your chosen sister and wants to visit them and talk to these followers and his joy face to face in the near future...