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2 John
New International Version
2 John
New International Version
1 The elder,(A)
To the lady chosen by God(B) and to her children, whom I love in the truth(C)—and not I only, but also all who know the truth(D)— 2 because of the truth,(E) which lives in us(F) and will be with us forever:
3 Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ,(G) the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.
4 It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth,(H) just as the Father commanded us. 5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning.(I) I ask that we love one another. 6 And this is love:(J) that we walk in obedience to his commands.(K) As you have heard from the beginning,(L) his command is that you walk in love.
7 I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ(M) as coming in the flesh,(N) have gone out into the world.(O) Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.(P) 8 Watch out that you do not lose what we[a] have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.(Q) 9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ(R) does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.(S) 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them.(T) 11 Anyone who welcomes them shares(U) in their wicked work.
12 I 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,(V) so that our joy may be complete.(W)
13 The children of your sister, who is chosen by God,(X) send their greetings.
Footnotes
- 2 John 1:8 Some manuscripts you
2 John
The Message
2 John
The Message
1-2 My dear congregation, I, your pastor, love you in very truth. And I’m not alone—everyone who knows the Truth that has taken up permanent residence in us loves you.
3 Let grace, mercy, and peace be with us in truth and love from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, Son of the Father!
4-6 I can’t tell you how happy I am to learn that many members of your congregation are diligent in living out the Truth, exactly as commanded by the Father. But permit me a reminder, friends, and this is not a new commandment but simply a repetition of our original and basic charter: that we love each other. Love means following his commandments, and his unifying commandment is that you conduct your lives in love. This is the first thing you heard, and nothing has changed.
Don’t Walk Out on God
7 There are a lot of smooth-talking con artists loose in the world who refuse to believe that Jesus Christ was truly human, a flesh-and-blood human being. Give them their true title: Deceiver! Antichrist!
8-9 And be very careful around them so you don’t lose out on what we’ve worked so diligently in together; I want you to get every reward you have coming to you. Anyone who gets so progressive in his thinking that he walks out on the teaching of Christ, walks out on God. But whoever stays with the teaching, stays faithful to both the Father and the Son.
10-11 If anyone shows up who doesn’t hold to this teaching, don’t invite him in and give him the run of the place. That would just give him a platform to perpetuate his evil ways, making you his partner.
12-13 I have a lot more things to tell you, but I’d rather not use paper and ink. I hope to be there soon in person and have a heart-to-heart talk. That will be far more satisfying to both you and me. Everyone here in your sister congregation sends greetings.
2 John
Expanded Bible
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
Names of God Bible
2 John
Names of God Bible
Greeting
1 From the church leader.[a]
To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love because we share the truth. I’m not the only one who loves you. Everyone who knows the truth also loves you. 2 We love you because of the truth which lives in us and will be with us forever.
3 Good will,[b] mercy, and peace will be with us. They come from God the Father and from Yeshua Christ, who in truth and love is the Father’s Son.
Living in the Truth
4 I was very happy to find some of your children living in the truth as the Father has commanded us. 5 Dear lady, I’m now requesting that we continue to love each other. It’s not as though I’m writing to give you a new commandment. Rather, from the beginning we were commanded to love each other. 6 Love means that we live by doing what he commands. We were commanded to live in love, and you have heard this from the beginning.
Reject Teachers Who Don’t Teach What Christ Taught
7 Many people who deceive others have gone into the world. They refuse to declare that Yeshua Christ came in flesh and blood. This is the mark of a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Be careful that you don’t destroy what we’ve worked for, but that you receive your full reward.
9 Everyone who doesn’t continue to teach what Christ taught doesn’t have God. The person who continues to teach what Christ taught has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and doesn’t bring these teachings, don’t take him into your home or even greet him. 11 Whoever greets him shares the evil things he’s doing.
Farewell
12 I have a lot to write to you. I would prefer not to write a letter. Instead, I hope to visit and talk things over with you personally. Then we will be completely filled with joy.
13 The children of your chosen sister greet you.
Footnotes
- 2 John 1:1 Or “pastor,” or “elder.”
- 2 John 1:3 Or “Grace.”
2 John
J.B. Phillips New Testament
2 John
J.B. Phillips New Testament
1-3 This letter comes from the Elder to a certain Christian lady and her children, held in the highest affection not only by me but by all who know the truth. For the truth’s sake (which even now we know and which will be our companion for ever) I wish you, in all love and sincerity, grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son.
Let us love, but have no dealing with lies
4-6 I was overjoyed to find some of your children living the life of truth, as the Father himself instructed us. I beg you now, dear lady, not as though I were issuing any new order but simply reminding you of the original one, to see that we continue to love one another. Real love means obeying the Father’s orders, and you have known from the beginning that you must live in obedience to him.
7-8 For the world is becoming full of impostors—men who will not admit that Jesus the Christ really became man. Now this is the very spirit of deceit and is anti-Christ. Take care of yourselves; don’t throw away all the labour that has been spent on you, but persevere till God gives you your reward.
Have nothing to do with false teachers
9-11 The man who is so “advanced” that he is not content with what Christ taught. has in fact no God. The man who bases his life on Christ’s teaching, however, has both the Father and the Son as his God. If any teacher comes to you who is disloyal to what Christ taught, don’t have him inside your house. Don’t even wish him “God-speed”, unless you want to share in the evil that he is doing.
Personal
12-13 I have a lot that I could write to you, but somehow I find it hard to put down on paper. I hope to come and see you personally, and we will have a heart-to-heart talk together—and how we shall enjoy that! Your sister’s children send their love.
JOHN
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Expanded Bible (EXB)
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Names of God Bible (NOG)
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.
J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)
The New Testament in Modern English by J.B Phillips copyright © 1960, 1972 J. B. Phillips. Administered by The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England. Used by Permission.