2 John 1: Walking in Truth and Love
The elder rejoices that the chosen lady's children walk in truth, repeats the old command to love one another, and warns against deceivers who deny Christ.
2 John 1 (WEB)
1 The elder, to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not I only, but also all those who know the truth;
2 for the truth’s sake, which remains in us, and it will be with us forever:
3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
4 I rejoice greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, even as we have been commanded by the Father.
5 Now I beg you, dear lady, not as though I wrote to you a new commandment, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
6 This is love, that we should walk according to his commandments. This is the commandment, even as you heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.
7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who don’t confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the Antichrist.
8 Watch yourselves, that we don’t lose the things which we have accomplished, but that we receive a full reward.
9 Whoever transgresses and doesn’t remain in the teaching of Christ, doesn’t have God. He who remains in the teaching, the same has both the Father and the Son.
10 If anyone comes to you, and doesn’t bring this teaching, don’t receive him into your house, and don’t welcome him,
11 for he who welcomes him participates in his evil works.
12 Having many things to write to you, I don’t want to do so with paper and ink, but I hope to come to you, and to speak face to face, that our joy may be made full.
13 The children of your chosen sister greet you. Amen.
2 John 1 (KJV)
1 The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;
2 For the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.
3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
4 I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.
5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
12 Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.
13 The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.
2 John 1 (ASV)
1 The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not I only, but also all they that know the truth;
2 for the truth’s sake which abideth in us, and it shall be with us for ever:
3 Grace, mercy, peace shall be with us, from God the Father, and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
4 I rejoice greatly that I have foundcertainof thy children walking in truth, even as we received commandment from the Father.
5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote to thee a new commandment, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
6 And this is love, that we should walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, even as ye heard from the beginning, that ye should walk in it.
7 For many deceivers are gone forth into the world, even they that confess not that Jesus Christ cometh in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.
8 Look to yourselves, that ye lose not the things which we have wrought, but that ye receive a full reward.
9 Whosoever goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God: he that abideth in the teaching, the same hath both the Father and the Son.
10 If any one cometh unto you, and bringeth not this teaching, receive him not into your house, and give him no greeting:
11 for he that giveth him greeting partaketh in his evil works.
12 Having many things to write unto you, I would not write them with paper and ink: but I hope to come unto you, and to speak face to face, that your joy may be made full.
13 The children of thine elect sister salute thee.
Summary
The elder writes to the chosen lady and her children, whom he loves in truth along with all who know the truth that remains in them forever, praying grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, in truth and love. He rejoices greatly to have found some of her children walking in truth, just as the Father commanded. Then he repeats a command that is not new but old, heard from the beginning—that we love one another—and he defines that love as walking according to God's commandments. The mood turns serious as he warns that many deceivers have gone out into the world who refuse to confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh; such a one is the deceiver and the Antichrist. He urges the church to watch itself so it does not lose what has been accomplished but receives a full reward, for whoever does not remain in the teaching of Christ does not have God, while the one who remains has both the Father and the Son. Therefore they must not receive or welcome any teacher who abandons this teaching, lest they share in his evil works. John closes warmly, setting aside paper and ink because he hopes to come and speak face to face so that their joy may be made full, and he sends greetings from the children of her chosen sister.
Main Characters
- The elder (John) — The author and shepherd, who loves the church in truth, rejoices over its faithfulness, warns it against deceivers, and longs to come and complete their joy in person.
- The chosen lady and her children — The recipients—likely a local church and its members—some of whom are walking in truth as the Father commanded, and whom John urges to love one another and guard the gospel.
- Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father — The one who came in the flesh, the source with the Father of grace, mercy, and peace, and the content of the teaching that must be held fast.
- The deceivers (the Antichrist) — Many false teachers gone out into the world who deny that Jesus Christ came in the flesh and abandon the teaching of Christ, leading others away from the Father and the Son.
Key Verse
2 John 1:6 (WEB)
This is love, that we should walk according to his commandments. This is the commandment, even as you heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.
Lessons Learned
- Christian fellowship is grounded in the truth that remains in us and abides with us forever.
- Nothing gladdens a faithful shepherd more than seeing God's people walking in the truth.
- Love and obedience are not rivals; to love is to walk according to God's commandments.
- The confession that Jesus came in the flesh is the line between the gospel and deception.
- To remain in the teaching of Christ is to hold on to both the Father and the Son.
- Love is rooted in truth. John loves the church “in truth,” for the sake of “the truth’s sake, which remains in us, and it will be with us forever” (2 John 1:1-2, WEB). The truth itself is the soil in which Christian love grows.
- Walking in truth brings joy. “I rejoice greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth” (2 John 1:4, WEB). Faithful, obedient lives are the joy of the whole church.
- The old command is always urgent. John repeats not “a new commandment, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another” (2 John 1:5, WEB). We never outgrow our need to love one another.
- The incarnation must be confessed. Those who “don’t confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh” are deceivers (2 John 1:7, WEB). To deny the incarnation is to deny the gospel itself.
- Faithfulness refuses to aid error. If anyone “doesn’t bring this teaching,” the church must not “welcome him,” for to do so is to participate “in his evil works” (2 John 1:10-11, WEB). Love for people never means lending support to teaching that destroys the gospel.
- How does John tie love and truth together in his greeting (vv 1-3), and what does that teach us about Christian fellowship?
- Why does seeing children “walking in truth” (v 4) bring John such great joy, and what does that reveal about a healthy church?
- John calls the command to love one another both old and worth repeating (vv 5-6). How does verse 6 redefine what love actually is?
- Why is the confession that “Jesus Christ came in the flesh” (v 7) so essential that denying it makes someone a deceiver and antichrist?
- John says to refuse welcome and support to those who abandon the teaching of Christ (vv 10-11). How do we keep this firm and loving at the same time, here and in our own day?
- From the first words John loves the church “in truth,” and the truth “remains in us, and it will be with us forever” (1:1-2). Grace, mercy, and peace come “in truth and love” (1:3). For John these are never separate—true love delights in the truth, and true truth is held in love. Christian fellowship is built on both together.
- John “rejoice[s] greatly” to find children “walking in truth, even as we have been commanded by the Father” (1:4). A healthy church is not measured by size or excitement but by whether its people walk faithfully in the truth. The joy of a shepherd is the obedience and love of the flock.
- He repeats the “old” command—from the beginning—“that we love one another” (1:5), then defines it: “This is love, that we should walk according to his commandments” (1:6). Love is not a feeling that floats free of obedience; it takes concrete shape as a daily walk in God's ways. Invite the group to make that practical.
- The confession that Jesus came “in the flesh” guards a real incarnation—God truly become man. Deny it and the gospel collapses: no real incarnation means no real cross and no real salvation. That is why John names such denial as the work of “the deceiver and the Antichrist” (1:7), the most serious of errors.
- John is protecting the church from teachers who would dismantle the gospel, not telling believers to be cold toward everyone who differs. To welcome and support such teachers is to share in their work (1:11). This is a personal-application question too: as leader, help the group discern between firmness for the gospel's sake and harshness, pointing always to Christ who is full of grace and truth, and keeping the tone gentle.