Second John was not widely circulated at the beginning because of its brevity and subject matter. Its strong resemblance to the tone and style of 1 John and the Fourth Gospel support the early tradition that John was the author of this epistle sometime after AD 90.
TIMES: AD 89-95
KEY VERSES: 2 Jn 7, 9-10
THEME: The person addressed in 2 John is a woman in a local church that had a strong friendship with John. The apostle writes to warn her about showing hospitality to false teachers. He cautions her against unwittingly aiding these teachers who were sowing seeds of heresy and hurting the church.
Walk According to His Commandments
Verse 1 The Elder [of the church addresses this letter] to the elect(chosen) lady and her children, whom I love in truth—and not only I, but also all who know and understand the truth—
1 The elder. This is probably the apostle John. The title can refer to either an old man, an older person deserving respect, or a church leader.
The elect (chosen) lady may be a specific person, or the phrase may be a figurative description of the local church
Verse 2 because of the truth which lives in our hearts and will be with us forever:
Verse 3 Grace, mercy, and peace (inner calm, a sense of spiritual well-being) will be with us, from God the Father’s Son, in truth and love.
Verse 4 I was greatly delighted to find some of your children walking in truth,
Just as we have been commanded by the Father.
4 Walking in truth. This phrase means having an authentic relationship with God. Our walk with the Lord, if genuine, must be based on His word.
Verse 5 I am reminding you of a commandment which we have had from the beginning, that we love and unselfishly seek the best for one another.
Verse 6 And this is love: that we walk in accordance with His commandments and are guided continually by His precepts. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should [always] walk in love.
6 God’s love is the basis of His desire for our obedience, and it is the reason He has revealed His will in His word. We prove our obedience to Christ by demonstrating love toward one another. Love is an unlimited resource readily available to us, and it is tremendously effective in furthering the work of Christ.
Verse 7 For many deceivers [heretics, posing as Christians] have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge and confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh (bodily form). This [person, the kind who does this] is the deceiver and the antichrist [that is, the antagonist of Christ].
7 Coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. These words refer to the Incarnation, the fact that Jesus is the God-man. The humanity of Jesus provides a test by which false teachers can be identified. The Gnostic heresy, against which John wrote in 1 and 2 John, included a denial of the physical body of Christ. People who deny the physical reality of Jesus are not Christians, but antichrists.
Verse 8 Watch yourselves, so that you do not lose what we have accomplished together, but you may receive a full and perfect reward [when He grants rewards to faithful believers].
8 Watch yourselves. Being seduced by false teachers is one way that Christians can lose their reward at the judgment. With this in mind, John writes the reason to guard against deceivers is our own desire not to lose our reward at the judgment seat of Christ.
Verse 9 Anyone who runs on ahead and does not remain in the doctrine of Christ [that is, one who is not content with what He taught], does not have God; but the one who continues to remain in the teaching [of Christ does have God], he has both the Father and the Son.
9 Runs on ahead. This phrase has the strong sense of running too far ahead. Departure from Christ into doctrinal error indicates that a person does not have God.
Verse 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching [but diminishes or adds to the doctrine of Christ], do not receive or welcome him into your house, and do not give him a greeting or any encouragement.
10 This teaching. Jesus is completely human and completely divine. A Christian should not only refuse to receive false teachers in the sense of supporting them while they visit the community, a Christian should also avoid appearing to endorse their teachings. The proper response to deceivers is to reject them as unbelievers. This shows how seriously we should take the Scriptures and how careful we should be in evaluating the teachings of everyone.
Verse 11 for the one who gives him a greeting [who encourages him or wishes him success, unwittingly] participates in his evil deeds.
Verse 12 I have many things to write to you, but I prefer no to do so with pen and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak with you face to face, so that your joy may be complete. [Num 12:8]
CONCLUSION
The warnings that John gives a woman in the local church about welcoming and encouraging deceivers and people promoting false doctrine can be applicable to present day saints. We should all be careful not to be seduced by people who oppose the divinity of Christ. If we do, we would be forfeiting the rewards that Christ will give to faithful believers. We should reject deceivers as unbelievers.
Have you ever been enticed by these types of deceivers? If you have, please feel free to comment below.