The others crucified with Christ

2 John  

All biblical quotes are from The Revised English Version unless otherwise noted.

2 John (REV)

1 The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not I only, but also all those who have come to know the truth
,

“elect” or “chosen.” From the Greek adjective, eklektos (#1588 ἐκλεκτός). We chose God (through) Roman’s 10:9 then He chooses us and saves us. This verse is not saying that God chooses apart from our will as some teach. Quite the contrary. If God could choose us apart from our will, why would Paul have to endure anything at all? He could live a good life and God would choose who He willed. No we must strive to reach out with the Good News so that people can hear and then choose God—and our striving may mean hardship.

This also agrees with 1Timothy 2:4

Who (in context it is speaking of God) will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

God wants all men to be saved. But he put the most minimal condition to get saved. It is then up to men to fulfill the condition (Romans 10:9-10) on salvation. Your choice God does not force himself on anyone. If you need further proof look at the second part of the “verse and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” There are thousands of denominations with breakdowns of the denomination. I was raised a Lutheran but there are several synods with the Lutheran church. As a kid I was a member of the American synod and the Missouri synod. Don’t ask me what the difference was I have no idea. How can everybody be right?

Notice that this epistle is written to a person (?) but we can still learn from it, so let’s see what we can learn.

It is from the “elder”. Now the Greek word is presbyteros. It has 2 meanings.

1.    To be old

2.    A job held by a mature member of the fellowship also referred to as a Bishop or deacon.

In context it could be either. This book may have been written in John’s old age, or because he was a church elder. He was an apostle so it seems unlikely he would call himself a church elder. He may well have been saying I am not the younger man named John. We have no way of knowing which way the word is being used it would be speculation for us to say which it is.

This woman was well known by the members of the fellowship. Seems like she is loved by everyone.

See explanation for verse

2 because of the truth that lives in us and will be with us forever:

This is the same way the NIV translated this verse.

“lives.” The Greek word menō (#3306 μένω) has the basic meaning of “remain.” It can mean “remain” as in, “live, dwell” or “continue, stay.” Here it means both, for the truth lives in and also remains (stays) in the believer.

The word dwells and remains in us. It is what Ephesians refers to as being sealed.

Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

 Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

It is also referred to as

1Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

All of these speak of permanence of salvation

3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, in truth and love, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father.

Again here it says Jesus Christ, the son of the father not God the son. It never says God the son that was made up by man.

4 I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, just as we received a commandment to walk from the Father.

“some of your children.” This is the genitive of partition, which indicates a part of some greater whole by putting the larger group in the genitive case (Dana and Mantey, Grammer, §90). In this instance the larger whole would be all the children, some of which John found walking in the truth. This is a statement of encouragement and reproof at the same time. It is encouraging that some of the “children” were walking in truth but reproof that some of them had turned away from the truth. This verse is good evidence that the “lady” 2 John is addressed to is a “mother church” and not a person because there would certainly be no need for John to write a mother and point out to her that “some” of her children were walking in the truth. She would be aware of that, whereas that fact would not be as obvious to an entire church due to the differences in opinion that always exist in any given congregation.

5 And now I ask you, lady, not as if I were writing you a new commandment, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk according to his commandments. This is the commandment, even as you heard from the beginning, and you are to walk in it.

1:5-6. At first these verses can seem a bit circular; the commandment is to love, and love is to walk according to the commandments. However this is easily understood when we realize the difference between the command (singular) and the commandments (plural), and that this is a reference to Christ’s summing up of the Law and Prophets spoken of in Matthew 22:37-40:

“Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

The command (singular) is to walk in love, but how do we do that? By walking according to Jesus’ commandments (plural) that sum up the whole of the law. So we see that the plurality of commandments can be summed up in love, and love encompasses all the commandments.

7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.

The word deceiver Strong’s defines as

plános, plan'-os; of uncertain affinity; roving (as a tramp), i.e. (by implication) an impostor or misleader; --deceiver, seducing.

Many will try and say this person or that person is the anti-Christ and yet the 

accused person never denies Christ has come in fact many do at least give lip service to the truth. People also seem to think there is only one anti-Christ. The devil has no idea when the rapture will happen so he always needs at least one anti-Christ ready to go at all times. The reason I say it will happen after the rapture is from:

 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Falling away means to step away or aside.  We have to be moved away so the son of perdition can come in the context that is talking about the gathering together. It literal means to gather as an assembly. That of course occurs in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 as Jesus Christ meet the members of the body of Christ in the air.

8 Watch yourselves, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you receive a full reward.

“we have worked for.” John is saying that ministers are co-laborers, working towards a full reward for believers (cp. 1 Cor. 3:5-15; 2 Cor. 1:24; Phil. 2:16). There is a textual variation that reads, “What you worked for,” using “you” not “we,” (NIV). Although, this reading has considerable textual support, it is less favored due to internal considerations (Metzger, Textual Commentary). “We” is more likely to be original in that it is unlikely a copyist would have changed “you” to “we.” It makes sense, however, that a copyist would change “we” to match the second person verbs in the rest of the verse (“watch yourselves… you do not lose…you may receive”).

“do not lose.” The Greek word translated “lose” is apollumi (#622 ἀπόλλυμι), often translated “destroy.” To understand this verse we must understand the difference between salvation and rewards in the Kingdom. It is not possible for Christians to lose their salvation, but is it possible for believers to lose the rewards they have worked for if they do not stay faithful to Christ. [For the permanence of Christian salvation, see Appendix 1: “The Permanence of Christian Salvation”. For rewards in the future Kingdom of Christ, see commentary on 2 Cor. 5:10, “good or worthless”].

This is speaking the rewards we build that are spoken of in 1 Corinthians 3. Take some time take some time and read and work this chapter.

Notice this verse.

1Corinthians 3:15  If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

We do not lose our salvation. We can end up with no reward but the salvation cannot be lost because that would mean Christ would have to be crucified again.

9 Everyone going on ahead and not continuing in the teaching of Christ does not have God. The one who continues in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not say a greeting to him, 11 for whoever says to him, “Greetings,” participates in his evil works.

Verses 9-11 deals with those who would lead you or me away from Christ those who wrongly dividing the word of God. We need to be careful about who we listen to and weigh what they say against what the word says. If I suddenly start teaching that you have to worship the frog god you would know because of the first and great commandment that I am wrong.

12 Having many things to write to you, I did not want to write them with paper and ink, but I hope to come to you and to speak face to face so that our joy can be made full. 13 The children of your chosen sister greet you.

Like most leaders John wants to see the person/people face to face just like I would rather be there together with you but this is a great alternative. It would be better to be together.