2 John 1:10

If any one cometh and bringeth not (ei ti ercetai kai ou perei). Condition of first class with ei and two present indicatives (ercetai, perei). This teaching (tauthn thn didachn). This teaching of Christ of verse John 9 , which is the standard by which to test Gnostic deceivers (verse John 7 ). John does not refer to entertaining strangers ( 13:2 ; 1 Timothy 5:10 ), but to the deceiving propagandists who were carrying dissension and danger with them. Receive him not (mh lambanete auton). Present active imperative with mh. For lambanw in this sense see John 1:12 ; John 6:21 ; John 13:20 . Into your house (ei oikian). Definite without the article like our at home, to town. Give him no greeting (cairein autwi mh legete). "Say not farewell to him." Apparently cairein here (present active infinitive, object of legete present active imperative with negative mh) is used of farewell as in 2 Corinthians 13:11 , though usually in the N.T. ( Acts 15:23 ; Acts 23:26 ; James 1:1 ) of the salutation. But here the point turns on the stranger bringing into the house (or trying to do so) his heretical and harmful teaching which seems to be after the salutation is over. The usual greeting to a house is given in Luke 10:5 . On the other hand, if cairein means greeting, not farewell, here, it can very well be understood of the peril of allowing these Gnostic propagandists to spread their pernicious teachings (cf. Mormons or Bolshevists) in home and church (usually meeting in the home). This is assuming that the men were known and not mere strangers.