2 John 1 Study Notes

8 It is dangerous to become lethargic in Christian living or to take God’s favor for granted. Assurance should look like diligence, not presumption.

9 There are always new ways to apply Christ’s teaching, but the foundations were established by his coming and the instruction he gave to his followers. John called for dynamic love and creative faithfulness while warning against perverting the apostolic teachings about Jesus.

10 In 3Jn 5-8, John encouraged support for traveling Christian ministers, but this assumed their teachings were true. If they taught falsity, believers were called to discernment and instructed to withhold support from their destructive mission. Saying, “Welcome,” involved more than a mere greeting. It stood for endorsing their false teaching and helping to further their evil works.

11 The believer is not to “condemn himself by what he approves” (Rm 14:22). To give hospitality to false teachers is to approve of them (shares in his evil works).

12 On don’t want to use paper and ink, see note at 3Jn 13.

13 The phrase children of your elect sister probably refers to the congregation in which John served when he wrote this epistle to a “sister” congregation.