2 John 1:1-8

1 From the Elder - To the dear Lady and to her children, ^[a] whom I truly love. And I am not the only one, but all who know the truth love you,

2 because the truth remains in us and will be with us forever.

3 May God the Father and Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, give us grace, mercy, and peace; may they be ours in truth and love.

4 How happy I was to find that some of your children live in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.

5 And so I ask you, dear Lady: let us all love one another. This is no new command I am writing you; it is the command which we have had from the beginning. ¹

6 This love I speak of means that we must live in obedience to God's commands. The command, as you have all heard from the beginning, is that you must all live in love.

7 Many deceivers have gone out over the world, people who do not acknowledge that Jesus Christ came as a human being. Such a person is a deceiver and the Enemy of Christ.

8 Be on your guard, then, so that you will not lose what we ^[b] have worked for, but will receive your reward in full.

Cross References

• 1. 5John 13.34; 15.12, 17.

Footnotes

• [a]. lady and . . . her children: [This probably refers to a church and its members (also in verses 4, 5).]
• [b]. we; [some manuscripts have] you.