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¹ The Elder to the elect lady and her children. Truly I love you all, and not I alone, but also all who know the truth,² for the sake of the truth which is continually in our hearts and will be with us for ever.³ Grace, mercy and peace will be with us from God the Father, and from Jesus Christ the Son of the Father, in truth and love.⁴ It is an intense joy to me to have found some of your children living true Christian lives, in obedience to the command which we have received from the Father.

⁵ And now, dear lady, I pray you--writing to you, as I do, not a new command, but the one which we have had from the very beginning--let us love one another.⁶ The love of which I am speaking consists in our living in obedience to God's commands. God's command is that you should live in obedience to what you all heard from the very beginning.

⁷ For many deceivers have gone out into the world--men who do not acknowledge Jesus as Christ who has come in human nature. Such a one is `the deceiver' and `the anti-Christ.'⁸ Keep guard over yourselves, so that you may not lose the results of your good deeds, but may receive back a full reward.⁹ No one has God, who instead of remaining true to the teaching of Christ, presses on in advance: but he who remains true to that teaching has both the Father and the Son.

¹⁰ If any one who comes to you does not bring this teaching, do not receive him under your roof nor bid him Farewell.¹¹ He who bids him Farewell is a sharer in his evil deeds.

¹² I have a great deal to say to you all, but will not write it with paper and ink. Yet I hope to come to see you and speak face to face, so that your happiness may be complete.¹³ The children of your elect sister send greetings to you.