Bible Commentaries
2 John

INTRODUCTION.

The author of this epistle is recognized as John the apostle, and the same identical person who penned the for-mer letter. The style and tone are sufficient to convince any fair-minded person of this fact. It is written to an excellent lady, residing somewhere in Asia Minor, the precise locality being unknown. This excellent lady was a disciple of the Master. The object of writing this letter was two-fold. The first object being to confirm the lady and her children in the faith of the gospel, and to make them strong therein, and especially strong in resistance to the false teachings which were prevalent at the time. The second object was to warn her, not only against false teachers, but also to charge her not to receive such into her house, nor to bid them God-speed in their mission. Where John was, at the time of writing, or the date of the epistle, are matters of mere conjecture.

ANALYSIS OF THE EPISTLE.

This letter is addressed to a woman and her children, who had accepted the Savior and became his disciples. The writer expresses his sincere affection for them in the gospel and salutes them accord-ingly with his benediction. He then expresses his great satisfaction at learning that the children of this excellent lady were steadfast in the faith. He then beseeches the lady to observe the great command-ment of the Christian system love for the brotherhood and explains that the commandment, to love one another, came from the very first of the proclamation of the gospel of peace. He urges upon her the duty to be in constant observance of this command. The next reason given for writing to her at this time, was to warn her against deceivers, who deny that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. He tells her such is antichrist. He tells her such a teacher she must not receive into her house, and not even so much as wish them Godspeed, for in so doing she would become, to some extent, a partaker in their wrong-doing. He tells her that he has many things to say to her along this line, but would not write them, but would give her full informa-tion concerning the same when they should meet face to face. He concludes his letter by communicating to the excellent lady the salutation of a sister she had residing at the place from whence John wrote, this sister being also a believer in Christ.