(Read all of 2 John Chapter 1)<\/a><\/p>\nVerse 1<\/p>\n
[1] The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;<\/p>\n
The elder \u2013 An appellation suited to a familiar letter, but upon a weighty subject.<\/p>\n
To the elect \u2013 That is, Christian. Kuria is undoubtedly a proper name, both here and in 2 John 1:5; for it was not then usual to apply the title of lady to any but the Roman empress; neither would such a manner of speaking have been suitable to the simplicity and dignity of the apostle.<\/p>\n
Whom \u2013 Both her and her children.<\/p>\n
I love in the truth \u2013 With unfeigned and holy love.<\/p>\n
Verse 2<\/p>\n
[2] For the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.<\/p>\n
For the truth’s sake, which abideth in us \u2013 As a living principle of faith and holiness.<\/p>\n
Verse 3<\/p>\n
[3] Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.<\/p>\n
Grace takes away guilt; mercy, misery: peace implies the abiding in grace and mercy. It includes the testimony of God’s Spirit, both that we are his children, and that all our ways are acceptable to him. This is the very foretaste of heaven itself, where it is perfected.<\/p>\n
In truth and love \u2013 Or, faith and love, as St. Paul speaks. Faith and truth are here synonymous terms.<\/p>\n
Verse 4<\/p>\n
[4] I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.<\/p>\n
I found of thy children \u2013 Probably in their aunt’s house, 2 John 1:13.<\/p>\n
Walking in the truth \u2013 In faith and love.<\/p>\n
Verse 5<\/p>\n
[5] And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.<\/p>\n
That which we had from the beginning \u2013 Of our Lord’s ministry. Indeed it was, in some sense, from the beginning of the world.<\/p>\n
That we may love one another \u2013 More abundantly.<\/p>\n
Verse 6<\/p>\n
[6] And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.<\/p>\n
And this is the proof of true love, universal obedience built on the love of God.<\/p>\n
This \u2013 Love. Is the great commandment which ye have heard from the beginning – Of our preaching.<\/p>\n
Verse 7<\/p>\n
[7] For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.<\/p>\n
Carefully keep what ye have heard from the beginning, for many seducers are entered into the world, who confess not Jesus Christ that came in the flesh – Who disbelieve either his prophetic, or priestly, or kingly office. Whosoever does this is the seducer – From God.<\/p>\n
And the antichrist \u2013 Fighting against Christ.<\/p>\n
Verse 8<\/p>\n
[8] Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.<\/p>\n
That we lose not the things which we have wrought \u2013 Which every apostate does.<\/p>\n
But receive a full reward \u2013 Having fully employed all our talents to the glory of him that gave them. Here again the apostle modestly transfers it to himself.<\/p>\n
Verse 9<\/p>\n
[9] Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.<\/p>\n
Receive this as a certain rule: Whosoever transgresseth – Any law of God.<\/p>\n
Hath not God \u2013 For his Father and his God.<\/p>\n
He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ \u2013 Believing and obeying it.<\/p>\n
He hath both the Father and the Son \u2013 For his God.<\/p>\n
Verse 10<\/p>\n
[10] If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:<\/p>\n
If any came to you \u2013 Either as a teacher or a brother.<\/p>\n
And bring not this doctrine \u2013 That is, advance anything contrary to it.<\/p>\n
Receive him not into your house \u2013 As either a teacher or a brother-Neither bid him God speed – Give him no encouragement therein.<\/p>\n
Verse 11<\/p>\n
[11] For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.<\/p>\n
For he that biddeth him God speed \u2013 That gives him any encouragement, is accessory to his evil deeds.<\/p>\n
Verse 12<\/p>\n
[12] Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.<\/p>\n
Having many things to write, I was not minded to write now \u2013 Only of these, which were then peculiarly needful.<\/p>\n
Verse 13<\/p>\n
[13] The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.<\/p>\n
The children of thy elect or Christian sister – Absent, if not dead, when the apostle wrote this.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Bible Commentary > Wesley\u2019s Explanatory Notes > 2 John > 2 John 1 John Wesley\u2019s Explanatory Notes (Read all of 2 John Chapter 1) Verse 1 [1] The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"twitterCardType":"","cardImageID":0,"cardImage":"","cardTitle":"","cardDesc":"","cardImageAlt":"","cardPlayer":"","cardPlayerWidth":0,"cardPlayerHeight":0,"cardPlayerStream":"","cardPlayerCodec":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/purposedriven.ca\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9337","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/purposedriven.ca\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/purposedriven.ca\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/purposedriven.ca\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/purposedriven.ca\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9337"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/purposedriven.ca\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9337\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/purposedriven.ca\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9337"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/purposedriven.ca\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9337"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/purposedriven.ca\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}