2 John 1
1 This letter comes from the elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth. Not just from me, but from everyone who knows the truth,
From the elder, to the lady chosen by God and her children. I truly love you all, and I am not the only one but all who know the truth love you as well.
We love you for the sake of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever. (aiōn g165)
3 May grace, mercy and peace continue to be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and in love.
Grace, mercy, and peace will be ours – the gift of God, the Father, and of Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son – in truth and love.
4 I was delighted to discover that some of your children are following the truth, just as the Father commanded us.
It was a great joy to me to find the lives of some of your children guided by the truth, in obedience to the command that we received from the Father.
5 Now I'm telling you, dear lady, not as a new instruction, but following what we've understood from the beginning, that we should love one another.
And now I implore you, dear lady, let us love one another This is not a new command I am writing to you. It is the command we have had from the beginning. – Let us love one another.
6 This is what love is: we should follow God's commands. The command, just as you heard right from the beginning, is that you should live in love.
And this is love – to live in obedience to the Father’s commands. This is the command as you learned from the beginning, to live a life of love.
7 I'm telling you this because many deceivers have left and gone out into the world. They don't accept that Jesus Christ has come as a human being. Anyone like this is a deceiver and an antichrist.
I say this because many deceivers have gone out into the world – men who do not acknowledge that Jesus Christ came in flesh and blood. Any such person is a deceiver and antichrist.
8 Be careful that you don't lose what we've worked so hard for, and that you receive all that you should.
Take care so that you do not what we have worked for but instead receive your full reward.
9 All those who become extremists and don't continue to follow the teaching of Christ don't have God with them. Those who continue to follow the teaching of Christ have both the Father and the Son with them.
Anyone who goes beyond and fails to live inside of the teaching of Christ does not have God. The person who lives inside that teaching – they have both the Father and the Son.
10 If people come to you and don't show evidence of Christ's teaching, don't take them in, don't welcome them—
If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive them into your house or even welcome them;
11 for if you encourage them you share in their evil work.
because the person who welcomes them is sharing with them in his evil work.
12 I have so many things to tell you that I won't write any more with paper and ink, for I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face. How happy that would make us!
Though I have many other things to tell you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come and see you, and to speak with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.
13 Greetings to you from the children of your chosen sister.
The children of your sister, who is chosen by God, send you their greetings.
