THE SECOND EPISTLE OF JOHN
Key Words—Love (4 times), Truth (5 times)
- Address. vv. 1-3. “unto the elect lady and her children.” Private correspondence and personal commendation
- to a Christian lady—2nd Epistle,
- to a Christian gentleman—3rd Epistle.
- (Cp. Paul to Philemon).
- Atmosphere of Home rather than the Church
- v. 1 “her children,” v. 4 “thy children,”
- v. 10 “into your house.
- (Note the importance of a Christian mother, and her interest in the welfare of her children).
- Affection for the elect lady—v. 1—“whom I love in the truth (or with true Christian love).”
- Association with the elect saints—v. 1—“not I only, but also all who have known the truth.”
- Abiding nature of Truth—v. 2—“for the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us . . . for ever.”
- Absorbing nature of Truth—v. 3—“in truth and love.”
- Adherence to the truth—-v. 4 — “walking in truth.”
- Admonition concerning truth and love (vv. 5-11).
- v. 5. Desire of the Father—“that we love one another.”
- v. 6. Definition of Love—“this is love, that we walk after His commandments”
- v. 7. Danger of Deceivers—“many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in flesh”
- v. 9. Doctrine of Deity—
- defined—the Doctrine of Christ
- distorted—“whosoever advanceth beyond the doctrine ... abideth not in the doctrine”
- v. 10. Denial of Fellowship—“receive him not into your house ...”
- Admonition—vv. 12, 13.
- Prospect—“to speak face to face”
- Pleasure—“that our joy may be full.”
