Second John 1:1-13

II John 1:1-3:

^1:1The elder – to (the) selected Kyria and her children whom I love¹ in truth, and not I only but also all the (people) having known² the truth, ^.2because-of the truth, the (truth) remaining in us and will be with us into the age; ^.3grace, mercy, peace will be with us from God (the) Father, and from Jesus Christ the son of the Father, in truth and love¹.

John begins this personal letter (epistle) by identifying himself as “the elder” – a man who has more knowledge, wisdom, dignity, etc, relative to God and the things of God, an elder in service to/for God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

John addressed this letter to…

the selected Kyria (“Kyria” is a translation of the Greek word kuria which is the feminine form of the word translated “lord” – this word was used to describe a woman who had charge-of and authority-over the affairs of a household; this lady is elect, chosen-out by God from other people because she voluntarily accepted what God makes available to mankind, she believed what He says regarding Himself and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and became a holy-person, a Christian woman)
- and her children (literally: those to whom she gave birth, born by her – also in the figurative usage this phrase may include or refer to the church of holy-people that met in her house)
whom emphatically I love¹ in truth (in Greek there is a definite word for “I” plus the verb meaning “I love” giving emphasis – I myself love all of you with God’s kind of love within the sphere of action of God’s essential reality, His inherent verity, the state of being true),

…and not I only (not alone is it myself who loves you), but on the contrary, also all the people who knew and continue personally knowing the truth (those having a truly active and relative knowing of God’s truth, being personally knowledgeable of it)…

on account of the truth
emphatically and specifically the truth remaining in us (referring to the spirit of truth, the anointed-thing, the spirit of Christ that stays, abides, continues being within all of us who are holy-people; refer to I John 2:27)
- and will be in company and association with us into the age (for the duration of life, lifetime, for/throughout the age, referring to the specific age that began when we received the gift of holy spirit and that will not end because we will receive our spiritual bodies in the future as Christ received from God when He raised him up alive from being dead);
grace
- [Grace is what is freely bestowed without any merit on the recipient's part; it includes reference to the attitude and quality of the one giving something favorable to another. Grace is not bestowed because somebody deserves a wage that is owed for something they said or did, nor because they begged so hard, nor because they forced the giver to give! Grace is bestowed because the giver wants to give by his own freedom of will to the recipient – it is completely unmerited favor from the giver to the recipient],
mercy
- [Mercy is giving active-relief because of withholding merited judgment; it is not bestowing punishment on one who deserves to be punished.],
peace
- [Peace is tranquil harmony, tranquility, peaceful wholeness, without any strife or disagreement. We may think of peace as the opposite of war, the opposite of conflict, the opposite of being at odds with the other party. All of God's children are at peace with God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ because it is given to us from God and the Lord Jesus Christ, therefore all Christians should behave peaceably with one-another too.]
will be with us (not only do we have grace, mercy, and peace now via the holy spirit-life within us, but the emphasis here is that we will also have them in company and association with us in the future being fully evidenced)
- from God the Father (these will be given to us from God Who is our Father in the spirit category, He will be the source from Whom grace, mercy and peace will proceed to/for us),
- and from Jesus Christ the son of the Father (these will also be given to us from Jesus Christ who is the Father’s son – God’s son, the son of God),
within the sphere of action of truth and love¹.

The word "love¹" or the verb "to love¹" comes from the Greek word agape which is God's kind of love. To love with His love means to love the same way as God loves, to manifest God's love towards another, whether it is towards God Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, yourself, your Christian neighbor, or towards anyone else. God tells His children today (all who have the spirit of Christ within us) how to Godly-love by means of His previously-revealed written Word and also via our holy spirit-life whereby we receive information from Him regarding how to love in different specific situations. It is the carrying out of God's commandments, His Word, which is the correct usage or way to manifest God's kind of love according to His will (refer to I Corinthians chapter 13 and I John 5:1-3). It is not the same as the brotherly or friendly kind of love, nor is it the same as the emotional/feelings/sexual kind of love.

In verse 3 John writes "Jesus Christ" – he is emphasizing his obedience and service to God his Father on a horizontal human level to benefit people. Jesus who is the resurrected Christ continues today to serve his Father.

The word "Jesus" is explained in Matthew 1:21 by the Angel Gabriel when he spoke to Joseph:

Matthew 1:21:

^.21She [Mary] will bring-forth a son and you [Joseph] will call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

"Jesus" means "God saves / Jehovah (Yahweh) the Savior," and the Lord Jesus Christ was given that name "Jesus" because he is the one who carried-out God's will to make it available for people to be saved, to be made-safe. It is by means of Jesus, the Christ, that people are able to be saved and thereby have a true and vital spiritual relationship with the only true God. Jesus Christ is God's son – he is alive today! He is now at God's right-hand side, second-in-command to God his Father.

The word "Christ" means the "anointed-one" or "Messiah." In the lands and during the time-period of the writing of the Bible, holy oil was poured on the high priest of God to begin his ministry for God, and it was also used to anoint kings. Many people and things were anointed with holy oil to signify their making holy or sanctified for a specific purpose, etc, which can be read about in many scriptures in the Bible (refer to Exodus 30:22-33; Acts 2:36, 4:27, and 10:38). The resurrected Christ continues doing God's will today.

Jesus Christ was dead but now he is alive. God marked Jesus Christ out as the son of God by raising him up from among the dead-people giving him his spiritual body. God gave him the name that is above every other name, designating the resurrected Jesus being Lord and Christ, and his name includes the name – SON – God’s son; he inherits everything that the firstborn son should inherit from his Father, the only true God. The word ‘son’ emphasizes origin, quality, and essence. The spirit of holiness is the spiritual essence of the resurrected Christ Jesus. Refer to Matthew 3:17, 17:5; John 17:1; Acts 2:21 and 38, 3:6 and 16, 4:7-12 and 30, 9:20, 13:33, 26:23; Romans 1:3, 4 and 9, 5:10, 8:3, 29 and 32; I Corinthians 1:9, chapter 15; II Corinthians 1:19; Galatians 2:20, 4:4 and 6; Ephesians 1:19-23, 4:13; Philippians 2:9 and 10; Colossians 1:13 and 18; I Thessalonians 1:10; II Thessalonians 3:6; Hebrews 1:1-8, 3:6, 4:14, 5:5-10, 6:6, 7:3, 21 and 28, 10:29; II Peter 1:17; I John 1:3 and 7, 2:22-24, 3:8 and 23, 4:9, 10, 14 and 15, 5:5, 9-13 and 20; II John 1:3 and 9; Revelation 2:18.

[Reference: John 10:38, 14:16; Acts 11:30, 14:23; Romans 10:8-10, 16:1 and 5; I Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 1:27, 3:4, 4:15; I Timothy 1:2, 5:17-20; II Timothy 1:2; Titus 1:4 and 5; I Peter 5:1; I John 1:3 and 7, 2:22-24 and 27, 3:1, 2, 8 and 18-23, 4:6 and 9-15, 5:5-13 and 20.]

Verses 4-8:

^.4I joyed very (much) because I found² from your children (that they are) walking in truth according as we received commandment from the Father. ^.5And now I ask you, Kyria, not as writing a new commandment to you but which we used-to-have from (the) beginning in order that we may love¹ one-another; ^.6and this is the love¹ in order that we may walk according to His commandments; this is the commandment according as you heard from (the) beginning in order that you may walk in it – ^.7because many wanderers went-out into the world, the (people and spirits) not expressing-agreement (regarding) Jesus Christ coming in flesh; this is the wanderer and the antichrist. ^.8You must observe yourselves in order that you may not destroy the-things-which we worked but you may receive full compensation.

I (John) rejoiced extremely because (that) I found and continue to find from your children that…

they are walking in truth (‘walking’ is literally to move the feet around, going on foot; but here it is figuratively referring to her children walking around, behaving, conducting themselves during the everyday living of their lives within the sphere of action of God’s truth, which is what God says, the essential reality, God’s inherent verity)
- just as (according to how, in comparison to the way that)
  - we received commandment from the Father (you and I and all holy-people took what was given to us to use which is what the Father enjoined or commanded to/for us – God is our Father as well as being the Father of His son Jesus Christ, refer to verse 3 above; God is the source from Whom the commandment proceeded; He gave it to/for us).

And at the present time I ask you, Kyria (this usage of words implies familiarity between John and the woman, and he specifically directs this toward the individual asking her to do the following)…

not as writing a new commandment to you (not as though I am writing to you a commandment that is newly-made and different compared to an older one previously in effect, new compared to a former one in existence, a new commandment replacing an older one, new compared to what was there before)
- but on the contrary, I am writing a commandment which we used-to-have from the beginning (all of us were continuing to have/hold it during a past time, historically, away-from the time of the start, since the commencement, the origin of us having it) for the purpose and result that
  - we would love¹ one-another (be continuously loving each other with God’s kind of love);
and this is the love¹ (this is the correct usage or way that we manifest God's kind of love according to His will) for the purpose and result that
- we would walk (be walking around, behaving, conducting ourselves during the everyday living of our lives)
  - in accordance with His commandments (in conformity and proportion to/with the things that are enjoined or commanded by God; refer to I John 5:2 and 3);
this is the commandment (a summary of what God commanded)
- according as you heard from the beginning (all of you heard the words spoken by God from the start) for the purpose and result that
  - you would walk in it (all of you would continue walking around, behaving, conducting yourselves within the sphere of action of Godly-love during the everyday living of your lives) –

…because many wanderers (a lot of people and spirits who err, who do not stay in their rightful-place, who mislead, lead themselves and others astray, giving information and evidences causing people to wander away from God’s truth, away from their correct location in the walk/behavior category, like a planet is constantly moving around when viewed from the earth unlike the stars which retain their position relative-to each other – many wanderers) have already gone out from where they should be and have directed themselves to the world (the ordered arrangement that God created, their target being the world’s inhabitants)…

emphatically and specifically the people and spirits who are not expressing agreement (not presently saying the same words, speaking agreement with, assenting to the same spoken things)
- regarding/with Jesus Christ coming in flesh (that Jesus, the savior, who is the Christ, the one who is anointed, has already come within the sphere of the flesh of mankind, the physical natural body with its soul/breath life – he is presently within all holy-people; refer to I John 4:1-6 and 5:5-12);
this is
- the wanderer (the one who errs, does not stay in his rightful-place, who misleads, leads himself and other people astray)
- and the antichrist (the one who is anti/against Christ, an opponent opposing the Anointed-one).

You must observe yourselves (be mentally-aware and contemplate yourselves, look at what you are doing, even though you may not physically see anything with your physical eyes – in other words, be spiritually observant relying on the holy spirit within you) for the purpose and result that…

you would not utterly ruin (completely cause to be lost away from yourselves)
- the-things-which we worked (the things that we produced expending our energy, what we effected by our actions when we worked together previously according to God’s will, the end-products, the things wrought by us)
but on the contrary,
you would receive (take back/away from the one giving, receive in-full)
- full compensation (the fullness or full-contents of the hire or wage due to you as payment for those things, the maximum available to you as a result of the things that we worked).

We should recognize and understand that we (holy-people, Christians) cannot lose salvation. The gift of holy spirit (which is the spirit of Christ in us) cannot be taken away from us, we cannot lose it, and therefore we most definitely are saved in the spirit category to God, plus we will be part of the gathering-together when Christ comes for all holy-people. But – we will not receive any compensation associated with works that we do if those works do not agree with God’s will. No compensation will be given from God or from Christ for actions that we perform against God and His son Jesus Christ (refer to I Corinthians 3:8-15 and II Corinthians 5:10).

[Reference: Matthew 22:37-40; Romans 1:27, 4:4, 10:9 and 10, 13:9; I Corinthians chapter 2, 3:8-15; II Corinthians 3:17 and 18, 5:10; Galatians 4:6; Colossians 1:27, 3:24; I Thessalonians 4:9; I Timothy 4:1, 6:12; Titus 1:16; Hebrews 12:25, 13:15; I John 1:1-6 and 8, 2:7, 8, 18, 22-26, 3:1, 7, 11, 18 and 23, 4:1-7, 15 and 21, 5:2-12; III John 1:3 and 4.]

Verses 9-11:

^.9Every-person leading-forth and not remaining in the teaching of the Christ does not have God. The (person) remaining in the teaching, this-person has both the Father and the son. ^.10If someone comes towards you and he does not carry this teaching, you must not receive him into (your) house and you must not speak joy to him; ^.11for the (person) speaking joy to him shares-in-common with his works, the evil (works).

All/every person who is…

leading-forth (going before, in front of, in advance of others, preceding them, showing people the way to go)
and not remaining (staying, abiding, continuing)
- within the sphere of action of the teaching of the Christ (the authoritative instruction, the doctrine, the contents of what is taught issuing-from and regarding the Anointed-one, the Messiah)

…does not have God (does not hold God within what he is doing during the everyday living of his life in the walk/behavior category; in other words: God is not the source of this person’s actions, God is not part of what he is doing when he is leading others forth and not remaining in the teaching of the Christ). There is no true leading without remaining in the teaching of the Christ – it is not correct to advance without the Christ as though it is the ‘progressive’ thing to do, something ‘new’, a ‘more advanced’ teaching, or other such false claims.

The person who is remaining in the teaching (staying, abiding, continuing within the sphere of action of the doctrine issuing-from and regarding the Christ)…

this person has/holds both
- the Father (God is the Father of Jesus Christ)
- and the son (Jesus Christ is the son of God his Father)
  - during the everyday living of his life in the walk/behavior category.

If someone comes towards you (since it is a fact that there are individuals as a traveling preacher, etc, going from place to place, if one of them approaches you holy-people) and the individual does not carry this teaching (he is not bearing, bringing with him the teaching of the Christ)…

you must not receive him into your house (do not take him among the household where you live since what he intends to give to you is a doctrine without the Christ)
and you must not speak joy to/with him (speak joyful words, rejoice with him as bidding him farewell at his departure from you, or as a greeting at his coming if you already know that he is bringing a false doctrine to you);
- for the person who is speaking joy to/with him shares-in-common with his works (participates, partakes, shares a portion of the works he does and gives to you to partake of thereby making them common to all of you, a partaker in the same deeds, the things wrought, the end-products issuing from him, the effects produced with/by his actions expending his energy),
  - emphatically and specifically the evil works (works which are active with malignancy, exercised badness).

We should recognize and understand that holy-people (Christians) should not behave in the same manner as the unsaved people of the world, those who are not members of God’s family because they reject God’s son Jesus Christ.

[Reference: John 7:16 and 17; Acts 8:9-11, 13:6, 19:13-20; Romans 16:5, 17 and 18; Galatians 1:6-12, 3:1-7, 5:20; Colossians 4:15; I Timothy 5:22, 6:3-5; II Timothy 4:2-4; I John 2:18 and 22-24, 3:12, 4:3.]

Verses 12 and 13:

^.12Having many-things I was not deliberately-determined to write to you by means of paper and black-ink, but I hope to become towards you and to utter-forth mouth towards mouth in order that our joy may be having been filled². ^.13The children of your sister, the selected (sister), greet you.

I have a lot of things to communicate to you but I did not purposefully-will to write them to you by way of paper and black-ink (a sheet made from papyrus and ink used with a reed/pen), but contrary to writing, I expect at a future time to become towards you and to speak with you by word of mouth (face to face with you) for the purpose and result that…

our joy (rejoicing [some Greek texts read “your joy”])
- would be in the state of having been filled and continuing full (filled-up, made full).

John closes this letter with greetings from others to Kyria:

The children of your sister (your sister’s children – literally: those to whom her sister gave birth, born by her sister – also in the figurative usage this phrase may include or refer to the church of holy-people that met in her sister’s house),
- emphatically and specifically the selected sister (the elect sister, chosen-out because she voluntarily believed what God says regarding Himself and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ – a holy-person, a Christian woman)
greet you (they salute you).

[Reference: Numbers 12:8; Jeremiah 43:23; I John 1:4. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (²) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]

Study of III John