December 27

2 John; 3 John (biblegateway.com)

Walking in Truth and Love

2 John and 3 John are brief, personal letters that carry John’s pastoral concern into the everyday life of the church. Together, they show how truth and love must function side by side within Christian community. From the outset, John emphasizes that truth and love are not abstract ideas but lived commitments that shape doctrine, relationships, and hospitality. These letters demonstrate that genuine love never operates apart from truth, and true is always expressed through love.

2 John — Walking in Truth, Guarding Against Deception, and Remaining in Obedience

2 John addresses the danger of false teaching, echoing the warnings already given in 1 John. The letter is written to “the elect lady and her children,” likely referring to a local congregation and its members. John warns that deceivers were actively moving among the churches, using Christian hospitality as a means to spread error. While believers are called to love one another, that love must not extend to providing support or endorsement for those who deny the truth about Christ. Christian hospitality, therefore, is not indiscriminate. Fellowship is meaningful only where there is shared commitment to sound doctrine, obedience, and truth.

Written by the apostle John near the end of the first century, Second John reinforces the core themes found throughout his writings: faithfulness to Christ, obedience to God’s commands, and love governed by truth. In this short letter, John makes clear that protecting the church from error is not a failure of love but an expression of it.

John begins by addressing “the elect lady and her children” (v. 1). The phrase likely refers to a local congregation and its members, though John does not specify further. He identifies himself simply as “the elder,” emphasizing relationship and pastoral authority rather than title. John states that he loves them “in truth,” and not he alone, but all who know the truth share this love. Love here is defined not by emotion but by its connection to truth.

John explains why this shared love exists. It is because of the truth that abides in believers and will be with them forever (v. 2). The focus of these opening verses is not yet warning or instruction, but foundation. Truth is presented as something received, shared, and enduring. It dwells within believers and forms the basis of their relationship with one another. Love flows from this shared truth, not from personal affinity or circumstance.

With that foundation in place, John turns to his greeting. Grace, mercy, and peace come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, in truth and love (v. 3). As in the greetings found in other New Testament letters, John begins by identifying the blessings God gives to His people. Like Paul, he includes grace and peace, but he also adds mercy, highlighting God’s compassion toward believers in their weakness and need.

John does not merely wish these blessings for his readers. He declares that they are experienced in truth and love. The same truth that abides in believers (v. 2) and the love grounded in that truth now form the atmosphere in which God’s grace, mercy, and peace are enjoyed. These blessings come from both the Father and the Son, affirming the shared divine source of Christian life. As truth “will be with us,” so also grace, mercy, and peace are promised to remain where truth and love are maintained.

John rejoices that some in the church are walking in the truth, living in line with what they were commanded by the Father (v. 4). His joy is tied not only to belief but to conduct. Truth is something to be lived, not merely affirmed.

He then reminds them of a command they already know. He is not introducing something new, but calling them back to what has always been required: that believers love one another (v. 5). John defines love plainly. Love is walking according to God’s commandments (v. 6). Obedience is the measure of love, and loving one another is the command they have heard from the beginning.

John now issues a sober warning. Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (v. 7). This denial strikes at the center of the gospel. To reject Christ’s true humanity is to reject the incarnation itself. Such teachers are not merely mistaken. John identifies them as deceivers and antichrists because they oppose the truth about Christ.

Because of this danger, John urges believers to watch themselves (v. 8). Carelessness or neglect can result in loss, not of salvation itself, but of what has been gained through faithful teaching and obedience. The warning assumes that perseverance matters. Continued faithfulness protects what has been received, while departure from the truth carries real consequences.

John then draws a clear boundary. Anyone who goes beyond the teaching of Christ and does not remain in it does not have God (v. 9). What appears as progress or innovation is, in reality, departure. Fellowship with God is inseparable from abiding in Christ’s teaching. Those who remain in that teaching have both the Father and the Son.

For this reason, John gives specific instruction regarding false teachers (vv. 10–11). Believers are not to receive into their homes or offer support to those who bring a distorted message. In the early church, hospitality signified approval and partnership. To assist such teachers would make one complicit in their work. John is not forbidding kindness toward unbelievers, but prohibiting endorsement of those who claim spiritual authority while denying the truth about Christ. Protecting the church from deception is part of faithfulness to Christ.

Historical Context and Present-Day Application

The false teaching John addresses reflects an early distortion of Christ’s person commonly associated with what later came to be known as Docetism. This view denied that Jesus truly came in the flesh, claiming instead that His humanity was only apparent. Such teaching undermined the incarnation and, by extension, the reality of Christ’s suffering, death, and atoning work. If Christ did not fully share human nature, then redemption itself is emptied of meaning.

These teachers often sounded spiritual and persuasive. They did not reject religious language but reshaped it. By presenting their views as deeper insight or advanced understanding, they positioned themselves as progressives moving beyond the apostolic message. John exposes this strategy by showing that “going ahead” beyond Christ’s teaching is not advancement but abandonment of the truth.

The danger John identifies has not diminished. False teaching today often appears not as outright denial, but as subtle redefinition. Christ may still be named, but His nature, authority, or saving work is adjusted to fit cultural preferences. Believers may be urged to prioritize tolerance over truth, experience over doctrine, or unity over faithfulness. In such cases, the language of love is retained while the substance of the gospel is altered.

John’s instruction regarding hospitality carries direct relevance. Support today may not involve offering a home, but it can take the form of platforming voices, sharing messages, funding ministries, or giving credibility to teaching that distorts Christ. Discernment requires believers to evaluate not only sincerity or popularity, but faithfulness to the truth of the gospel. Endorsement communicates alignment.

The passage also calls believers to personal vigilance. Truth must be guarded not only in public teaching, but in private belief. Drift rarely begins with rejection. It begins with neglect. John’s warning assumes that remaining in the truth requires attentiveness, humility, and continued obedience. Fellowship with God is not maintained by past confession alone, but by ongoing faithfulness to Christ’s teaching.

2 John therefore calls the church to a careful balance. Love must be genuine, but it must be governed by truth. Hospitality must be practiced, but with discernment. Unity must be pursued, but never at the expense of the gospel. Faithful believers are those who remain in what they have received, refusing both open denial and subtle distortion of the truth revealed in Jesus Christ.

John closes by expressing his desire to speak with them face to face so that their joy may be complete (v. 12). Written letters serve an important purpose, but the fellowship of believers is strengthened greatly through personal presence. He ends with greetings from a sister congregation, emphasizing the unity of Christ’s people (v. 13).

2 John teaches that love and truth must remain inseparable in the Christian life. Believers demonstrate love by walking in obedience and caring for one another, and they uphold truth by rejecting teachings that distort Christ. Perseverance in sound doctrine is not optional; it is essential to remaining in fellowship with the Father and the Son. Continuing in Christ’s teaching safeguards believers from deception and preserves the fellowship God intends. A faithful church guards its teaching, protects its members, and continues walking in the truth entrusted to it. As believers remain in Christ’s teaching with both love and discernment, they experience the joy and unity God intends for His people.

3 John — Faithful Hospitality, Imitating Good, and Standing Firm in the Truth

3 John provides a brief but revealing glimpse into early church life. The letter focuses on how truth is lived out through character, hospitality, and the right exercise of leadership. In contrast to 2 John, which warns against supporting false teachers, 3 John commends support for faithful gospel workers and exposes the damage caused by prideful authority. Together, these themes show that truth must govern both belief and behavior within the church.

The letter is addressed personally to a believer named Gaius. John writes to commend him for walking in the truth and for showing hospitality to faithful teachers who depended on the church’s support as they carried the gospel. At the same time, John confronts the harmful conduct of Diotrephes, a leader who rejected apostolic authority and sought to control the congregation by excluding those who disagreed with him.

As in 2 John, the author identifies himself simply as “the elder,” a designation consistent with the apostle John’s recognized authority and pastoral role among the churches. The language, themes, and tone closely match 1 and 2 John, supporting the traditional view of common authorship.

John begins by addressing Gaius, whom he loves in the truth (v. 1). Gaius is known for walking faithfully before God, and John prays for his physical well-being to match his spiritual health (v. 2). A good report has come from visiting believers who testified that Gaius lives consistently with the gospel (v. 3). Nothing brings John greater joy than hearing that his children walk in the truth (v. 4). Faithfulness is measured not by words alone but by a life shaped by obedience.

Gaius has shown hospitality to brothers and sisters in Christ, even though some were strangers to him (v. 5). His support of these workers demonstrated love and strengthened the mission of the gospel. These traveling ministers testified before the church about their faithful care (v. 6). John encourages Gaius to continue supporting such people, because in doing so, he becomes a partner in their gospel work (v. 7–8). Mission is not carried out by preachers alone. Those who support the truth share in its fruit. John emphasizes that cooperation in truth is part of abiding in Christ; support for faithful ministry flows from a life of obedience.

John then turns to Diotrephes, whose behavior stands in stark contrast. Diotrephes seeks to be first among the believers and refuses to accept the apostles' authority (v. 9). He rejects their teaching, spreads malicious accusations, and refuses to welcome faithful workers. Worse, he hinders others from offering hospitality and expels them from the church if they attempt to do so (v. 10). His misuse of influence harms the body. Leadership that centers on self rather than truth divides the church and undermines the work of God. By rejecting apostolic authority, Diotrephes rejected the very teaching that defines Christian fellowship, showing that self-exaltation is incompatible with remaining in the truth.

John exhorts the believers not to imitate what is evil but what is good (v. 11). The one who practices good shows that they belong to God; the one who persists in evil reveals they have not truly seen Him. John is not teaching salvation by works but identifying conduct as evidence of whether someone continues to abide in God; ongoing obedience reveals a heart that remains in the truth. John then commends Demetrius, whose testimony is attested by everyone, by the truth itself, and by John’s own judgment (v. 12). His life aligns with the gospel, making him a trustworthy example to follow.

John closes by expressing his desire for a personal visit, believing face-to-face fellowship will strengthen their relationship more than written words (v. 13–14). He extends peace and sends greetings from fellow believers.

3 John teaches that faithfulness is seen in how believers support the truth and treat God’s people. Hospitality toward faithful workers strengthens the spread of the gospel, while resistance to truth, even from within the church, creates division and harm. Leadership must be shaped by humility, obedience, and love, not by personal ambition. Believers are called to imitate what reflects God’s character and to reject what does not. As they continue to abide in Christ’s teaching, their conduct is shaped by righteousness and truth, thereby confirming their fellowship with God. As they walk in the truth, support faithful ministry, and remain united in love, they participate in the work God is accomplishing in His church.

Conclusion

2 John and 3 John reveal the everyday expressions of Christian faithfulness—walking in truth, loving faithfully, exercising discernment, and practicing hospitality in ways that strengthen the church. These letters show that small acts of obedience, generosity, and integrity matter deeply in God’s kingdom.

For believers today, John’s words remind us to guard our churches from harmful influences, support faithful servants of the gospel, and pursue relationships shaped by humility and love. Truth must guide our love, and love must energize our truth. In these final short letters, the aged apostle invites us to live with conviction, discernment, and steadfast devotion to Christ and His people.