2 John 1:1-13

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;  For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.  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. I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father. 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.  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.  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.  Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.  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. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. 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. The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen. (2 John 1:1-13)

In 2 John, John speaks of "a glad heart for practicing the commandments of love." "I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father." Even in difficult circumstances, he was zealous for saving the spirit. Those who are deceiving are those who deny Jesus Christ, and the Gnostics at that time were deceiving.

 

John 14:6 said, ``Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 』
『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. Truth means Jesus Christ. Those who do not believe in Christ do not understand the will of God sending his Son to this world.

 

All sinners on this earth were spirits who had sinned in the kingdom of God, and they were trapped in the dust. That is, it is humans who are trapped in the soil. So, humans are said to be blind, poor, and trapped in darkness. God was born into the world in the form of a body and died to save the trapped spirits. So, there is no way of salvation except Jesus Christ. Those who deny this are those who have fallen into the delusion of Satan. It is those who are locked up in the law who are trying to achieve righteousness on their own, such as Gnosticism.

 

『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. 』 John exhorted these people not to come in and say no to them. Antichrists are those who not only deny Jesus Christ but also believe in Jesus and claim his intentions. So, the Antichrist spreads lies to Christians.

 

The word truth is emphasized four times, with the word truth highlighted four times. It is love. Truth and love are not separated. The death of Jesus Christ is not separate from the saving of the Spirit. In John 6:63『It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. 』

 

『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. 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.』 It is Jesus Christ on the cross who clearly shows God's love in our midst. The repentant saints through Jesus' crucifixion become the saved people of God. Salvation is to escape from darkness. In Colossians 1:13,『Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 』 The saints belonged to the realm of darkness and sin under the control of Satan, and the Lord delivered the repentant and crying out to the realm of love. Those who repent and cry are like the Israelites in Egypt. So, God remembered the covenant with Abraham and freed the people from the oppression of Pharaoh. The tenth catastrophe that has strayed from Pharaoh is the death of the firstborn. Only those who painted the blood of the Passover lamb escaped from death. Only those who ate the lamb's meat and blooded the doorposts passed away. This is the new covenant spoken by Jesus Christ in the New Testament.