2 John 1 (BHT-FTN)

“To: The Chosen Lady and Her Children”

1 From: The Elder.

To: The chosen lady and her children, whom I truly love+ (and not only I, but everyone else,+ too, who has come to know the truth),2 on account of the truth that dwells within us and will be forever into the ages with us.+

3 Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and from Jesus the Messiah, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.

“Let Us Continually Love One Another”

4 It brought me great joy to find some of ˢyour children living their lives in accordance with the truth, in keeping with the commandment+ we received from the Father. 5 And now I have a request to make of ˢyou, dear lady, though+ it isn’t+ a new commandment that I am writing to ˢyou, but one that has been required+ of us from the start: Let us continually love one another. 6 And this is what it means to love: To live our lives according to his commandments. This is the commandment, just as ᵖyou have been taught+ from the start: ᵖYou must a life of love+ live.+ 7 I say this+ because so+ many have gone out into the world who are deceivers—those who refuse to acknowledge that Jesus the Messiah came “as a real man with a mortal nature.”+ Such a person is representative of that deceiver and imposter who will oppose the true Messiah.+ 8 Be on ᵖyour guard, so that you don’t lose the things for which we have worked so hard,+ but may receive a full reward.+ 9 If+ someone goes beyond the established limits of instruction+ and doesn’t continue in the teaching of the Messiah,+ it is+ God whose fellowship he does not enjoy.+ If+ someone does continue in the teaching, however,+ it is+ both the Father and the Son with whom he is in fellowship. 10 If someone comes to ᵖyou who+ this teaching does not bring,+ don’t welcome him into the house, or even+ give him a greeting, 11 because anyone who says to him, “Welcome,” shares responsibility+ for his evil deeds.

12 Although+ there is so+ much that I want to say+ to ᵖyou,+ I don’t want to do so with paper and ink. I hope to visit ᵖyou and talk with you, rather,+ face to face, so that we may all be filled with the greatest of joy.+ 13 The children of ˢyour chosen sister send ˢyou greetings.

+1:1Or whom I love in truth.+1:1IT. Cf NLT+1:2μεθʼ ἡμῶν ( meth’ hēmōn) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and has therefore been placed in clause-final for extra focus and stress.+1:4ἐντολὴν ( entolēn) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and therefore italics have been used to give this element extra focus and emphasis.+1:5Lit And now I request of you, dear lady, not as though…. Cf UBSHS (2 Jn), 165.+1:5ἐντολὴν καινὴν ( entolēn kainēn) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and therefore a cleft-construction has been used to give extra focus to this element.+1:5Lit one we have had. In this context, ἔχω ( echo) means “a sense of obligation in regard to something” ( BDAG, 421, sv 7.a.δ.).+1:6Or have heard, or have learned. Cf BSL, 2 Jn 6, sv ἀκούω; BDAG, 38, sv ἀκούω 3.+1:6Lit in it [love]. ME. Cf NCV.+1:6περιπατῆτε ( peripatēte) is in a DFE position (see BART Display and LDGNT), and therefore inversion has been used to give extra focus to this element.+1:7IT. Cf NLT.+1:7πολλοὶ πλάνοι ( polloi planoi) is in P2 (see BART Display), and therefore an adverb has been used to give extra focus to πολλοὶ, while πλάνοι has been placed in clause-final for extra focus.+1:7Lit the ones not acknowledging Jesus the Messiah as coming in flesh. ME (see translation and notes at 1 Jn 4:2).+1:7Lit This is the deceiver and the anti-Messiah. ME (see translation and notes at 1 Jn 2:18, 3:4; BSL, 1 Jn 4:3, sv; L-N, 58.68).+1:8Cf NLT.+1:8μισθὸν πλήρη ( misthon plērē) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and has therefore been italicized for extra focus and emphasis.+1:9A condition is implied in the participle here. For more on implicit conditions in Greek, see Wallace, Grammar, 687-9.+1:9Lit Anyone who goes beyond/goes ahead. ME/IT (see BSL, 2 Jn 9, sv προάγω; ESS [1, 2, 3 Jn], 212; L-N, 36.25).+1:9Cf Jn 7:16, 8:31.+1:9θεὸν ( theon) is in P2 (see BART Display), and therefore a cleft-construction has been used to give extra focus to this element within the ME (see following note).+1:9Lit he does not have God. ME (see BDAG, 420, sv ἔχω 2.b.; UBSHS [1 Jn], 70). The meaning here is the same as at 1 Jn 2:23 and 1 Jn 5:12.+1:9A condition is implied in the participle here. For more on implicit conditions in Greek, see Wallace, Grammar, 687-9.+1:9IT. A disjunctive/contrastive relationship with the preceding clause is implied here. Cf NCV, NLT.+1:9καὶ τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὸν υἱὸν ( kai ton patera kai ton huion) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and therefore a cleft-construction has been used to give extra focus to this element.+1:10Lit and…. Koine Greek often uses parataxis in places where some sort of hypotactic relationship is implied, and/or where English may prefer hypotaxis (see BDAG, 494, sv καί 1.b.β-ζ.; BDF, §471; Wallace, Grammar, 19; NET Bible Notes, Mk 10:28). Cf TEV.+1:10οὐ φέρει ( ou pherei) is in a DFE position (see BART Display and LDGNT), and has therefore been placed in clause-final for extra focus and stress.+1:10χαίρειν ( chairein) is in P2 (see BART Display), and therefore an adverb (cf CJB, ISV, TEV) has been used to give extra focus to this element. The clause has also been rendered so to allow this element to land in clause-final for extra stress.+1:11κοινωνέω ( koinōneō) has the same meaning here as it has at 1 Ti 5:22 (see translation and notes there; BDAG, κοινωνέω, 1.b.β.).+1:12The participle has been interpreted as an adverbial participle of concession. This is reflected in the translation. Cf CJB, ESV, HCSB, ISV, LEB, NASB, NET, NRSV, RSV.+1:12πολλὰ ( polla) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and therefore an adverb, a dummy subject, and subordination have been used to give extra focus to this element. Cf NLT at Jn 16:12.+1:12γράφειν ( graphein) is in a DFE position (see BART Display and LDGNT), and therefore italics have been used to give this element extra focus and emphasis.+1:12Lit write to you. Cf NLT, TEV.+1:12στόμα πρὸς στόμα ( stoma pros stoma) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and therefore ἀλλὰ ( alla) has been used as a spacer to give extra focus to this element.+1:12Lit so that our joy may be made complete. ME (see translation and notes Jn 15:11). ἡμῶν ( hēmōn) is interpreted as an inclusive first person plural. This is reflected in the translation.