The elder unto the elect {Or, Cyria}lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not I only, but also all they that know the truth;
for the truth's sake which abideth in us, and it shall be with us for ever:
Grace, mercy, peace shall be with us, from God the Father, and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
I rejoice greatly that I have found certain of thy children walking in truth, even as we received commandment from the Father.
And now I beseech thee, {Or, Cyria}lady, not as though I wrote to thee a new commandment, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
And this is love, that we should walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, even as ye heard from the beginning, that ye should walk in it.
For many deceivers are gone forth into the world, even they that confess not that Jesus Christ cometh in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.
Look to yourselves, that ye {Or, destroy}lose not the things which {Many ancient authorities read ye.}we have wrought, but that ye receive a full reward.
Whosoever {Or, take the lead Compare 3 John 9.}goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God: he that abideth in the teaching, the same hath both the Father and the Son.
If any one cometh unto you, and bringeth not this teaching, receive him not into your house, and give him no greeting:
for he that giveth him greeting partaketh in his evil works.
Having many things to write unto you, I would not write them with paper and ink: but I hope to come unto you, and to speak face to face, that your joy may be made full.
The children of thine elect sister salute thee.
Querverweise zu 2. Johannes 4 2Joh 4
But I {Greek: rejoiced.}rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at length ye have revived your thought for me; {Or, seeing that}wherein ye did indeed take thought, but ye lacked opportunity.
Who is wise, that he may understand these things? prudent, that he may know them? for the ways of Jehovah are right, and the just shall walk in them; but transgressors shall fall therein.
For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of glorying? Are not even ye, before our Lord Jesus at his {Greek: presence. Compare 2 Corinthians 10:10.}coming?
The law of truth was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many away from iniquity.
For ye are our glory and our joy.
But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the {See marginal note on chapter 1:6.}gospel, I said unto Cephas before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest as do the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, how compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
But when Timothy came even now unto us from you, and brought us glad tidings of your faith and love, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, longing to see us, even as we also to see you;
for this cause, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our distress and affliction through your faith:
for now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.
For what thanksgiving can we render again unto God for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;
night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face, and may perfect that which is lacking in your faith?
and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for {Some ancient authorities read you.}us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell.
For I {Or, rejoice greatly, when brethren come and bear witness}rejoiced greatly, when brethren came and bare witness unto thy truth, even as thou walkest in truth.
for ye were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord: walk as children of light
Greater joy have I none than {Or, these things, that I may hear}this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.
If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked.