2 John
Key Facts
- 2 John was written by the apostle John, the son of Zebedee, brother of James.
- 2 John is one of the last books of the New Testament to be written, probably sometime between A.D.85-95
- According to the early church, it was written while John was overseeing the church in Ephesus and Asia
- 2 John is addressed to “the chosen lady and her children,” which probably refers to a specific church. Some scholars have even speculated that perhaps it is a cover letter for 1 John.
- 2 John briefly addresses some of the same themes as 1 John, namely the truth about Jesus and loving one another. It also addresses an issue regarding hospitality for Christian teachers.
When John wrote this letter, he’s around 80 years old! He’s the last remaining apostle alive and one of the few people left who walked with Jesus in the flesh. As an old man, it’s harder for him to travel but he still has responsibility for several churches in the area and those churches are being disturbed and upset by a group of people who have left the church with their own distinctive ideas about Jesus and sin. So John writes them a couple key things they need to know to spot and resist the false ideas and he instructs them not to welcome any traveling teachers who don’t teach the truth.
The Commentary
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