Berean Study Bible A Greeting from the ElderJohn identifies himself by the honored office he held among the churches. As an apostle and an aged witness of Jesus Christ, he wrote with pastoral authority, guarding believers from error and directing them in faithful obedience. 1Pe 5:1 As a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings… To the chosen lady and her children, John addresses a Christian woman and her household, people set apart by God’s grace and belonging to Christ. Her home may have been a place of Christian fellowship, making faithfulness in her family especially important amid the spread of false teaching. 1Pe 5:13 The church in Babylon, chosen together with you, … whom I love in the truth— John’s love rests on their common life in Christ and commitment to the apostolic gospel. Truth and love belong together: love does not ignore error, and truth is never meant to be held without genuine care for God’s people. 3Jn 1:1 The elder, To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth: and not I alone, but also all who know the truth— Every believer who remains in the truth shares a spiritual bond with fellow Christians. The gospel creates a family that reaches beyond households and congregations, uniting those who confess Jesus Christ and walk in His teaching. 1Jn 2:21 I have not written to you because you lack knowledge… because of the truth God’s truth is the Gospel revealed in Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior of the world. John presents truth as the fixed message of Christ’s person and work, not as a changing human opinion. Jesus Himself is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), and all Christian love and fellowship are grounded in faithfulness to Him. 1Jn 2:21 I have not written to you because you lack knowledge… that abides in us The truth remains in believers through the saving work of Christ and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, who is called the Spirit of truth (John 14:17). God’s truth establishes believers in obedience, enables discernment against deceivers, and forms a lasting bond among those who walk in Christ. 1Jn 4:13 By this we know that we remain in Him, and He in us:… and will be with us forever: The Gospel does not fade with changing circumstances, persecution, or death. Christ’s promises endure eternally, and those who possess the Son possess eternal life (1 John 5:11–13). The abiding truth assures God’s people that their hope rests in the unchanging Savior and will be fulfilled fully in His eternal kingdom. Jhn 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another… Grace, mercy, and peace God supplies grace for the undeserving, mercy for the guilty and needy, and peace for those reconciled to Him through Christ. These blessings sustain believers in salvation and in daily obedience, grounding them in God’s pardon and preserving care. 1Ti 1:2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy… from God the Father The Father is the fountain of every good gift and receives His children through the saving work of His Son. Believers approach Him not as strangers but as adopted sons and daughters who may cry, “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15). Gal 1:3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father… and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, Jesus shares the Father’s divine nature and uniquely reveals Him. John’s identification of Christ as the Son of the Father guards the truth that the historical Jesus is the eternal Son, sent by the Father to save His people and bring them into fellowship with God. Jhn 1:18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son… will be with us God’s grace, mercy, and peace are not distant ideals but abiding gifts for His people. The risen Christ remains with His church, and the Holy Spirit makes God’s presence known within believers as they walk faithfully with Him. Mat 28:20 and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded… in truth and love. Truth and love belong together in the life of the church. Truth rests in the revealed gospel of Jesus Christ, while love expresses that gospel through obedience, faithfulness, and care for fellow believers. Neither can be separated from the other without distorting the Christian faith. Eph 4:15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will…
Walking in the TruthJohn rejoiced because believers connected with the “chosen lady” were living faithfully in obedience to Christ. The children likely represent members of a local congregation, reflecting the family relationship shared by those born of God. Walking in the truth describes an ongoing manner of life shaped by the gospel, joining right belief with faithful conduct. John regarded such perseverance as a pastor’s great joy, much as he wrote in 3 John 1:4. Jesus Himself is the truth, and those who belong to Him are called to order their lives by His words and character. 3Jn 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that… just as the Father has commanded us. God the Father commands His people to live in the truth revealed through His Son. Such obedience does not earn salvation; it displays the life of those who have received God’s grace and love. The command accords with the covenant pattern found throughout Scripture, where love for God is shown through keeping His commands. Jesus taught that those who love Him will obey Him, and John repeatedly joins love, truth, and obedience as inseparable marks of genuine faith. Jhn 15:10 If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love… And now I urge you, dear lady— John addresses the chosen lady of verse 1, likely a local congregation portrayed with familial affection. The plural language surrounding the letter shows his concern for the whole community and its faithfulness amid the presence of false teachers. 1Th 4:1 Finally, brothers, we ask and encourage you… not as a new commandment to you, Love for fellow believers was not an addition to the apostolic gospel or a lesser duty beside truth. Jesus had commanded His disciples to love one another as He loved them. 1Jn 2:7-8 Beloved, I am not writing to you a new commandment,… but one we have had from the beginning— The command belonged to the message the church received from Christ and His apostles at the beginning of its Christian life. John had taught the same enduring command in 1 John, grounding obedience in the original gospel rather than in novel teachings. 1Jn 2:24 As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning… that we love one another. Christian love is active faithfulness to the good of fellow believers, shaped by Christ’s sacrificial love. Such love does not compromise truth, but joins obedience to God’s commands with care for His people. 1Jn 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God.… And this is love, Biblical love is shown in devoted obedience to God, not in sentiment alone. Christ displayed perfect love by doing the Father’s will and giving Himself for sinners. 1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.… that we walk according to His commandments. Believers demonstrate love through a continuing pattern of conduct shaped by Christ’s commands. Obedience does not earn salvation, but it bears witness to faith and to a heart transformed by grace. Jesus taught that those who love Him keep His commandments. Deu 10:12-13 And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you… This is the very commandment you have heard from the beginning, John recalls the foundational apostolic message received from the earliest days of Christian instruction. The call to love one another was not a later addition or a novel teaching, but part of the gospel entrusted to the church by Christ and His apostles. 1Jn 3:11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning:… that you must walk in love. Love must govern the believer’s life toward God and toward fellow believers. Such love reflects the character of Christ, preserves fellowship in the truth, and identifies His disciples before the world. Eph 5:2 and walk in love, just as Christ loved us…
Beware of DeceiversFalse teachers had spread beyond the churches known to John, carrying teachings that distorted the apostolic gospel. Their activity fulfilled Christ’s warning that false prophets would arise and lead many astray (Matthew 24:11). Such deceivers often claimed spiritual insight while denying truths revealed in the eyewitness testimony of the apostles. 1Jn 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test… refusing to confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. The error centered on the incarnation. Jesus Christ truly came as a man, possessing real human nature without ceasing to be fully God. John had personally known the Lord and steadfastly testified that “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14). Denial of Christ’s humanity undermines His saving work, for He bore sin, suffered, died, and rose bodily as the representative of His people. 1Jn 4:2 By this you will know the Spirit of God:… Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. Everyone who rejects the biblical Christ stands in opposition to Him. John does not limit antichrist to a future individual; many antichrists were already at work through teachers who opposed apostolic truth (1 John 2:18). The church must therefore guard the confession of Jesus Christ, receiving no doctrine that separates His divine glory from His genuine humanity. 1Jn 2:22 Who is the liar, if it is not the one who denies… Watch yourselves, John calls believers to remain alert because deceivers had gone into the world denying that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. Spiritual vigilance requires holding firmly to the apostolic gospel and refusing fellowship that would aid those who distort Christ’s person and work. Luk 21:34 But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down… so that you do not lose what we have worked for, John and the other apostolic witnesses had labored to establish these believers in the truth of Christ. Departure from that truth would damage the fruit of their ministry and expose the church to destructive error. The warning also carries a communal concern, since deception spreads when it is welcomed or tolerated. Gal 4:11 I fear for you, that my efforts for you… but that you may be fully rewarded. Faithful perseverance brings the full reward promised by Christ to those who remain in His truth. John directs their attention beyond present pressure and controversy to the day when Christ will reward steadfast service, obedience, and loyalty to His gospel. Col 3:24 because you know that you will receive an inheritance… Anyone who runs ahead without remaining in the teaching of Christ This phrase warns against moving beyond the foundational teachings of Jesus Christ. In the early church, false teachers often introduced new doctrines that deviated from the apostolic teachings. The phrase “runs ahead” suggests a departure from the established truth, similar to the warnings in Galatians 1:6-9 about turning to a different gospel. The teaching of Christ refers to the core doctrines delivered by Jesus and His apostles, emphasizing the importance of adhering to the original message. This reflects the cultural context of the time, where Gnosticism and other heresies were emerging, challenging the early church’s beliefs. Gal 1:8-9 But even if we or an angel from heaven… does not have God. Departure from the true Christ (the Anointed One) is not a harmless difference of opinion but a break from fellowship with God. The Father cannot be known apart from the Son whom He sent. Denial of Christ’s identity and teaching rejects God’s own revelation and leaves a person outside the life He gives. 1Jn 5:12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son… Whoever remains in His teaching Remaining in His teaching implies a steadfast commitment to the doctrines and instructions given by Jesus. This echoes John 15:4-7, where Jesus speaks about abiding in Him as a branch abides in the vine. The concept of remaining or abiding is central to Johannine theology, emphasizing a continuous, active relationship with Christ. Historically, this was crucial for the early church as it faced external pressures and internal divisions, necessitating a firm grounding in apostolic teaching. Jhn 8:31-32 So He said to the Jews who had believed Him,… has both the Father and the Son. Union with Christ brings believers into fellowship with the Father who sent Him. The Son perfectly reveals the Father, and all who confess the true Son and remain in His teaching possess the God-given relationship that false teaching cannot provide. 1Jn 2:23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father… If anyone comes to you Traveling teachers depended on believers for lodging, financial support, and opportunities to teach in house churches. John calls congregations to test those who seek entrance and influence. Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets. They come to you… but does not bring this teaching, The teaching centers on Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, truly come in the flesh. Those who deny His incarnation depart from the truth delivered by the apostles and do not remain in the teaching of Christ. 1Ti 1:3 As I urged you on my departure to Macedonia,… do not receive him into your home Christian homes often served as gathering places for the church. Offering hospitality to a false teacher would provide a platform for error and give the appearance of support for a message that corrupts the gospel. 2Th 3:14-15 Take note of anyone who does not obey the instructions… or even greet him. John forbids a welcoming greeting that expresses fellowship or endorsement. Faithful love protects Christ’s people from deception and refuses partnership with those who reject the truth about Him. Luk 10:4 Carry no purse or bag or sandals. Do not greet anyone… Whoever greets such a person John refers to the deceivers who deny that Jesus Christ came in the flesh (2 John 7). The prohibition concerns receiving false teachers as fellow believers, offering them lodging, financial support, or public encouragement that would advance their ministry. Christian hospitality was a vital means of supporting traveling teachers, so welcoming a deceiver could lend credibility to a message that denied the incarnation and undermined the gospel. 2Th 3:14-15 Take note of anyone who does not obey the instructions… shares in his evil deeds. Those who assist false teachers become partners in the harm caused by their teaching. Denial of Christ’s true humanity strikes at the reality of His saving death and resurrection. Believers must show love without compromising truth, refusing support that enables deception or brings confusion into the church. 1Ti 5:22 Do not be too quick in the laying on of hands…
ConclusionJohn had further instruction and pastoral counsel for the elect lady and her children, especially concerning truth, love, obedience, and the danger of receiving deceivers who denied the incarnation of Christ. His brief letter addressed an urgent need without attempting to replace the fuller care of personal ministry. Jhn 16:12 I still have much to tell you, but you cannot yet… but I would prefer not to do so with paper and ink. Letters could preserve apostolic teaching, but they could not fully convey the warmth, counsel, correction, and mutual encouragement that believers shared in person. John did not diminish the value of written Scripture; rather, he recognized the need for direct fellowship within the church. 3Jn 1:13 I have many things to write to you, but I would prefer… Instead, I hope to come and speak with you face to face, John expected that a personal visit would allow him to strengthen the believers, answer concerns, and guard them more fully against false teaching. Face-to-face fellowship reflected the pattern of Christ, who taught, comforted, corrected, and revealed Himself through personal presence. 3Jn 1:14 Instead, I hope to see you soon and speak with you… so that our joy may be complete. Joy reaches fuller measure when believers walk together in the truth and share fellowship centered on Jesus Christ. John’s hope anticipated the greater joy awaiting all who remain in Christ: unbroken communion with the Lord and His redeemed people. 1Jn 1:4 We write these things so that our joy may be complete. The children of your elect sister Believers from a neighboring congregation joined in conveying affection to the recipients. John portrays local churches as sister communities within God’s household, united by the Father’s choosing grace and bound together in truth and love. The same imagery appears in 1 Peter 5:13, where a church sends greetings as a fellow member of Christ’s people. 1Pe 5:13 The church in Babylon, chosen together with you, … send you greetings. Christian fellowship extended beyond a single assembly through prayer, hospitality, shared encouragement, and faithful communication. The greeting affirms that congregations facing different circumstances remained connected in their common confession of Jesus Christ and mutual commitment to walk in His commandments. 1Co 16:19 The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings.… This is a draft of the Berean Study Bible. Please send all comments and recommendations to bereanstudybible@aol.com. Bible Hub |
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