The Second Letter of

JOHN

Walk According to His Commandments

1 aThe elder to the bchosen clady and her children, whom I dlove in truth; and not only I, but also all who eknow the truth,

2 for athe sake of the truth which abides bin us and will be cwith us forever:

3 aGrace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

4 aI was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father.

5 Now I ask you, lady, anot as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had afrom the beginning, that we blove one another.

6 And athis is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, bjust as you have heard cfrom the beginning, that you should walk in it.

7 For amany deceivers have bgone out into the world, those who cdo not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is athe deceiver and the dantichrist.

8 aWatch yourselves, bthat you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.

9 1Anyone who 2goes too far and adoes not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.

10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, ado not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting;

11 for the one who gives him a greeting aparticipates in his evil deeds.

12 aThough I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that 1your bjoy may be made full.

13 The children of your achosen sister greet you.

The Third Letter of

JOHN

You Walk in the Truth

1 aThe elder to the beloved bGaius, whom I clove in truth.

2 Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.

3 For I awas very glad when bbrethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you aare walking in truth.

4 I have no greater joy than 1this, to hear of amy children bwalking in the truth.

5 Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the abrethren, and 1especially when they are bstrangers;

6 and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to asend them on their way in a manner bworthy of God.

7 For they went out for the sake of athe Name, baccepting nothing from the Gentiles.

8 Therefore we ought to 1support such men, so that we may 2be fellow workers 3with the truth.

9 I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to abe first among them, does not accept 1what we say.

10 For this reason, aif I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not breceive the cbrethren, either, and he forbids those who desire to do so and dputs them out of the church.

11 Beloved, ado not imitate what is evil, but what is good. bThe one who does good is of God; cthe one who does evil has not seen God.

12 Demetrius ahas received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself; and we add our testimony, and byou know that our testimony is true.

13 aI had many things to write to you, but I am not willing to write them to you with pen and ink;

14 but I hope to see you shortly, and we will speak face to face.

15 aPeace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends bby name.