John writes to a church he calls “the elect lady and her children,” rejoicing that some of them are walking in the truth known by all believers. He urges the community to remain united in love and obedience to God’s commandments, for love fulfills the truth of God. Yet false teachers have arisen who deny that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. These deceivers, called antichrists, must not be received or supported, for to aid them is to share in their wicked work. The letter is brief because John hopes to visit them soon and speak face to face.
Truth and love are inseparable in John’s thought—love must be guided by truth, and truth must be expressed through love. The church’s unity depends on both. His prohibition against welcoming false teachers would have stunned his audience: in a world where hospitality was sacred, refusing it was a public act of rejection. Yet John commands it because extending hospitality would publicly legitimize heresy. Protecting the truth about Jesus’ incarnation, the center of the gospel, is the greatest act of love the church can offer.
6: And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.
Want to try the Chapter By Chapter approach for yourself?