2 John 1:7-11

B. Protecting the Truth vv. 7-11

Next John moved on to his second purpose. He wrote to encourage his readers to resist the false teachers who were distorting the truth and deceiving some of the believers.

"The presbyter’s attention now moves from the existence of true belief inside the Johannine community, which gives him great joy (2 John 1:4), to the dangers presented to it through the espousal of false belief by deceivers who have ’defected into the world.’ Earlier, the writer has spoken of Christian truth and love; in the remainder of 2 John the emphasis inevitably falls on the need for truth in contrast to error. But the two sections interlock. Departure from the truth results in a failure of love. Thus the dark description of heretical secession and its consequences (2 John 1:7-11) forms the basis of John’s warm appeal for love and unity (2 John 1:4-6)." [Note: Smalley, p. 327.]