How does 2 John 1:13 connect with other New Testament teachings on love? \Setting the scene in 2 John 1:13\ “ The children of your elect sister send you greetings.” - John closes his brief letter with a warm, family-style greeting. - “Elect sister” = a fellow congregation chosen by God; “children” = its members. - The greeting itself is an act of love that binds two church families together. \Family language underscores love\ - Throughout the New Testament, believers are addressed as brothers, sisters, children, or household—language that emphasizes covenant love (1 John 3:1; Galatians 6:10). - By borrowing the vocabulary of family, John reminds us that Christian love is not sentimental; it is as concrete as the loyalty found in healthy households. \Greetings as practical love in action\ - Romans 16:16—“Greet one another with a holy kiss.” - 1 Peter 5:13—“She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark.” - Philippians 4:21—“Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus.” These repeated greetings show that love is expressed in simple, intentional contact: remembering names, sending messages, bridging distances. \Shared election, shared affection\ - “Elect sister” echoes Ephesians 1:4—God “chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.” - Love springs from knowing we are equally chosen; there is no hierarchy, just mutual affection rooted in God’s prior choice. \Echoes of Jesus’ command to love\ - John 13:34-35—“A new commandment I give you: Love one another… By this everyone will know that you are My disciples.” - The greeting in 2 John 1:13 is one small fulfillment of that command: believers making sure fellow disciples feel remembered and valued. \Unity guarded by truth and love\ - Earlier in the letter, John balances love with truth (2 John 1:1-6). The closing greeting circles back: authentic love is inseparable from shared commitment to the gospel. - Ephesians 4:15—“Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ.” \Carrying love across generations\ - “Children” signals younger believers extending love on behalf of their church. - 1 Timothy 5:2 calls older men “fathers,” younger women “sisters”—love transcends age gaps, nurturing faith in every stage of life. \Living it today\ - Send greetings: notes, texts, calls—small gestures keep the body knit together. - Address fellow believers as family; let speech reflect affection and respect. - Remember distant congregations in prayer and practical support, showing that geographic space cannot dissolve Christ-rooted love. 2 John 1:13’s simple farewell thus harmonizes with the New Testament’s chorus: true Christian love is familial, intentional, truth-anchored, and ever outward-reaching. |
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