Thirteen verses on holding love and truth together without dropping either.
The 'elder' writes to the 'elect lady and her children,' commanding love in accordance with truth and warning against deceivers who deny Jesus Christ's coming in the flesh. Anyone who 'runs ahead' (proagōn) beyond the teaching of Christ does not have God; adherence to the apostolic teaching ensures fellowship with both Father and Son. The letter prohibits extending hospitality to those who bring a different gospel, as welcoming them constitutes participation in their evil work.
The 'elect lady' (eklektē kyria) is most likely a personification of a local church community, though some scholars have argued for an actual individual. The letter's brevity corresponds to the typical length of a single papyrus sheet. The prohibition against hospitality must be understood within the ancient system of itinerant teachers who depended on community housing and thereby gained implicit endorsement.
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