John, Second Epistle of

The Second Epistle of John is the shortest book in the New Testament, a brief letter from "the elder" addressed to an "elect lady and her children," most likely a local church or a prominent Christian woman and her household. The letter warns against offering hospitality to traveling teachers who deny that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, striking the same anti-docetic note found in 1 John. It emphasizes walking in truth and love and urges vigilance against those who go beyond the teaching of Christ.