It is a friendly, personal letter, written some time after the first letter, to the “elect lady” who, as I think, was John’s friend, and not a church or some nation as has sometimes been argued. The aim is evidently to warn his friend against certain false teachers.
Analysis.
- Greeting, 1-3.
- Thanksgiving, 4.
- Exhortation to obedience. 5-6.
- Warning against anti-Christs, 7-9.
- How to deal with false teachers, 10-11.
- Conclusion, 12-13.