\v 1 You all know me as the chief Elder. I am writing this letter to you believers, the congregation that I love so much. God has chosen you, and I love you because what we know about the Messiah is true! Not only do I myself love you, but all those who know and accept the true message that Jesus taught also love you!
\v 3 God the Father and Jesus the Messiah, who is his Son, will continue to act kindly and mercifully toward us because they love us. They will enable us to have peace, because they truly love us.
\v 4 I am very happy because I have learned that some of you are living according to the truth that God has taught us. this is just what our Father commanded us to do.
\v 5 And now, dear congregation, I beg you to obey what he has commanded us to do. This is why I am writing to you. What he commanded—that we should love each other—is nothing new; instead, it was when we first believed in the Messiah that we learned that we should love each other.
\v 7 Many people who deceive others have left your congregation and have now gone out among other people in your area. They are the ones who refuse to believe that Jesus the Messiah became human. They are the ones who deceive others and oppose the Messiah himself.
\v 8 So be careful that you do not let those teachers deceive you! If you let them deceive you, you will lose the reward which we, together with you, have been working for, and you will not receive the complete reward of being eternally united to God!
\v 9 Those who change what the Messiah taught and do not continue to believe what he taught are not joined with God. But those who continue to believe what the Messiah taught are joined with both God, our Father, and with his Son.
\v 10 So when anyone comes to you who teaches something different from what the Messiah taught, do not welcome him into your homes! Do not encourage him by greeting him or wishing him well in any way!
\v 12 Even though I have much more that I want to tell you, I have decided not to say it in a letter. Instead, I expect to be with you soon and talk directly with you. Then we can be completely joyful together.