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- ¶ THE minister to the mother church and her children, those whom I love in the truth, and not I only, but also those who have known the truth,
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- For the sake of the truth which dwells in us and is with us for ever:
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- Grace be with us, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
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- I rejoiced greatly that I found some of your children living in the truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.
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- ¶ And now I beseech you, O mother church, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
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- And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments.
This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should follow it.
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- ¶ For many deceivers have appeared in the world, who do not acknowledge that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.
Such a person is a deceiver and an antichrist.
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- Look to yourselves, that you lose not those things which you have accomplished, but that you receive a full reward.
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- Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God.
He who abides in his doctrine has both the Father and the Son.
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- ¶ If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not welcome him to your house, neither bid him to eat;
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- For he who bids him to eat is partaker of his evil works.
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- ¶ I have many things to say to you which I do not want to write with paper and ink;
but I trust to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.
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- The children of your elect sister church greet you.
Grace be with you.
Amen.
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