To di Chosen Lady

One single sheet of papyrus. Di space no too reach for more than few lines. One old man dip im pen, and e write to people wey e love. E get plenty more to talk. But dis one go do, for now.

For di early days, Christians no dey meet for church buildings. Dem dey meet for houses. And teachers dey travel from town to town, dey visit dis house churches, and often dem dey stay as guests. Dat one na wonderful way for di good news to spread. But e also mean say anybody fit show face, dey claim say e be teacher. Some of dem dey teach things about Jesus wey no be true. So one old church leader, wey simply call imself di elder, write one very short letter. Christian tradition talk say dis elder na di apostle John.

E write: Di elder, to di chosen lady and her children, wey I love inside di truth. Who be dis chosen lady? She fit be real woman wey dey host one church. But plenty people think say John dey talk about one whole church, wey e picture with love as mother, with di members as her children. For di end, e send greetings from di children of her chosen sister, and dat one sound like another church. Then e talk, I happy well well as I find some of your children wey dey waka inside di truth, as di Father command us. Like grandparent wey dey proud when e hear good news about di family.

Now, dear lady, e talk, no be new commandment I dey write you, but di one wey we get from di beginning. Make we love one another. And dis na love, say make we waka according to im commandments. To love God and to love each other dey go together. You no fit get one without di other. Then im voice become serious. Plenty deceivers don go out into di world. Dem no confess say Jesus Christ come inside flesh, as real human being. Watch yourselves, John talk, so dat una no go lose wetin we don work for, but make una receive full reward. Anybody wey run go front and no stay inside di teaching of Christ no get God. But anybody wey stay inside dat teaching get both di Father and di Son.

So, John talk, if anybody come meet una and e no bring dis teaching, no receive am for una house, and no bless am for im work. Remember, na for house di church dey meet. To welcome one teacher wey dey travel mean to give am platform to teach di whole church. John dey ask dem make dem protect di family. Then, for di end, di letter soft again. I get plenty things to write una, e talk, but I no want use paper and ink. I hope to come meet una and talk face to face, so dat our joy go complete. Some things better to talk am face to face.

Second and Third John na di two shortest books for di New Testament. Each one long reach about wetin fit enter one single sheet of papyrus, di paper of di old world, wey dem make from di stems of one reed wey dey grow along di Nile, wey dem press together. When John talk say e no want write with paper and ink, di word wey e use for paper na di word for one sheet of papyrus.

To di chosen lady. You go find dis small letter for Second John, wey get only thirteen verses. Love one another, hold di truth about Jesus well, and dey look forward to meet face to face. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. How you fit show love to di people for your church family dis week, as you still dey hold wetin dey true?