What does 2 John say about receiving false teachers into your house?

2 John says that if someone comes and “does not bring this teaching,” they should not be received “into your house” (2 John 1:10). The elder also says not to “give him any greeting” (2 John 1:10). The stated reason is that greeting such a person shares in his wicked works (2 John 1:11).

Passage context

In 2 John 10–11 the writer gives a practical boundary for the community: if a visiting person does not bring “this teaching,” they must not be received into the house or even greeted in a way that supports them. The reason is moral and communal: welcoming such a person makes the host a participant in the harmful things that person is doing. These verses come in the warning section of the short letter. Earlier, the writer rejoices that some are “walking in truth” and urges love that stays aligned with the command they “heard from the beginning” (see 2 John 4–6).

Why it matters

These two verses assume that teaching and community life are tightly connected. A person can arrive claiming to be a legitimate Christian teacher, yet not bring “this teaching” (verse 10). The letter treats that mismatch as serious enough to limit access and support. The passage also treats certain kinds of hospitality as more than private kindness.

Read carefully

A careful answer keeps the immediate passage, the book's argument, and the whole-Bible storyline together, so the question is answered in context instead of as a detached idea.

Keep reading

Start with 2 John 1:10, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.