John’s community had gone through much pain and confusion, and he wanted to spare other communities the same heartache. That’s the purpose of 2 John, and some of what he says there seems harsh. How do you tell people something they may not want to hear? Start by saying something nice; ancient letters often began by establishing some goodwill between the sender and the recipient. But in trying to encourage obedience to the truth, was John paying his readers a left-handed compliment?