Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 2 John 1:8

"Look to yourselves, that ye lose not the things which we have wrought, but that ye receive a full reward." — 2 John 1:8 (ASV)

In this verse, some manuscripts read, “Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for,” while others have, “Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for.” It is difficult to ascertain which one John actually wrote, though “we” seems preferable (cf. Galatians 4:11, 19). As messengers of Christ, the apostles could not help but feel completely involved in the lives of their charges (cf. Php 2:16). Whether or not they actually planted all the churches under their wings is beside the point. Though Paul did not establish the Christian communities in Rome and Colosse, he accepted full responsibility for them and wrote to them. Similarly, as one in charge of the message that was “from the beginning,” all of John’s labors were directed to the maintenance of the truth that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. If anyone failed to continue in this message, in a real sense John’s apostolic mission had failed. That the reader would lose was self-evident, but so would the community of faith and John himself (i.e., “we”).

“Rewarded fully” suggests that John envisions two possibilities. In this verse John addresses one situation, in which a reader is partially deceived and so loses some of his reward for faithfulness and perseverance. One receives according to his or her work. (For more on the concept of “rewards,” see Mt 5:12; 1 Corinthians 3:8; Revelation 11:18; 22:12.)