For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
Parallel translations
- WEB for he who welcomes him participates in his evil deeds.
- BSB Whoever greets such a person shares in his evil deeds.
- NKJV for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.
- NASB for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.
- NLT Anyone who encourages such people becomes a partner in their evil work.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Whoever welcomes such a false teacher shares in his evil deeds. Lending support to those who attack the gospel makes one complicit in their harm.
Overview
John explains the previous command: offering hospitality and encouragement to a teacher who denies Christ is not neutral but a partnership in his destructive work. The believer's love must be discerning, refusing to advance what undermines the truth of Christ. This sober warning reflects how seriously Scripture regards the protection of the gospel and the spiritual safety of the flock.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- 1 Tim 5:22Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.
- Eph 5:11And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
- Ps 50:18When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.
- Rev 18:4And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
To walk in truth and love is to abide in 'the teaching of Christ'; whoever has the Son has both the Father and life.
How 2 John 1:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.