2 John Bible Trivia: 18 Questions and Answers for Kids

These 18 2 John Bible trivia questions cover the book with the fewest verses in the entire Bible -- just 13 -- with answers and verse references included after every question. They're sorted into easy (ages 5-8), medium (ages 9-12), and hard (teens and adults) rounds, so the whole family can play together.

2 John is a postcard-sized letter that almost nobody can quiz on, which makes it a secret weapon for family trivia night. You can read the whole book aloud in about one minute, then see who was actually listening -- and a couple of these questions stump even adults who've been in church their whole lives.

What Is the Book of 2 John About?

The book of 2 John is a short letter urging Christians to keep loving one another, keep walking in the truth, and refuse to give a platform to traveling teachers who deny that Jesus came in the flesh. It packs both halves of the Christian life -- warm love and clear truth -- into 13 verses, which is why it's often summarized as "love within limits" or "truth and love together."

The letter comes from someone who calls himself simply "the elder" (2 John 1), and church tradition has identified him as the apostle John, whose style here closely matches 1 John. It's addressed "to the lady chosen by God and to her children" -- more on that mystery below. It was likely written late in the first century, when churches met in homes and depended on traveling teachers, so a household's decision about whom to host was really a decision about whose message to spread.

Who Was the "Chosen Lady" in 2 John?

The honest answer is that Christians have read "the lady chosen by God" (2 John 1) two ways, and the Bible doesn't settle it. Some understand her as a real Christian woman -- a mother whose children John had met and rejoiced over (2 John 4). Others understand "the lady" as a picture of a local church, with "her children" being its members; on this reading, the closing line about "the children of your sister, who is chosen by God" (2 John 13) is one congregation sending greetings to another.

Both readings are old, and both make sense of the letter -- so it's a great one to present to kids as a genuine Bible mystery. Either way, the message to her (or to the church) is the same: keep loving one another, and don't open the door to teaching that denies Jesus. For a fun follow-up, have kids skim the letter and vote on which reading they find more convincing -- it's all of 13 verses, so even a reluctant reader can be a scholar of the entire book by bedtime.

Easy 2 John Trivia Questions (Ages 5-8)

1. How many verses does 2 John have? 13 -- the fewest verses of any book in the Bible (2 John 1-13)

1. What does the writer call himself instead of using his name? "The elder" (2 John 1)

1. Who is the letter written to? "The lady chosen by God and to her children" (2 John 1)

1. What command does John repeat -- one "we have had from the beginning"? Love one another (2 John 5)

1. What gave John great joy about some of the lady's children? They were walking in the truth (2 John 4)

1. John says he doesn't want to use two writing supplies -- what are they? Paper and ink (2 John 12)

Medium 2 John Trivia Questions (Ages 9-12)

1. According to verse 6, what is love? Walking in obedience to God's commands (2 John 6)

1. What two names does John give a person who denies that Jesus came in the flesh? The deceiver and the antichrist (2 John 7)

1. What does John tell his readers to "watch out" about? That they do not lose what they have worked for, but are rewarded fully (2 John 8)

1. What are believers told NOT to do for a teacher who denies Christ's teaching? Do not take them into your house or welcome them (2 John 10)

1. Instead of writing more, what does John hope to do? Visit and talk face to face, "so that our joy may be complete" (2 John 12)

1. Who sends greetings in the letter's last verse? The children of the lady's sister, "who is chosen by God" (2 John 13)

Hard 2 John Trivia Questions (Teens and Adults)

1. Which apostle does church tradition identify as "the elder"? John -- the letter is traditionally attributed to the apostle John

1. Christians read "the chosen lady" two different ways -- what are they? A real Christian woman, or a figurative name for a local church and its members (2 John 1)

1. What three blessings does John promise "will be with us" in his greeting? Grace, mercy and peace (2 John 3)

1. According to verse 9, what does anyone who "runs ahead" beyond the teaching of Christ NOT have? God -- "does not have God" (2 John 9)

1. Which two books are the only ones in the whole Bible to use the word "antichrist"? 1 John and 2 John (1 John 2:18; 2 John 7)

1. 2 John has the fewest verses in the Bible -- but which book is shortest by word count? 3 John (2 John; 3 John)

How to Use These Questions

The best way to play 2 John trivia is to read the entire book aloud first -- it takes about a minute -- then quiz immediately and watch who was paying attention. It makes a perfect "mystery book" round in a family Bible trivia night, and kids love the bragging rights of having read a complete book of the Bible in one sitting. Pair it with our New Testament trivia questions to build out a full game.

2 John is also a natural doorway into two bigger topics: the command to love one another, which John says is not new but "from the beginning," and where the tiny letters sit in the books of the Bible -- tucked near the very end, right before Jude and Revelation. If your kids enjoy the elder himself, John appears throughout the Gospels as one of the twelve apostles, and our video lessons at Faithful Kids pair his stories with quizzes kids actually ask to take.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who wrote the book of 2 John?

The author identifies himself only as "the elder" (2 John 1), and church tradition has identified him as the apostle John, based on the letter's close resemblance to 1 John and the Gospel of John. The letter itself never uses the name John, which makes for a fun trivia question all by itself.

How many verses does 2 John have?

2 John has just 13 verses in a single chapter -- the fewest verses of any book in the Bible. Its sibling 3 John has 14 verses but fewer words, making 3 John the shortest book by word count and 2 John the shortest by verse count.

What is the main message of 2 John?

The main message is to hold truth and love together: keep obeying the command to love one another (2 John 5-6), and at the same time refuse to welcome or support teachers who deny that Jesus Christ came in the flesh (2 John 7-11). John treats love and truth as partners, not rivals.

Who was the chosen lady in 2 John?

Nobody knows for certain. Some Christians understand her as a real woman with children whom John knew; others understand "the lady" as a symbolic name for a local church, with "her children" being its members. Both interpretations are ancient, and the letter's message works the same either way.

Why does 2 John say not to welcome certain people?

Because in John's day, traveling teachers depended on host homes for lodging and support, so welcoming a teacher meant sponsoring his message. John says that anyone who welcomes a teacher who denies Christ "shares in their wicked work" (2 John 11). It's a warning about endorsing false teaching, not a ban on ordinary kindness to neighbors.

What age can kids start learning 2 John?

Kids around 6 and up can enjoy 2 John, mostly because they can hear the entire book read aloud in about a minute -- a real, complete Bible book at storytime. The love-one-another verses fit any age, while the false-teacher warnings make more sense to kids 10 and older who can grasp why messages matter.