Ii John
II JOHN
INTRODUCTION
THE PROBLEM FACED BY THE RECEIPENT OF THIS LETTER NOT NEW IN RELIGIOUS CIRCLES:
EXAMPLES
TODAY: KNOCK AT THE DOOR—SOMEONE FROM A CULT
DEUTERONOMY 13:1-3
“IF A PROPHET OR A DREAMER OF DREAMS ARISES AMONG YOU, AND GIVES YOU A SIGN OR A WONDER, AND THE SIGN OR WONDER COMES TRUE, CONCERNING WHICH HE SPOKE TO YOU, SAYING, ‘LET US GO AFTER OTHER GODS (WHOM YOU HAVE NOT KNOWN) AND LET US SERVE THEM,’ YOU SHALL NOT LISTEN TO THE WORDS OF THAT PROPHET OR THAT DREAMER OF DREAMS; FOR THE LORD YOU GOD IS TESTING YOU TO FIND OUT IF YOU LOVE THE LORD GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL.”
RON R. RITCHIE “THIS IS A VERY CLEAR MESSAGE, VERY BLACK AND WHITE. MOSES FACED WITH THIS PROBLEM OF FALSE TEACHERS. EVERY TRUE PROPHET WHO EVER SPOKE WAS FACED WITH FALSE TEACHERS. JESUS WAS CONFRONTED WITH THE PHARISEES, PAUL WITH THE JUDAIZERS, JOHN WITH THE GNOSTICS. EVERYONE WHO HAS EVER TAUGHT THE WORD HAS BEEN FACED WITH FALSE TEACHERS. ANYONE WHO LOVES JESUS CHRIST IS FACED WITH THE PROBLEM OF HOW TO TELL THE TRUE FROM THE FALSE. JOHN AND ALL THE OTHER APOSTLES CONSTANTLY TELL US WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE.”
IT IS THIS PROBLEM THAT THE WRITER OF II JOHN ADDRESSES.
I. THE GREETINGS, VV. 1—3
VERSE 1
· “THE ELDER”
QUESTION ONE: WHO WROTE THIS LETTER?
· SCHOLARS TELL US THAT THE THREE
LETTERS KNOWN AS THE LETTERS FROM
JOHN AND THE GOSPEL OF JOHN—CLOSELY
ALLIED
IN DICTION--PHRASOLOGY
IN STYLE—STATING OF PROBLEM AND SOLUTION
IN GENERAL OUTLOOK—JESUS CHRIST IS TRUTH
AND GOD IN THE FLESH
* THUS, GENERAL AGREEMENT—JOHN THE APOSTLE
CONSIDERED TO BE THE AUTHOR OF ALL FOUR
QUESTION TWO: WHY DID JOHN BEGIN THIS
LETTER WITH THE TERM “THE ELDER”
GREEK WORD IS “PRESBUTEROS”
ORIGINALLY IN SECULAR LIFE TERM
GIVEN TO AN OLDER MAN
THEN AS TIME WENT BY TO
A MAN OF RANK OR OFFICE
IN THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH:
TERM REFERRED TO MEN WHO
HAD ATTAINED TO A WELL-
PROVED, MATURE
CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE
FROM THESE RANKS THAT THE BISHOPS
WERE CHOSEN
SUGGESTIONS WHY TERM USED
1) THE TITLE USED BECAUSE OF THE OLD
AGE OF THE AUTHOR AND THE
RESPECT OR AUTHORITY GIVEN
TO HIM
2) TERM USED OF OFFICIALS IN THE
JEWISH SYNAGOGUE IN THE
1ST CENTURY
MARK 15:1 & ACTS 6:12
3) ELDERS AS RULERS OF THE
COMMUNITY APPEAR
IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
DEUT. 19:12, JOSH. 20:4,
RUTH 4:2, EZRA 10:14
4) OUTSIDE THE JEWISH BACKGROUND
OF CHRISTIANITY, TERM USED
BY THE HELLENISTIC WORLD
AS A TITLE FOR MAGISTRATES
5) AN ALTERNATE DESIGNATION FOR THE
APOSTLES
I PETER 5:1 “TO THE ELDERS AMONG
YOU, I APPEAL AS A FELLOW
ELDER, A WITNESS OF CHRIST’S
SUFFERINGS AND ONE WHO ALSO
SHARE IN THE GLORY TO BE
REVEALED:”
IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, IT IS NOTED THAT
THE AUTHOR DID NOT IDENTIFY
HIMSELF BY NAME BUT SAID THAT
HE WAS THE “DISCIPLE WHOM JESUS
LOVED”
OUT OF HUMILTY
AND A DESIRE NOT TO BE
EXALTED TO A HIGH STATUS
OR VENERATED BY THE CHRISTIAN
COMMUNITY TO WHICH HE
LATER BELONGED
THUS, HE USED THE TERM “PRESBYTER”
(ELDER) RATHER THAN APOSTLE
AS A SELF-DESIGNATION
· “TO THE CHOSEN LADY AND HER CHILDREN”
WHO IS THIS “CHOSEN LADY”
TWO POSSIBILITIES
1) THE GREEK WORDS ARE
“EKLETE KURIA”
KURIA- THE FEMINIME FORM
OF KURIOS
MEANS “MASTER”
THUS, COULD BE
TRANSLATED
“THE ELECT LADY”
WHO WAS THIS “ELECT LADY”?
NAME FOR A PARTICULAR LADY
SUCH AS MARY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS, HIMSELF
(AS BARLCAY WROTE, “SHE WAS TO BE A MOTHER TO JOHN, AND HE WAS TO BE A SON TO HER (JOHN 19:26, 27))”
OR IF “KURIA” IS A PROPER NAME WOULD MEAN “MISTRESS”
ONE SCHOLAR SUGGESTS:
MAYBE THE WOMAN IS
MARTHA OF BETHANY
(SISTER TO LAZARUS)
2) MANY SCHOLARS THINK THE LETTER
IS WRITTEN TO A CHURCH
A. POSSIBLE A CHURCH WHERE
JOHN HAS PREACHED
B. OR ANOTHER CHURCH NEARBY
“HER CHILDREN” TRANSLATION DEPENDENT
ON WHICH YOU ACCEPT
IF A PARTICULAR WOMAN,
THEN HER CHILDREN
IF A CHURCH, THEN THE
BELIEVERS IN THE CHURCH
NOTE WHAT JOHN SAYS ABOUT WHOMEVER IT
IS ADDRESSED TO
· “WHOM I LOVE IN THE TRUTH”
JOHN BEGINS THE THEME OF THE LETTER
TRUTH
THIS WORD
APPEARS 5 TIMES IN THE 1ST 4 VERSES
INDICATES SOME MAJOR IMPORTANCE
PRECEEDED BY THE ARTICLE “THE”
ENGLISH HAS 3 ARTICLES
“A”
“AN”
“THE”
GREEK HAS ONLY ONE ARTICLE
THE DEFINITE ARTICLE “THE”
INDICATING NOT JUST ANY
“TRUTH”
BUT “THE” TRUTH
GNOSTICS WHO WERE THE FALSE TEACHERS
THAT JOHN WAS REFUTING BELIEVED
THAT JESUS DID NOT HAVE A PHYSICAL
BODYAND WAS ONLY A SPIRIT THAT
APPEARRED TO THE WITNESSES
MATERIAL THINGS—EVIL
IF JESUS WAS GOD—COULDN’T HAVE
A FLESHLY BODY
TRUTH THAT JOHN EMPHASIZES THROUGH-
OUT THE GOSPEL AND THE LETTERS:
JESUS IS BOTH GOD AND MAN
JESUS LIVED AMONG US AS A MAN
AT THE SAME TIME HE WAS GOD
GOSPEL OF JOHN
1:1, 14
20:31
I JOHN
1:1, 2
4:2, 3
II JOHN 7
III JOHN
NOT MENTIONED SPECIFICALLY
REFERRED TO AS “THE TRUTH”
THE “ELECT LADY” AND “HER CHILDREN”
LIVING WITH THE TRUTH AS PART OF THEIR
LIVES
NOT FOLLOWING THE FALSE TEACHERS
NOT BEING LED ASTRAY
LIVING WITH THE BELIEF THAT JESUS
LIVED AMONG US AS A MAN
LIVED AMONG US AS GOD
BECAUSE OF THIS EXAMPLE OF “THE ELECT
“LADY” AND “HER CHILDREN”
JOHN AND ALL WHO BLIEVE THE SAME
WAY HAVE A LOVE FOR THEM
IN OTHER WORDS, LOVE AND TRUTH
ARE BOUND TOGETHER,
WHICH WILL COME UP AGAIN
IN VERSE 3
VERSE 2 “BECAUSE OF THE TRUTH, WHICH LIVES IN US
AND WILL BE WITH US FOREVER:”
· NOW JOHN REFERS TO ANOTHER TRUTH: THE
PRESENT LIVING HOLY SPIRIT IN THE LIVES OF
BELIEVERS
JOHN 14:16—17 “AND I WILL ASK THE FATHER, AND HE WILL GIVE YOU ANOTHER COUNSELOR TO BE WITH YOU FOREVER—THE SPIRIIT OF TRUTH. THE WORLD CANNOT ACCEPT HIM, BECAUSE IT NEITHER SEES HIM NOR KNOWS HIM. BUT YOU KNOW HIM, FOR HE LIVES WITH YOU AND WILL BE WITH YOU.”
· THE TRUTH DOES NOT CHANGE
· WILL BE TRUE FOREVER
· FOR ALL ETERNITY
VERSE 3 “GRACE, MERCY AND PEACE FROM GOD THE FATHER AND FROM JESUS CHRIST, THE FATHER’S SON WILL BE WITH US IN TRUTH AND LOVE.”
· THIS IS THE STANDARD GREETING FOR MANY
LETTERS OF THAT DAY
GALATIONS 1:3 “GRACE AND PEACE TO YOU FROM GOD OUR FATHER AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.”
EPHESIANS 1:2 “GRACE AND PEACE TO YOU FROM GOD OUR FATHER AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.”
ROMANS 1:7
I CORINTHIANS 1:3
PHILIPPIANS 1:2
COLOSIANS 1:2
II THESSALONIANS 1:2
TITUS 1:4
PHILEMON 3
I PETER 1:2
II PETER 1:2
REVELATION 1:4
· JOHN IS NOT WISHING THESE THREE THINGS FOR THE READERS; HE IS CONFIDENTLY BESTOWS THEM ON THE READERS.
· THE THREE VIRTURES
* “GRACE”—COVERS THE SINS OF MEN
* “MERCY”—COVERS THEIR MISERIES
“PEACE”—THE RESULT OF BOTH
· NOW, JOHN JOINS “TRUTH” & “LOVE”
· PAUL’S LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS SAYS THE SAME THING: THAT A CHRISTIAN SHOULD LEARN TO SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE (4:15)
· RAY STEDMAN “THE REMARKABLE WORK OF A CHRISITAN LIFE IS TO GATHER THESE OFTEN OPPOSING THINGS TOGETHER AND KEEP THEM IN BALANCE.”
· PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE IS THAT WE TEND TO EMPHASIZE ONE AT THE EXPENSE OF THE OTHER
· TRUTH OVER LOVE
* EPHASIZE TRUTH AND CENTER ON DOCTRINAL MATTERS, INSISTING THAT THE SCRIPTURES BE FOLLOWED CAREFULLY (MUCH LIKE PHARISEES OF JESUS’ DAY)
· AT THE EXPENSE OF LOVE
· RIGID AND JUDGMENTAL
· SOMETIMES EVEN CRUEL IN THE THINGS WE SAY
· LOVE OVER TRUTH
· ACCEPT EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING
· TOLERANT OF EVERY BELIEF
· MUST BE KEPT IN BALANCE
· JESUS WALKED IN TRUTH AND LOVE
· DEALT IN TENDERNESS WITH THE SINNER
· TOLD THE TRUTH TO THE PHRAISEES
· THUS JOHN IS SAYING: “WHEN YOU GO TO HANDLE A PROBLEM OF DOCTRINAL ERROR, EMPHASIZE TRUTH AND LOVE.”