Sermon Tone Analysis

II JOHN

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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.”*

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IT IS THIS PROBLEM THAT THE WRITER OF II JOHN ADDRESSES.

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*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”*