2 John 4-6

INTRODUCTION

read v.4-6

2 John 4–6 NKJV

4 I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received a commandment from the Father. 5 And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. 6 This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.

Loving one another is the subject of this whole section.

I will teach this backwards because it will make more sense to our English American reasoning…

HOW DO WE LOVE? (v.6a)

We love by doing what Jesus commands (v.6a)

1 John 5:2–3a NKJV

2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

However why this is great application for our lives lets not lose the context here.

Note this is love in v. 6a is present active indicitive

so love is an ongoing action not a feeling.

WHAT IS CHRIST COMMAND? (v.6b)

*note in v. 6a it was plural commandments… now in v.6b it is singular one commandment

The singular command of Christ is to love each other (v.6b)

Mark 12:30 NKJV

30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

Luke 10:27 NKJV

27 So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

Luke

John 14:15 NKJV

15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.

John 15:9–17 NKJV

9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.

The New King James Version Chapter 15

9 “As the Father lloved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 mIf you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and nthat your joy may be full.

John 15:9–11 NKJV

9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

WHY DOES LOVING EACH OTHER PROTECT US FROM HERETICS? (v.5)

Remember the context is identifying false teachers....

In 1 John he gave 3 tests to identify a real Christian (love (; ; , ; ); , life style,(; ; ) and doctrine ( ; ; , ; , , ).)

We see the same three tests in 2 John to identify a real Christian or not.

(1) love (v. 5)

(2) keep His commands ( v. 6)

(3) doctrinal content (v. 7)

So loving each other will protect us from heretics, because this command was a from the beginning (v.5)

This is a reference to the beginning of Jesus teaching

1 John 2:7 NKJV

7 Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.

1 John 2:24 NKJV

24 Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.

1 John 3:11 NKJV

11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,

So Bede an early church father in 672-735 summarized this section well:

New Testament XI: James, 1–2 Peter, 1–3 John, Jude From the Beginning

BEDE: Here John is attacking the heretics who had abandoned the teaching of the apostles and were trying to introduce new doctrines. By doing this they were breaking the bonds of brotherly love. ON 2 JOHN.5

Love unifies, heretics disunify

THE 2 RESULTS OF LOVING EACH OTHER (v4)

Here it is love but

For you - When we love each other we are walking in the truth (v.4)

*note it does say some of you walking in the truth… teaching us that there were some in the church not walking in the truth

For others - It causes leadership to rejoice. (v.4)

For others - It causes leadership to rejoice. (v.4)

2. The result of truth lived out is rejoicing! (v.4)

New Testament XI: James, 1–2 Peter, 1–3 John, Jude The Results of Truth

HILARY OF ARLES: The saints are always overjoyed to see the results of truth at work.

3. Loving one another is not a new command but from the beginning (v.5)

*church leader 401-449 BC

Hebrews to Revelation: Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, Volume 4 Assumptions of the Letter

For Stoic thinkers joy, like all strong emotions, was to be avoided. But joy had always accompanied news of Jesus: There was joy at his birth (Luke 1:14; 2:10); there was joy among his disciples as they ministered (10:17); there was joy in the presence of the Lord after his resurrection (24:41, 52). Jesus had promised abundant joy to his disciples (see John 15:11; 16:20, 24). Jesus prayed to the Father that his followers would have joy after he left them (17:13).

Hebrews to Revelation: Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, Volume 4 Assumptions of the Letter

Joy is often associated with human celebration, but this is too simplistic: “Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief” (Prov. 14:13). True joy comes from participation in the kingdom of God, which is not a matter of partying, “of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17). Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22).

Hebrews to Revelation: Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, Volume 4 Assumptions of the Letter

“Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief” (Prov. 14:13). True joy comes from participation in the kingdom of God, which is not a matter of partying, “of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17). Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22).

Conclusion?

Do you see the love Jesus wants us to have for each other in the church today?

Matthew 24:12 NKJV

12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.