2 John thoughts

Truth and Love (2 John 1:1-3)

John Identifies himself as the Elder

This emphasizes the position and the relationship he has with the recipient

Not unusual for John to identify himself by something other than name

Gospel of John “The disciple Jesus loved”

Writes to the Elect lady and her children

3 ideas for what this means

It is a reference to a local church and its members

It is a reference to the church universal (Jerome)

It is a reference to an individual lady and her children

Prefer the understanding of 1, but the reality is what is taught here would be true of anyone in the body, even if written to an individual

If working from understanding of 1,

Church as the Bride of Christ

Word for lady is the feminine form of “Lord”

John writes that he loves the church and its members in truth

Truth and love are inseparable in all of John’s writings

Dr Tony Evans

Truth is the absolute standard by which reality is measured

Love is the expression of that truth in our care for one another (Truth in Action)

Truth without love is cold orthodoxy

Love without truth is empty sentimentalism

Dr. Danny Akin

Truth is the framework that guides and gives genuine meaning to his expression of love

What are examples from your own life where you have seen truth without love?

Love without truth?

He writes that it is not only him that loves these believers, but all who know the truth

Intimacy of believers is a big theme with John

This intimacy is a unity that comes through the truth

It is a unity that exists in us now (abides in us)

And it is a unity that we will not lose (Will be with us forever)

And what does John say is the outflow of this unity in the truth?

Grace: God doing for us what we do not deserve

Mercy: God not doing to us what we do deserve

Peace: God giving us what we need based on His grace and mercy

These three things come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ

The way he says this is important

These blessings come from both the Father and the Son

This identifies the persons of Father and Son as separate persons

But since the blessings come equally from both Father and Son

He identifies the unity of the Godhead and the divinity of both persons

And again, he says that these blessings come to us from the Father and Son, in truth and love.

Love and Obedience (2 John 4-6)

Christ and Orthodoxy (2 John 7-9)

Christian Hospitality (2 John 10-13)