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On a personal note
Tonight we are looking at a very intimate letter written with a powerful subject, truth.
“Truth without love makes a person harsh.
But love without truth makes a person dangerous” - Jon Courson
Why dangerous, glad you asked.
Dangerous in the aspect he will allow a cancer to grow, allow problems to take root in his life or in the family and do nothing to stop it.
Remember what Jesus said about truth?
Well, before getting more into truth, let me set the stage and give you the basics here first.
Setting: The church has been growing exponentially and it was spreading through the world at that time.
(Act8:5; Col1:5-6)
The church was very hospitable (Phm22; Gal6:6; 3Jn5-8)
Life in the early church was very fluid, many lost homes because of becoming a Christian, but hospitality was a common thing, taking in strangers.
phm22
That was an example.
And Paul encouraged Christians to support those who were teachers, bringers of the good news (consider Gal6:6)
John even commended those who did support the missionaries, the travellers, sojourners (consider 3Jn5-8)
That was not without risk of taking in someone who had some other teaching but the sound teaching that could be a cancer to the church.
Purpose of letter: To remind them to discern the truth with love and act on it (see 2Jn10-11)
Author: “The Elder” most critics believe to be John
Reason that assumption made
Similar language and concepts in the Gospel and epistles
Irenaeus (disciple of Polycarp) Clement and Dionysius (of 3rd Century) all mention John by name as the author
Recipients: The elect (chosen) lady and her children (v.1)
This can be a literal person and her children
This can also be figurative, to the local church and sister churches too.
When looking at scripture you want to that the most obvious, or simplest answer first, so I will go with actual letter to actual lady and her children, Elect because she is elect of God a child of God.
Date and place: A.D. 90-95 while in Ephesus
The date has been debated that some believe just prior to A.D. 70 since no mention of destruction of Jerusalem while the majority of the scholars believe it was at the end of John’s life betwen 90-95
Outline
John commends (2Jn1-4)
John commands (2Jn5-6)
John cautions (2Jn7-11)
John comforts (2Jn12-13)
Now back to truth for a minute.
We have discussed and agreed the John is the apostle of love and was the one whom Jesus loved.
He wrote about love more than any other Apostle.
His gospel, and the epistles demonstrate that.
But truth.
He is big on truth
Truth 20 times in gospel
Truth 9 times in 1John
Truth 5 times in 2John (in just 13 verses)
and anther 5 times in 3John (in 14 verses)
So, truth is a mighty important thing for John, for we know the truth shall set you free (think of Jn8:32).
We were made free by truth and we can share the freedom we have in truth and love and that is what we are looking at tonight here in 2John.
John commends
Commend is to entrust for care or preservation; to mention with approbation (praise).
So, who does not like to be commended?
Commended by the Apostle.
2jn1-2
Gleaning from the scripture:
How does John love according to (v.1)?
He loves in truth
Where does truth abide (v.2)?
Abides in us (the believers)
and will always, since we know God’s truth, God’s Word will never pass away (consider Mt24:25).
How does grace, mercy, peace come (v.3)?
Comes in truth and love.
What were the recipients of truth doing (v.4)?
They were walking in truth.
Something to think about, how can we walk in the truth (ref: Jn8:32; 1Cor13:1-2)
Know the truth, the truth that sets us free (Jn8:32)
To love one another is to walk in truth!
It is to share the truth in love too, that is vitally important.
(Transition) John is commending them, the lady and her children, so this family for the truth that abides in them and that they walk in.
Now may we be a people, a family, a church family that knows and walks in the truth in love so that it may be commended of us.
John commands
John now goes on to drive home the point of truth w/love in action.
Gleaning from the text:
What is the command found in (v.5)?
Love one another
What does the command in action look like in (v.6)?
That you love by walking according to His commands.
It think you will remember that this command, though not a new command, is a command that is emphasized by John in the other writings (in case you are wondering it is 11 times between the gospel and his epistles).
Notice the wording in (v.6) that this is love; and love is defined as walking according to His commands.
Love is not a feeling, it in action based on a decision (i.e. to walk).
John cautions
From commending to commanding now for the reason for protection, or to give them words of caution.
What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
Gleaning from the scripture:
OK, focus on (v.7) what has gone out, and why have they gone out?
And, what does John call those who went out?
Many deceivers went out because they do not acknowledge Jesus as coming in the flesh.
He calls them antichrist.
What does He warn them, tell them to and why (v.8)?
Tells them to watch themselves, that they not lose what they have accomplished, so that they can receive full reward.
There is a stern warning and a great assurance found in (v.9), can you identify them?
The one who does not abide in Christ does not have God; the one who does abide, has both the Father and the Son.
What are we not to do (v.10)?
Not to receive those who do not bring this teaching, what is the teaching again?
(Teaching of Christ (v.9); and that Christ came in the flesh (v.7).
In (v.11) told not to even give greetings to such a person.
Let me give you some others thoughts on this.
Polycarp said when he met the heretic Marcion, “Marcion asked do you recognize me?” and Polycarp answered “I recognize Satan’s first-born.”
John the beloved, when meeting Cerinthus the heretic fled the public baths when he entered stating “Let us hurry away lest the building collapse on us, because Cerinthus the enemy of truth, is here.”
So, do you think we should not talk with people who have a different gospel, a perverted gospel?
If that is so, would that not be Apollo’s did he not have it right?
What about Peter, he did not have it right when it came to food?
Wait what about you, did you always have it right?
So, what does he mean here?
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