2 John

[!NOTE] Primary Scripture Reading: 2 John 6-11

I. Background and Setting

A. Written by the apostle John, probably around 85-90 A.D.

B. Written to the elect lady (Chart showing both views)

C. Could be a local church or the church in general but not likely

D. Some have suggested that John was writing to “the bride of Christ” However, the personal observations about her children and a greeting from her sister seem to argue against this but is not definitive. The church is sometimes referred to as bride but usually in symbolic writings like the book of Revelation or in analogies such as Paul’s use of the marriage like relationship between Christ and the church in Ephesians. If a local church then “some of the children” would indicate that some members were faithful and some had fallen away and the elect sister would be the local church from which John wrote and the church would be warned not to encourage or support false teachers.

E. Could be a Christian lady, possibly named Electa or Curia, or anonymous

F. No husband is mentioned so she may have been a widow or her husband might not be a Christian. Possibly a person of some means, certainly generous, since she has the ability to host traveling evangelists in her home

G. She has some faithful children; Paul’s phrase in v.4 may mean:

H. She has other Christian children that Paul has not met She has children who are not Christians, perhaps led away by false teachers which are the subject of the epistle. She has children who are not old enough to become Christians

I. For our purposes, we will take the view that this is a personal letter from John to the elect lady.

J. Theme of 2 John

K. The epistle addresses the personal responsibility and importance of remaining faithful to God and not encouraging false teachers. The words love, truth, and commandments are prominent in the epistle.

II. Truth must abide in us

A. John praised the elect lady for her stand in the truth

B. It was a source of joy for him and others who love the truth. There is a joy in the kinship Christians share with other faithful saints. Stott: “We do not love each other because we are temperamentally compatible, or because we are naturally drawn to one another, but because of the truth we share…so long shall as the truth endures…so long shall our reciprocal love also endure…we shall never increase the love which exists between us by diminishing the truth. In the contemporary movement towards church unity we must beware of compromising the very truth on which alone true love and unity depend.” (Tyndale, p. 203)

C. He also rejoiced that some of her children were faithful to the truth

D. There is a special joy in knowing that another generation desires to carry on the message of faith. It appeared that John taught this lady (2 John 8) and, if so, his joy would be compounded knowing some of her children were Christians.

E. This truth abides forever; therefore, the bond between Christians is forever.

F. The identity of the elect lady and her family is unknown but they appear to be ordinary Christians “such as any generation would produce. But because they were faithful and endeavored to live up to their calling, the apostle loved them, and all true Christians loved them…They may win no place in the history of the world that is passing away; but they have a place in the heart of him who abideth forever.” Pulpit Commentary on 2 John, p.177.

III. We must abide in the truth

A. Love and commandments

B. Many in our world want to overrule commandments with love as if the two are at odds with one another. Love is part of the commandments; love does not oppose obedience. Love is not a nebulous emotion but a commitment and dedication to God…this love can be commanded, emotions cannot.“Love, in the absence of obedience, degenerates into fanaticism; duty without love is cold formalism.” Guy N. Woods (Commentary on 2 John) God expressed His love through His commandments

C. Keeping God’s commandments is an expression of love to Him

D. Live by the commandments of God

E. Contains all things that pertain to life and godliness Matthew 22:40 – Love God completely (all commandments, even the difficult ones) love neighbor as self (even if it means making our neighbor sorrow so that his soul might be saved).It is not love when we pass off difficult or unpleasant commands or commands that might make others uncomfortable. It is not love to tell another that God is pleased with him when he is disobedient—this is the epitome of hatred (have I become your enemy because I told you the truth?) Is a doctor doing good when he spares bad news to a patient? God commands us to live in the truth (v.4)

F. Look to yourselves

G. The false teachers are anti-Christ in their teaching—they oppose truth yet their message is deceitful so as to entice even the elect.

H. Do not go beyond the truth nor assist those who do

I. “Going ahead” was a boast of the Gnostic teachers who claimed to have found truth beyond the basics of the faith and here John seems to use their phrase to show that they went so far that they left God behind. We can think we are so beyond the basics of the faith, the book, chapter, and verse, that we leave God behind and establish our own faith. John 13:20 – Receive Christ’s teachers as one would Jesus“The doctrine of Christ” is not doctrine about Christ but what Christ taught and was revealed through the apostles.

IV. We must not encourage or assist false teachers

A. False doctrine can cause us to lose our eternal reward

B. 1 John 4:1 – many deceivers have gone into the world Truth is forever but false doctrine has forever consequences Through false doctrine we cease to abide in God

C. We must not encourage them in their teaching (“not bid Godspeed”)

D. Alexander: ‘the tolerance on which we pride ourselves is in reality an indifference to the truth” (Tyndale p. 214) We would not encourage one with a contagious disease to do well in spreading the disease to others; we would want his efforts to fail.

E. We must not assist them in their teaching

F. Not financial support

G. Not supply bed and board

H. Traveling evangelists had no modern hotels to stay in—according to W.M Ramsay “the ancient inns…were little removed from houses of ill fame.” (Tyndale Commentary on 2 John, Introduction).Teachers would be given hospitality by local Christians. Not furnish a pulpit or forum in which to teach unopposed

I. Just as one who supports and assists godly teachers shares in the fruit they bear, so the one who encourages or assists false teachers shares in the destruction of souls.

V. Conclusion

A. The child of God must abide in the truth and not venture beyond God’s revealed word into speculative doctrines or practices that are not authorized by the scriptures.

B. Each of us must take heed to ourselves (“Prove yourselves” to see whether you are in the faith) so that we are not led away by the error of the wicked—the time spent “working out our salvation with fear and trembling” can save us from an eternity in hell, banished from the presence of God.

C. The truth is so important that we must love it, let it be part of us, not go beyond its dictates, and oppose the efforts of those who teach false things.

D. We must not support the false teacher by encouraging him, defending him, or justifying him—we must love truth more than we love pleasing others. We must not provide financial assistance to those who teach false things.

E. If the truth abides in you, and you abide in the truth, you will hate every false way, oppose every false teaching, correct false teachers, and look to yourself to make sure you are not doing and teaching what is error.

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