3 John Overview (Sunday School Notes)

3 John

Read  3 John

What do you see about this letter?

Personal letter, he names names,

Mixed letter of friendly, advisory and commendation

Themes- hospitality, truth, love.

Here is the outline:

By the people it Characters

Gaius-            prosperous Christian         

Diotrephes-  proud christian

Demetrius-    pleasant christian

By its Content

A letter that confirmed, condemned, commended

By its Theme

Gaius the man who showed hospitality

Diotrephes the man who refused hospitality

Demetrius the man who received hospitality.

Comparatively

1 John a general letter to a church

2 John a specific letter to a family – be loyal to the truth

3 John an individual letter to a person- be loyal to the truth.

Why do you think that Hospitality is such a big deal?

Consider this

In Romans 12:13

1 Timothy 3:2

1 Peter 4:9

The Greek word for hospitality is love of strangers, love of strangers. It's just basic to the Christian responsibility to open up our home to those we don't know, particularly other believers who are strangers to us.

Comparatively  

2 John  emphasizes the negative—who not to be hospitably to- false teacher V10

3 John emphasizes the positive—who to be hospitable to  those who are caring the gospel truth

On the day of Pentecost, you remember, there were all kinds of pilgrims in Jerusalem who had come to celebrate the Passover. They stayed through Pentecost. When Peter preached, three thousand of them were saved. Three thousand of them then brought into the church of Jesus Christ and that was the only church that existed on planet earth at that time, the only and only. They didn't want to go back to where they came from because they now were a part of the body of Christ and the only place they could meet and fellowship was there with the Apostles in Jerusalem. And so the church there, those that had come to Christ prior to the day of Pentecost, the 120 in the upper room, and those who came to Christ on the day of Pentecost had to absorb all those believers and care for them and meet their needs. That's why later on the Apostle Paul took a collection in order help the church support the strangers who never went back to where they came from because there new reason to live was singularly located in Jerusalem.

In fact, in the early church, the home was the center of everything, absolutely everything. As you read the New Testament you don't find any church buildings. You finish the New Testament and there hasn't been a church building built

This was a basic responsibility, a basic expression of Christian love

V 1. The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.

How do we know that 3 John is written by the apostle John?

·         There is an argument made that there are two John’s mentioned in the Ecclesiatical History by Eusebius. (He’s using a quote from Papias, the Bishop of Hierapolis) He wrote this about 100 years later from the letters time  85-95 ad)

·         John was in a unique category- a disciple who followed Christ while here on earth, an apostle of the church. And alive!

·         Early Church fathers like Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian and Origen give us the earliest identification as being John and no other name really was suggested.

·         In the letter its self there are similar phrases that are characteristic of the Gospel of John- love in the truth, walk in the truth.

·         The name elder he gives himself is to refer primarily to his ageliterall “old man”- probably 90. As the last living disciple elder could have been a title but chances are his title was Apostle.

·         Also there is an authority in his words that appear to be apostolic- specially in the instruction in vs 11.

Who is Gaius?

·         He was common member of the Church in Asia minor- modern day Turkey.  Maybe even a leader. There are a number of men named Gaius in the New Testament.

·         Gaius of Corinth who was the host of Paul and of the church in Corinth.

·         Gaius of Macedonia who was one of Paul's companions who suffered in the riot at Ephesus.

·         Gaius of a town called Derbe, who traveled with Paul on his last missionary tour.

We don’t truly know anything else about Gaius other than his actions of love and how loved he is by the apostle John.

These are not the Gaius being addressed here. Gaius, I found out, was one of the most common of all names in the Roman Empire.

If I was write a letter to the most common name in this congregation(LEFC)  it would be to Susan. But which one? Harm, Butterfield, Zielke, Defrane, Ewing?

V 2. Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.

Three of the first eleven Greek words refer to love. John as you remember is a very balanced emotional guy who is here expressing a sincere and genuine care for Gaius through this prayer.

·         Now this type of greeting was typical in the early world to bestow a well wish.

·         But I believe it is sincere because he is referencing a blessing or prosperity physically based on the fact that he knew that his soul was in “good health”.

·         Some commentators and scholars have said that peraps he was sick- but there is nothing to prove that.

Do you pray for good  and spiritual health- how  do you bless and pray for those who you love?

V 3. For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth.   

How did John know that Gaius soul was strong and healthy?

2 indicators:

First through the testimony of the brothers.

Who were these brothers? Look within the context of the letter.

V 5.  Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are

·         To be hospitable means to have a love for strangers

V 6. who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God.

·         The word church is used only here in all of John’s writings

V 7.For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.

V 9.  I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority.

          Context: What had happened was some traveling preachers had come to wherever Gaius was. And Gaius had opened his home to these traveling preachers, traveling proclaimers of the gospel. And he had given them hospitality and taken them in. They most likely had a letter from John- where is that letter? LOST!

Notice: What did the brothers testify about?  Was it his love?  No it was the testimony of his faithfulness to truth and walking in it.

Gaius was strong in the adhering to the truth.   That’s how John knew that he was strong spiritually.

V 4.  I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

So How did John know that Gaius soul was strong and healthy?

1.    Through the testimony of Gaius faithfulness to the truth from the brothers.

What else was an indicator?. Found in this verse. Walking in the truth

In Greek  It literally is, "My own children, I have no greater joy...he says...this is my highest joy, I understand this, folks, I really do. I really understand this. I have no greater joy than this to hear of my own children walking in the truth."

Whether you're talking about physical children or spiritual children, anybody who has been a part of the ministry that God has given to me, there is no higher joy, there is no greater joy than to know they know the truth, believe the truth and walk in the truth.

That's what we are after her at LEFC. That when truth is revealed and conviction of the Holy Spirit comes that you begin to adjust and repent of lifestyle and attitudes that don’t correspond with the truth. And then Walk in the Truth.

What does that look like?

WALK

Worship that is deeper:  The revealed truth that our life ambitions and goal is the glory of God. That revealed truth of the attributes of God will causes us to worship with greater passion and confidence.

Adherence to the truth: That you possess- that is take for yourself- the truth of Scripture- not mom and dads or your pastor or favorite speaker- but that you would possess  the truth of Scripture and have it control you.   That we would cling to, stick to truth and that we would defend it when need- die for it if needed  be persecuted for it  to live radical for it.

Love that flows from Truth- You say, "Well why isn't he concerned about love?" Because if you walk in the truth, what's going to happen? You're going to love because it's part of the truth it's part of the truth. Revealed truth will cause you to love what God loves and to hate what God hates.

K?

Gaius there was every minister's dream, every minister's greatest joy.

Another reason Why John knew that Gaius was strong spiritually is found in verse 5-8

He had a practical ministry

V 5.  Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are

·         Faithfulness indicates a a correlation between Gaius’s truth and Gaius’s love. He was counted on. His efforts were an outcome of his faith.

There was an exact correspondence between his creed and his conduct. He knew it, he believed it and he lived it. No dichotomy between profession and practice. And it starts with not being doctrinally confused. The greatest joy of the ministry is not to teach the truth, the greatest joy in ministry is not to know that your people understand the truth, the greatest joy in ministry is to see your people...what?...walk in it.

V 6. who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God.

·         Gaius love and hospitality was reported back in the church where john was a part of.  Of course he didn’t do this to gain renown- but the brothers report it to show his example and to encourage many. His kindness was to serve as a reflection of God’s own kindness that he experienced

Has the Grace of God so gripped your heart that his kindness toward you is overflowing over to others? 

How do you display the grace of God in your life? Is it an obligation or a true love for others that come out of a love given to you from God?

·         "You will do well" is an idiom equivalent to the English word "please." "Please send them on their way in a manner worthy of God." That is to say, give them the support they need. It's sort of,

"Send them on their way" is a technical term in the early church for missionaries. These are missionaries. Now we're getting down to where we live, right? We understand that word, don't we? It implies receiving them, caring for them, meeting their needs, and then giving all that is required to send them on their way to accomplish their next objective in the next stage of their journey. This is why churches support missionaries, this is where this comes from. This is a real part of the early church, traveling preachers going everywhere proclaiming the gospel, planting churches, strengthening churches. And they had to be supported, they had to be cared for. They needed money and clothing and supplies.

·         verse 6, "Send them on their way in a manner worthy of God."
What do you mean by that? Treat them the way you think God would treat them. That's pretty clear, isn't it? How would God treat them? Treat them the way God would treat them. I would think he would be generous, wouldn't you? I would think he'd give them everything they need, and probably more.

·         Listen to this, Jesus' words, Matthew 10:40, "He who receives you, receives Me. And he who receives Me, receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward."

V 7.For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.

The "Name" here is, of course, that of Jesus which was now exalted above every name (Phil 2:9-11). To go out on behalf of that Name was a supreme honor (cf. Acts 5:41 for the honor of suffering for it). Naturally, it was inappropriate for those who did so to seek support from those who did not believe in or honor that Name. Thus the Lord's servants went out, receiving no help from the pagans. Even in the present day, there is something unseemly in a preacher of the gospel soliciting funds from people to whom he offers God's free salvation.

V 8. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

·         We - in contradistinction to "the Gentiles" (3 John 7).

·         Therefore - as they take nothing from the Gentiles.

·         Receive. 'Aleph (<START HEBREW>a<END HEBREW>) A B C read, 'take up.' As they take nothing from the Gentiles, we ought to take up their support.

·         Fellow-helpers - with them.

·         To the truth - i.e., to promote the truth.

V 9.  I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority.

Who is Diotrephes? What do we know about him?

He likes to be first- prominence prestige  promotion of self

·         puting himself first:   pre eminence  Used in  Colossians 1:18 and there it talks about the preeminence of Christ. So here is a man who is competing with Christ. Here is one who doesn't believe that Jesus alone is first, but seeks to supplant Christ and to rule the church in the place of Christ. He's like New Testament Absalom, so power hungry that he would murder his own father to take the throne.

·         He had the final say-so about everything in the church, and his decisions were determined by one thing. "What will this do for Diotrephes?

What is Diotrophes problem?  Look at vs 10

V 10  So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.

1.    He gossiped maliciously and senselessly against the apostle and those who he sent (the brothers)

·         "unjustly accusing us with wicked words." This is characteristic in every occasion of these people who rise to preeminence. They falsely accuse other people. This is how they gain trust. They don't gain trust by the virtue of their life. They don't gain trust by their character. They don't gain trust the long, slow, true way by exposing all that they are to people and letting people make a judgment on their righteousness and on their integrity. They get the trust of the people by destroying the people's trust in everybody else. They are malicious and destructive, accusing...the word accusing here is actually a word that occurs only here in the entire New Testament but a cognate form of it occurs in 1 Timothy 5:13 where it can be translated tattlers. They are tattlers. They go around telling malicious, gossiping tales

2.    He refused to welcome the brothers and John’s letter of recommendation

3.    He also stopped those who did welcome the traveling preacher and put them out of the church.  Gaius may well have been one of them.

His actions are ll very disturbing of a leader/ even a pastor. He displays CULT like behavior  What’s a  CULT  Congregations under leaders teaching and tyranny-

I’m going to be very careful but a shepherd displaying this type of me first mentality should not be listened to and John was gong to bring it up to him.

What Diotrophes is doing is very different then loving church discipline. And doctrinal protection.

What is the purpose of Church discipline? Loving Restoration.By causing sincere repentance through church discipline   What is he doing? Throwing out dissentors to his will!

What is the purpose of doctrinal protection? To have the truth be preached and to guard against false teaching. What is he doing?  Denying those who know the truth to bring the truth to his congregation.

Ever play king of the Hill  what’s the goal of king of the hill?

protecting his power base. Anybody who is a threat, he figures out a way to get them off.

Diotrophes is trying to throw out of the church people who are threat to his kingdom--  through the use of malicious gossip, through destruction of their personality, their character, their integrity, pretty soon they're gone.

Appears to be personal  not church or theologically related  but sinful and personal.

Why is John bringing this up in a personal letter to Gaius?

Look at v 11

(As a negative example)

V 11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.

·         The repeat of the word Beloved is no taking the topic of the letter back to Gaius,

·         Seems to be a personal word of counsel. Don’t let Diotrophes be your example or the influence in your life.

·         To do good is evidence again of divine birth true Christians are described as either been from God or have seen God.  When the eyes of our hearts are opened to the Gospel  and to God’s goodness we show goodness.-  Again the grace of God manifesting itself- In this letter- first through truth than love now goodness.

Make sure you are discerning of that even when your growing in other areas of your life- not just the spiritual area.  Who do you look up to at work, school for how things are done.  How about your training? Are you imitating good  biblical perspectives, attitudes and habits that reflect God glory?

V 12  Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.

What do we know about Demetrius?

Everyone like Demetrius  12(a)

He is most likely not the silversmith of Ephesus (Acts 19;24,28). Why? No support to prove that.

He is not Demas, Paul’s failed companion (Col 4:14, 2 Tim 4:10 Phlm 24).

Speculation:

 He is the bearer of the letter to Gaius or the object of Diotrophes wrath. Not sure but eitherway- Gaius will encounter Demetrius.

What does it mean “and from the truth itself?

“Even  his commitment to the truth speaks well of him”   again a lifestyle of Truth walking

The testimony of everyone to Demetrius in the past remains valid in the present, perfect passive. He has received an ongoing and continually good testimony from everyone. Second witness, "And from the truth itself." That is to say you can measure him by his doctrine, you can measure him by the truth. He is loyal to the truth. And again, it's an ongoing thing, the truth he professes and the truth he preaches is the truth he embodies and lives. It is self-evident and always has been. And thirdly, verse 12, he says, "And we also bear witness." John says we bear witness. We continue to bear witness. Gaius, if you have any question about this man, everybody will testify to his character and his faithfulness. The truth will testify to his character and faithfulness, he can be measured against it. And we also as an Apostle bear witness and you know that our witness is true. You know you can trust me.

How do you know a man's worth?

What does everybody say about him?

How does his life match up with Scripture?

And what do Christian leaders say about him?

And when you get a man who passes muster on all three of those, open your arms, notwithstanding Diotrephes or anybody else, and embrace the man.

NOTE:How we choose elders at LEFC if we have time…

V 13 I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. V 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.

·         Said the same thing in 2 John. 

·         Somethings are better said face to face (lit mouth to mouth)

·         Notice john’s planning…See him shortly.

V 15 Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, every one of them.

·         Typical ending But note again   Peace—DO YOU PRAY FOR PEACE OVER YOUR LOVED ONES?  GOD’S PEACE.

·         Friend: unusual expression used for believers. Only used here  Mayb e derived from John 15:13-15

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. 

You are my friends if you do what I command you. 

 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”

It is a good reflection of friendship among believers—

Do you have friends like this- who are so close you’d die for each other?

An Overview of 3 John

V 1. The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.

V 2. Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.

V 3. For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth.  

V 4.  I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

V 5.  Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are

V 6. who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God.

V 7.For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.

V 8. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

V 9.  I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority.

V 10  So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.

V 11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.

V 12  Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.

V 13 I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. V 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.

V 15 Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, every one of them.

2 John Overview (Rough Sunday School Notes)

I enjoyed John MacArthur’s outline which surprisingly he took 4 sermons to work through this short letter. His outline was:

                Living in the Truth

                Loving in the Truth

                Loyalty to the Truth

                Looking to the Truth

                [1:1] The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth,

[2] because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:

What does it mean the truth that abides in us?

·         On the surface it indicates the truth of the message of the Gospel has been internalized by the believers that it lives in them and out through them and is what creates the community of love.

·         It could allude Jesus as the Truth—big T.who is the embodiment of the truth and who lives in them.

·         Either way one cannot know the truth without knowing Christ first…

·         This would serve as an encouragement to the audience who are unsettled because of the false teachers message. Reassures the question do we know the truth?

[3] Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son, in truth and love.

                John offers a triple blessing, beginning with grace (charis). These are the character of the gospel.

“Grace” is God’s unmerited and undeserved kindness, which he freely bestows on persons who are unworthy of such attention. It is everything a holy and righteous God does for sinners that they do not deserve.

Mercy (eleos) occurs only here in the entire Johannine corpus. It speaks of God’s compassion and pity, his tenderness and readiness to forgive sin.

Peace (eirēnē) is a Hebrew concept emphasizing wholeness and well-being of life in all its aspects. It conveys ideas such as safety, rest, and the absence of hostility (cf. Rom 5:1; Phil 4:9).

Grace is God doing for us what we do not deserve, mercy is his not doing to us what we do deserve, and peace is God giving us what we need based upon his grace and mercy. The word order is significant. God’s grace is always prior. Mercy and peace flow from it.

John points out that these Christian graces come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son. The repetition of the preposition “from” is important. It places the Father and Son on an equal standing and at the same time distinguishes their separate personhood. Jesus Christ is God the Father’s Son, but he is also God.

The conclusion to the greeting is different than other epistles in the Canon of Scripture.

What are the differences? Compare  and read  Romans 1:7, 1 Cor 1:3; 2 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3  1 Pet 1:2; Jude 2

1.       Not so much a wish as an affirmation that grace mercy and peace will accompany  both John and the family.

2.       In the original language there is an emphasis that  says: “What will be with us is grace , mercy and peace.”

3.       Emphasis is both – not just reader  and writer.

4.       Jesus is described as the Father’s Son.

5.       The three fold attributes are described as being in truth and love.

6.       Some previous and earlier salutation just have grace and mercy.

In light of the situation that there are traveling false teacher who are sharing a false message that is unsettling and disturbing the young Church, these emphasis and differences in presentation here are important For John to highlight.  John is reiterating some truth here that may well fly in the face of the false teacher’s message.

a)      Reassure God’s grace, mercy and peace as being present despite what the dissenters were saying

b)      Reinforces a community of love by placing himself along with the audience as a recipient of these blessings of God

c)       Reflects the truth of Jesus being the Father’s son as a direct contradiction to the lies of the dissenters. The taught that Christ didn’t come in the flesh.

d)      That these blessing are experienced by those who hold to the truth and practices love among themselves.  John may have believed the false teachers did neither of these things.

[4] I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father.

·         Nothing brings joy like those who walk in the truth.  Truth with feet

·         Some of your children- not all of the children are walking in the truth yet.

There is an implied understanding of what the command of the Father was. Possible one of three options:

                        LOOK UP             

Mark 9:7 alluding to the voice from heaven

John 12:50 recognizing Jesus teaching = Fathers teaching being passed

1 John 3:23 (probably correct one) equating the gospel message w/ Father’s message

[5] And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another.

John has now asked a specific request of the lady- to have an ongoing love of fellow believers.

What is the command we have had from the beginning?

From the beginning is a popular phrase found in John’s letters. It has occurred ten times.  For this one it means the command to love one another has been a part of the Gospel message since Jesus preached it (John 13:34; 15:12, 17).

In the beginning is connected with a few things:

·         With  word of life as heard and seen and handled at the beginning of the eyewitnesses

·         With the gospel as it was first heard by the readers of John’s letter

·         With Christ  as the one from the beginning

·         With Satan as the one  who sinned at the beginning

·         But the most common one is the connection, like this one, to the command to love one another.

o   Within this one we have a new understanding of an old command.  The phrase love one another sums up a portion of the law- with of course the other part being the love God wholly.

o   To love: has in mind an ongoing love for fellow believers.

Can Love be commanded?   Yes when you understand true love is action of caring and unselfish issues. It is to be warm and emotional  but that’s not all… In all of John’s writings loving one another is central. To love one another is the first test of knowing if someone is a Christian.

Look at 1 John 2:7-11

⁷ Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. ⁸ At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because^[a] the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. ⁹ Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. ¹⁰ Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him^[b] there is no cause for stumbling. ¹¹ But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

And 1 John 3:11-18

¹¹ For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. ¹² We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. ¹³ Do not be surprised, brothers,^[a] that the world hates you. ¹⁴ We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. ¹⁵ Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

¹⁶ By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ¹⁷ But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? ¹⁸ Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

And 1 John 4:7-12

⁷ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. ¹⁰ In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

·         God’s love makes us loving.

·         The reason why we have such an emphasis is that it is believed that the traveling heretics were exclusive and unloving

[6] And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.

What is the greatest commandment? Love God  with whole self and neighbors as self

The greatest commandment is the most loving commandment. It is a commandment that obeyed by the Christian birthed out of the loving grace of God that produces in us a loving fruit (GAL 5:22-23).

NOTE: REPETITION OF THE PHRASE “HEARD FROM THE BEGINNING”

Jesus defines his disciple love for him in terms of obeying his commands.

“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. “  John 15:10

What does it mean that we should walk in it? There are optional ideas here

·         Walking in love

·         Walking in the command

·         Walking in the truth

·         Walk in truth and love

 [7] For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.

                This verse is linked with the previous verse. John is saying the reason we continue to walk in the truth  is BECAUSE there are many deceivers who have gone out. In others words in order to avoid being taken by deceivers is by walking in the truth.

Here is where we get into the setting of the situation in the early church. Deceivers had gone out…  This is the heart of 2 John!

Check out: 1 John 2:19;  4:1

                Contextually, a group had seceded from the community of believer- perhaps specifically those under John’s area . They had different beliefs about the person and work of Jesus Christ. This group organized traveling preachers to go around the early home churches  and propagated their beliefs and bring people around to their understanding of things. This created confusion for those who were loyal to the gospel and the eyewitness testimony of the Apostles.

What did the deceivers teach?

                Their teaching can be inferred in the letters of John. John sets up explanation of truth and we can deduce from that the teaching of the “deceivers” 

·         They claim to know God.  Yet read 1 John 1:6; 2:4, 6, 9

·         They claim to be sinless. Yet read 1 John 1:8,10

·         They deny that Jesus is the Christ- Son of God who has come in the flesh. See what John says  1 John 2:22-23; 4:1-3; 5:9-10

·         They deny that Jesus came by  blood- that is important to the atoning death of Christ.  See 1 John 5:6

·         Their behavior showed what they believed- They did not show the love for fellow believers.  See 1 John 2:11; 3:15 4:20 “If anyone says I love God, yet hates his brother, he is a liar…”

·         They continued in behavior that was wrong doing.  They didn’t know grace.  1 John 3:6, 8, 10

Is a deceiver and the antichrist

Those who have gone out are not like the traveling teachers who were sent out from John’s church-They shared the truth!  Rather they deceive like the foretold end time figure that is opposed to God- the antichrist. Should be the article “an” Many will display similar traits of hostility towards God.

[8] Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.

Because of the threat of the deceivers the elder warns. Watch yourselves.

How do we watch ourselves in a world full of error? And if it is deceiving error how will w e know it?        (Let opinions go hear)

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. Col 2:8

The idea is, that they should be particularly on their guard, and that their first care should be to secure their own hearts, so that they should not be exposed to the dangerous attacks of error. When error abounds in the world, our first duty is not to attack it and make war upon it; it is to look to the citadel of our own souls, and see that all is well guarded there. When an enemy invades a land, the first thing will not be to go out against him, regardless of our own strength, or of the security of our own fortresses, but it will be to see that our forts are well manned, and that we are secure there from his assaults. If that is so, we may then go forth with confidence to meet him on the open field. In relation to an error that is in the world, the first thing for a Christian to do is to take care of his own heart.

(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

From here there are some variants in the text with this verse: Best way to show you:

NIV:  “so that you may not lose what you have worked for.”

ESV:  “so that you may not lose what we have worked for.”

If we take the NIV rendering what is it saying?  That what we work for we can lose- what do we work for- in the biblical context it would mean their faith in Christ and eternal life. The work of the Christian Jesus says is to believe in the one he has sent. (John 6:29)

But who puts the faith to believe in people? God does!

If take the ESV rendering what is it saying? The reader is urged to take care or else they may lose something that John and his associates worked hard to provide. Namely… to make known to them to truth of Jesus so that they might know God and have eternal life.

This rendering works better.

·        With all that said- do you have ears to hear the truth and a discerning spirit to watch carefully what you are listening to? Are you lining up what you hear with the Scriptures and thinking and loving God with your mind?

What does this mean “may win a full reward”?

Let opinions go here.

[9] Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.

Those who listened to these deceiver were in danger of adding to the true Gospel and false gospel.  If the Christian is not careful- they risk leaving behind the teaching of Christ. If they do that – the sad fact is they are exposed as not true believers. It shows they do not have God.

One commentator said: “Those who shipwreck doctrine loses all”

 [10] If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, [11] for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.

This last section is a very practical application to this lady’s situation. ItsLet me introduce it like this.

Can we love those who deceive?

Ps 119:104

Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.

Ps 119:128

Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way.

·         If you understand the truth… value the truth of God’s word…know what God’s truth says… than loving people who mangle the word of God and twists the truths of Scripture and pure in half Biblical truth with half lies will come  as a struggle.

Why will we struggle? 3 reasons

1.      We struggle because we in this age value love over truth.  God’s Word says we are to share the truth in love. (Eph 4:15)- I wonder if we as a Church have turned that around—that we share love in truth (love honestly, genuinely)  as a result we value sincerity over truth.

2.      We struggle because we are taught to love the sinner and hate the sin. Yet those who deceive are showing their hate for God. If people hate God it should affect our emotions for them. Compassion for them and their soul is different than fellowship love that we enjoy as a body of Christ. We shouldn’t love every body indiscriminately the same way. It is a different type of love.

Look at Ps 139:20-22

They speak against you with malicious intent;

your enemies take your name in vain!

21  Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?

And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?

22 I hate them with complete hatred;

I count them my enemies.

·      Deceiver take God’s name in vain- be careful to watch for that just because they Name the name doesn’t mean they are using it the same way we do or even that they are talking about the same God. That’s why it’s important to know and grow in your knowledge of who God is.

3.      We struggle because Biblical truth that is growing in our minds and heart will challenge our natural perspective of how we should live and love- it’s the work of the Spirit and the Word in our lives.

                So how are we to handle this struggle?

§  The world would have us to believe that to truly love people we’ll accept regardless of their beliefs- this is called tolerance

§  Ye what kind of love lets someone believe a lie that eventually destroys them? That’s not love – its indifference- the opposite of love.

§  To really love someone is to tell them the truth with gentleness and respect- not in a demeaning fashion

“Our love is to not be so  blind as to  ignore the views and conduct of others. Truth should make our love discriminating… On the other hand we must never champion the truth in a harsh and bitter spirit.” JRW Stott

·         We must avoid the dangerous tendency of extremism Pursuing one at the expense of the other.

·         Our love grows soft if it is not softened by love. Our truth grows hard if not softened by truth.

Concerning these verses:

Pretty straight forward. We understand that the “this teaching” is the teaching of Christ.

“ Quote from Warren Wiersbe…

Why was John so adamant about this? Because he did not want any of God's children to: (1) give a false teacher the impression that his heretical doctrine was acceptable; (2) become infected because of association and possible friendship; and (3) give the false teacher ammunition to use at the next place he stopped. If I entertain a cultist, for example, he will only say to the neighbors, "There's no reason why you shouldn't let me in. After A, Pastor Wiersbe let me in and we had a wonderful talk!" My disobedience could very well lead to somebody else's destruction.”

(from The Bible Exposition Commentary. Copyright © 1989 by Chariot Victor Publishing, and imprint of Cook Communication Ministries. All rights reserved. Used by permission.)

·         Christian greeting generally carried a recognition of the true Christian standing and invoked a blessing upon them and the work and message that they carried.

[12] Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

·         John has more to say but wants to say it face to face.

·         He wishes to see the people who are walking in the truth in person so their joy can be complete (full)

[13] The children of your elect sister greet you.

                Family- which why I lean more towards it

(2 John ESV)