Sep12-18: John's Letter to the Chosen Lady

Teaching Points

1. Read 2 John 1–4. What word appears again and again, and how is John using it?

• 2 John 1 The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth; 2 John 2 For the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever. 2 John 3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. 2 John 4 I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.

ANSWER: Truth and love

• 2 John 1 God's people are bound together by the truth and love
• 2 John 2 The truth needs to be experienced internally and the truth is eternal
• 2 John 3 Grace, mercy, and peace are closely connected to truth and love
• 2 John 4 Walking in the truth brings joy to other believers

OBSERVATION:

• See how truth and love are closely connected and related.
• Eph. 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ
• Our Christian growth is based upon "speaking the truth in love"
• 2Th. 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
• People will be lost because they "received not the love of the truth." You may believe the truth but do not love the truth, then you can still be lost.
• 1Pet. 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently
• Our purification (sanctification) is connected to "obeying the truth through the Spirit. And this type of obedience will lead to true love for our brother.
• True love should not lead us to be sin loving Christians.
• The truth should not lead us to be unkind, extreme Christians.
• True love is the truth and the truth is true love.

APPLICATION QUESTION:

• What do we do when we cannot love the truth?

2. How are love and the commandments related to each other? See 2 John 5, 6

• 2 John 5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. 2 John 6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

ANSWER: God's commandment is to love one another. Love is to keep His commandments.

OBSERVATION:

• John 14:15 says, "if ye love me, keep my commandments"
• What is love? 1 Cor. 13:4-7 What are some of the definitions of love?
• Love "suffers long"
• Love is "kind"
• Love does not "envy"
• Love is not "puffed up"
• Love "seek not her own"
• Love "is not easily provoked"
• Love "thinks no evil"
• Love "rejoice not in iniquity"
• Love "rejoice in the truth"
• Love "bear all things"
• And more
• It is God's commandment for us to "suffer long." We may not kill people, keeping the 5th commandment, but not willing to "suffering long" for people. It is God's commandment for us to "envy not", be "kind", not "easily provoked", "seek not" your own, and more.

APPLICATION QUESTION:

• How many of us really keep the essence of God's commandment written in 1 Cor. 13?

3. Read 2 John 7–9.What is John warning about here? What can be the results of falling for the deceptions he’s warning about?

ANSWER: False teaching can lead us into sin.

• 2 John 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 2 John 1:8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. 2 John 1:9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

OBSERVATION:

• Notice the connections.
• 2 John 7 -Deceivers - who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh (now compare this text with verse 9)
• 2 John 9 -Whosoever transgress-abide not in the doctrine of Christ
• The false doctrine is to believe that Jesus did not come in the flesh.
• This false teaching can lead people to sin.
• True doctrine of Christ lead people to a relationship with the Father and the Son.

SOP: "Deceivers"

In this age of the world we see every grade and degree of skepticism. There are rank infidels, those who believe in the lying wonders of Spiritualism, and those who reject the claims of divine truth. All these are placed among the class that John has written of, and are controlled by the spirit of antichrist. Ignorance of the character of God, pride of understanding, and the love of sin, are the source of infidelity. Men deny the divinity of Christ, cast away the Bible, and thus seek to free themselves from personal accountability to God. They bring the Bible into conflict with "science, falsely so called." These doubters can start inquiries which the most humble and pious Christian would be perplexed to know how to answer. But because their queries cannot be answered, is no evidence that the Bible is not true. A little child has asked questions in regard to God, the soul, and the future, that the most learned could not answer. The truth of God's word will be revealed to those who are of a lowly heart, who will comprehend its duties and obey its precepts. It is pride of opinion that leads to skepticism, and to the denial of the divinity of Jesus Christ. Skepticism has its origin in love of sin, love of ambition, and self-exaltation. {ST, September 3, 1894 par. 2}

John lived to see the gospel of Christ preached far and near, and thousands eagerly accepting its teachings. But he was filled with sadness as he perceived poisonous errors creeping into the church. Some who accepted Christ claimed that His love released them from obedience to the law of God. On the other hand, many taught that the letter of the law should be kept, also all the Jewish customs and ceremonies, and that this was sufficient for salvation, without the blood of Christ. They held that Christ was a good man, like the apostles, but denied His divinity. John saw the dangers to which the church would be exposed, should they receive these ideas, and he met them with promptness and decision. He wrote to a most honorable helper in the gospel, a lady of good repute and extensive influence: {SL 63.2}

4. What did John say about how to treat the "deceivers"? 2 John 10, 11

• 2 John 1:10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 2 John 1:11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

ANSWER: Receive not into your house neither bid him God speed.

OBSERVATION:

• This command is not in contradiction to "love your enemies"
• Who are the enemies? Matt. 5:44 Those that "curse you", "hate you", despitefully use you", and "persecute you"
• Notice the above text, enemies are not exactly same as "deceivers" Why? because deceivers can bless you, love you, support you and flatter you but they teach false doctrines. In some sense, deceivers are more dangers to Christians then the "enemies"
• Do we have a similar command in other places of the Bible?
• Rom. 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. Rom. 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
• Notice, above verse says, "avoid them" This is very similar to what John says about how we should treat the "deceivers"
• I believe we can still show kindness and love towards "deceivers" but we should not be deceived by them nor allow them to be a part of the fellowship of God.
• I like the comment from Sabbath School Lesson on this point. Although hospitality is a Christian virtue, there are limitations. If hospitality leads to directlyor indirectly supporting false doctrines, it must be abandoned. In the first century A.D., teachers were traveling around, preaching in various places, and staying with church members who would provide food and lodging.
• If such a teacher would propagate false doctrines, hospitality would be understood as an encouragement of his position and would actually help his work. Furthermore, church members who were wavering between the apostolic teaching and the false ideas could be puzzled or could even make a wrong decision if they saw a prominent church member letting a deceiver staywith him or her.
  John is not proposing to hate these people or to avoid any contact with them, but wemust be aware of the fact that our behavior could be understood as endorsement of ideas opposed to truth. If this is the case, we must be very careful.
  It has been suggested that in verses 10 and 11 John is concerned not so much with the behavior of an individual believer as with that of the entire church, and that the “house” mentioned in verse 10 is not a private dwelling place but the place where the church meets for worship. The church should not encourage a teacher who preaches heresy. In short, to welcome a false teacher would be perceived as encour- agement of what he or she presents. Today we may have lost the sense of how problematic heresies can be. It is considered by some as judgmental or arrogant even to talk about “heresy” at all, although
  Scripture addresses this topic frequently.John reminds us that there is abasic difference between truth and error. SSL p. 100
• Why not invite them to the house? Again, this is my observation. House was used as a meeting place in the days of John. So invite them to your house could have given the wrong idea that you are inviting them to your fellowship. Read below verses.
• Acts 8:3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
• Rom. 16:5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.
• 1Cor. 16:19 The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.
• Col. 4:15 Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.
• Philem. 1:2 And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house

5. What are the main points from 2 John?

ANSWER:

• 2 John 5-6 We keep His commandment, which is "we love one another"
• 2 John 7-11 Avoid deceivers and antichrists

OBSERVATION:

• I can see that above points are the main points from 1 John.
• These points are very important to John.
• We can see the similar points in the book of Revelation for our time. (Rev. 12:17, Rev. 14:6-12)

CONCLUSION:

• The theme for 2 John is pretty clear. To me, we can use 2 John as a conclusion for 1 John. However 2 John is not just a repetition of 1 John. The additional instruction can be found in 2 John 10-11. Those verses sound very harsh but we must understand the danger of false teachings. Once again, the antichrists have been identified as those "who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh" So I can see that the human nature of Christ was a big issue in the days of John. Again, we can see that there is a close connection between the antichrist and the human nature of Christ issue.

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

• How do we avoid deceivers and at the same time not lose Christian spirit?
• How do you think the issue of the human nature of Christ is important in the last days?
• What connection do you see between the human nature of Christ and antichrist?
• Do you know any false teachers among you? If you do then how are you going to follow 2 John according to your situation?