John 2-3 — 2 John 1

0:30 Jack of all trades, master of none. Just do a little bit of everything. Alright. Turn in your Bible to the second epistle of John. Second John.

0:49 We are going to look at second and third John today. I thought we would spend some time on these letters because these are not passages that we talk about a whole lot. And I didn't pick these because there was going to be a small crowd today that had nothing to do with it. It was just this is what lord laid on my heart to talk about today. So, let's open in a word of prayer.

1:14 Dear heavenly father, we come to you this morning. We thank you for this time that we have to open your word. We ask that you would speak to us. May we have open minds and hearts to hear the words from your spirit today and help us to apply it in our lives. In Christ Jesus name we pray, Amen.

1:35 So, second and third John are very personal letters written to different people. In a very broad sense, they're identical because they carry themes of love and truth. And not only those but he talks about how there's to be manifest in our lives, both in the believer individually but also the church as a whole and the church's function. So where they differ is that second John talks about the importance of us keeping our doors closed at home and in the church to false teachers. And third John talks about keeping our doors open to traveling missionaries and preachers and such.

2:30 So let's start by reading second John. We'll read the whole letter here so we get all the context. The elder to the chosen lady and her children whom I love in truth and not only I but also all who know the truth. For the sake of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever. Grace, mercy and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father in truth and love.

2:58 I was very glad to find some of your children walking in the truth just as we have received commandment to do from the father. And now I ask you lady, not as writing to you a new commandment but the one which we have had from the beginning that we love one another and this is love that we walk according to his commandments. This is the commandment just as you have heard it from the beginning that you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ is coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.

3:33 Watch yourselves that you might not lose what you have accomplished but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God. The one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house and do not give him a greeting. For the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.

4:02 Having many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink, but I hope to come to you and speak face to face that your joy may be made full. The children of your chosen sister greet you. So, let's dig into this a little bit. This letter is a reminder to us and to them, but the reminder about the Gnosticism that was being spread throughout the early church. Peter and Paul also refer to this and it is the doctrine that the divine nature of Jesus, the divine nature of Christ was bestowed upon the man Jesus for a time, but he was not fully, completely and totally God.

5:26 This is still a problem. So it's just as applicable today as it was then. So in verse one, John refers to himself as the elder. So at this point, is not only an elder in position or in office but also in age at this point. And he's writing to the chosen lady.

5:47 Now chosen, the Greek word for chosen there is is eclectos and it comes from the root word that means chosen or elect, okay. And Peter uses the same word to describe Christ as the stone in first Peter two. And Peter also uses that word to describe Christ, not Christ, he uses it to describe the chosen generation which is all the believers in Christ, the saints, you know, in a broad sense. So that's what chosen means and lady, the word lady there is kyria, which is a generic term for lady but it can also be a proper name like the Aramaic Martha. So there's one school of thought, you might hear this where this is...

6:36 Where we might think that the chosen lady is the church which technically fits. The church is the chosen bride of Christ. So there's a little bit of you know technicality this could kind of fit here. But when we look at this whole general context and we look at this letter, we can I think reasonably deduce that it's actually a particular person that he's writing to and this is a personal letter? And John, it's interesting to note, John found it important.

7:08 He found it important to address a letter regarding false teachers to a woman. And there's a couple of things we should note here about that. And one is the importance of women and their equal role before God. There's none of this John as the elder was only able to write to other men who then had to relay things to women. It's not, we don't have any of that sort of thing.

7:34 John as the elder needed to write to a woman and there's nothing weird about that. There shouldn't be anything weird about that. And number two is that these false teachers had a target towards women, right. They probably found it partly easier to indoctrinate the women than it was the men and so men were preying on women just like they do today. So women were the more likely target so John finds it prudent and important and relevant to write this letter to this lady.

8:20 And verse two, he starts talking about truth. He... John expresses love for her in their mutual bond as children of Christ, children of God and their common love for the truth. And the love for the truth is what binds the believers together. And when he's talking about truth, let's think about truth.

8:44 There's there's three different aspects we can think about truth. Three different facets of truth. Truth is Christ. John's gospel chapter 14. When Jesus said, I am truth.

8:57 Truth is Christ. Truth is also the Holy Spirit. In John's first epistle in chapter five, he says, the spirit is truth. And truth is also scripture. In John's gospel chapter 17, he says, your word is truth.

9:20 So, truth is Christ. Truth is the holy spirit and truth is scripture. These are promises y'all. These get to stick with us forever. These are those these are some of those precious promises of god that we get to live by.

9:37 These are what is truth because when we're going through things in life, when things get tough, when you don't know what to think, when you don't know what to do, what do you have to do first? What do you always have to do first? You have to remind yourself, okay, what do I know is true right now? And you gotta start, you know, you start making those lists. Maybe you make lists, I don't know, maybe you're not a list person.

9:58 But you start making those lists, whether you're writing them down or they're in your head. But you start making these lists about what is true. What do I know that's actually a fact? Let's start here as we try to, you know, as we try to navigate what we're going through, start with the truths that we have. Verse four, so John is thrilled to hear about those that are walking in the truth.

10:50 It's like you had a lame person who was healed and can now walk and now they just run marathons like every weekend. Right. It's just sort of like I have this ability to do something and I'm doing it and it's big and everybody can see it. It's that kind of walk. These people were not just believing, they weren't just listening but they were living their truth.

11:25 And John naturally is very excited to hear this kind of news. This is what this is what brings him joy. Verse five through nine, now these couple of verses next, they outline actually some of John's first epistle. So verse five we get the test of love, verse six we get the test of obedience and in verses seven through nine, there's a test of doctrine. That's kind of how we can outline these next couple of verses.

11:57 Schofield said this, the new law of Christ is the divine love. As wrought into the renewed heart by the Holy Spirit which flows out into the energy of the spirit, unforged and spontaneous toward the object of the divine love. It is therefore the perfect law of liberty, James one, in contrast with the external law of Moses. Moses' law demands love. Christ's law is love and so takes the place of the external law by fulfilling it.

12:35 It is the law written in the heart, Hebrews eight, under the new covenant. End quote. So John addresses these false teachers and the Gnostics and he wants the lady to stand firm so as to not lose what has already been achieved. These teachers were they were transgressing the Greek word it's transgressing, it's going beyond. It's contrary to or it's a violation of an order or a command.

13:15 It is moving away. And this kind of teaching which still exists today by the way, so this is still very applicable. So these are the kind of things that are like claiming that they have a new revelation from God or those who are expounding on scripture to the point that we've changed what it means. Or teaching inappropriately out of context. Lots of us can take one verse, you know, and grab it and that can get twisted when we don't get to have the rest of the context with it.

14:02 So there were issues with false teaching that was happening and how are we supposed to respond? He says in verse 10, he's talking in verse 10, he says not to greet them. And the Greek word there is similar to the English. Greet can mean a very impartial greeting or it can be very cheerful and happy sort of salutation because you're my best friend kind of thing. Either way, so it's, so that word itself doesn't tell us much but what he's talking about is that we should be practicing hospitality towards unbelievers in an effort to win them to Christ.

14:48 It's not that we should not ever greet unbelievers. Of course not. Of course not. We have a job to do. We have a job to do.

14:57 But what he's talking about is that for those who we know teach false doctrine, for those who we know, those who deny the deity and the humanity of Christ, we are not to show them hospitality. And it's severe. What's here in the Greek when it says do not give him a greeting, like it's literally what it says. Like you don't even say hi. It's that, it's that severe.

15:26 It's that important. Know, when this is someone you know who is teaching this kind of stuff and leading others astray, we are not to associate. As we get to the close of this letter, John discloses his sort of dislike for writing letters. He doesn't want to write letters. You know, we're we're so connected today with texts and emails and phone calls and social media and there's so many different ways that we can communicate with one another.

16:37 And so it's important to us to to think about this too. You know, it's not it's not diminishing other forms of communication because so much discipleship can happen over a text. I kid you not. Don't know if you've ever been the recipient of that, you know, or the recipient of love through, you know, six words in a text that you got, you know. So we're not talking about that that's not important or that's not valuable.

17:02 But there are certain things about discipleship that you can't achieve in a letter, some things that have to be face to face and John really yearns for that. I'll close out this second epistle with a quote from Chuck Swindoll. Our love is dependent on our obedience. When we don't obey, we don't love. Often we get in the mindset that our obedience to God affects only ourselves.

17:36 But that simply is not true. Our actions whether obedient or disobedient have ripple effects far beyond our own limited vision of a circumstance. Consider your own life. In what ways might your relationship, might your obedience or disobedience impact those in your immediate circle of relationships? Second John reminds us not only of the dangers of falling away from the truth, but also of the importance of making obedience a priority in our lives for ourselves and for those most important to us.

18:15 End quote. All right, now turn over a page or look over a page to third John. So similar theme here, the main focus actually is love and truth. That's what he's talking about. And it's the importance of supporting missionaries and itinerant preachers.

18:40 So let's read this, Third John, the elder, to the beloved Gaius whom I love in truth. Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health just as your soul prospers. For I was very glad when brethren came and bore witness to your truth that is how you are walking in truth. I have no greater joy than this to hear of my children walking in the truth. Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren and especially when they are strangers.

19:13 And they bear witness to your love before the church and you will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. For they went out for the sake of the name accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support such men that we may be fellow workers with the truth. I wrote something to the church but Theotrophes who loves to be first among them does not accept what we say. For this reason if I come I will call attention to his deeds which he does unjustly accusing us with wicked words and not satisfied with this neither does he himself receive the brethren for he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church.

19:56 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. The one who does good is of God. The one who does evil has not seen God. Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone and from the truth itself and we also bear witness and you know that our witness is true. I had many things to write to you but I am not willing to write them to you with pen and ink.

20:22 But I hope to see you shortly and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name. Okay, John mentions three people.

21:07 A lot of folks think it is. I'm not going to say which side of the fence I fall on really. I'm not really making a decision here but anyway, here's what we know about Gaius from this letter. This is a man who was mature and very strong in his faith. He was walking that kind of walk.

21:29 He was walking the walk of faith. He was living the truth. Kind of what John was talking about in the earlier letter. He's kind of one of those people but his physical health was not on par with his spiritual health. He had some issues physically John just wants his physical health to match where he is spiritually.

21:54 And it's important here, there's a couple, there are some mistranslations here. When he says, I think it's in the KJV that it says, I wish above all things. You know and there's this concept where this is kind of, this is one of the places where we get the prosperity gospel from. You know John can't possibly be saying that he wishes above like the most important thing is that you're healthy and you live a long life and you prosper. That is what we tend to think of as what we want here on earth but that is not the most important thing.

22:37 The the preposition there is in the Greek is actually peri and it's not really above but it's actually concerning or the word about. And the word prosper in the Greek, it's sort of combining the words like well and good with journey. So what he's getting at is he wants him to, yes he wants him to to prosper and be well but it's on his journey really. It really has nothing to do with material possessions or anything. That's not the most important thing that there is.

23:17 He's praying for god's work to be fruitful in his life. So let's be careful about the message of the prosperity gospel you know and and really the next couple of verses you know refute the prosperity gospel already right here because really in the prosperity gospel if we're faithful and live a live a life of Christ then god is going to bless us materially in the way that we think, you know, the way that humans think, you know, we're going to be blessed in this life and that's definitely not what Jesus or the lord ever promises. He promises we'll have trials is what he is what he promises but you know, if the if the prosperity gospel were true, John has already commended Gaius on where he is spiritually. So according to that, if he was already up here spiritually then he should already be prospering materially on earth and he's not. So we're kind of refuting that already.

24:19 Now, that doesn't mean that god has not or does not physically afflict believers who are living in sin. Could be sickness or or death. You think about Ananias and Sapphira just from Acts alone and and the lord struck them down for their disobedience. So, that's not to say that the lord doesn't ever allow suffering to happen but we can certainly take from here and also all of the book of Job that suffering does not bear any correlation to where you are spiritually. It's not it's not it's not a it's not a punishment.

24:54 If if anything that that suffering is what's you're being tested as a result of because of how mature you are spiritually. That's where Job was, right? God said to Satan, oh have you seen Job? Have you seen Job? You know God is is saying you know how know how strong Job is in his faith.

25:16 And so he was tested. But let's not go down that rabbit hole. Let's say where we are today. Anyway, so Gaius is living in his walk of faith. And McDonald had this to say, quote, it is good to have the truth in us but it is better to manifest the truth in our lives.

25:54 When I read that, men would rather see a sermon than hear one. Ouch. That's... That that really hits it though, doesn't it? Because we can sit here and we listen to people like me stand up here and say a few things, I sit in the audience or I stand up here and I talk.

26:13 And it's one thing to hear all of this. But what is it that can mean so much more than that? What is it that can connect? What is it with you that can help you understand it most? Is is seeing it in action.

26:28 You've gotta have someone that you see it being lived. And that is so much it is so effective. It can be so much more effective. We could listen to 25 sermons before something actually finally sinks in, you know. But when you get to see someone walking that kind of life, they're living the sermon.

26:53 That gives you something. That gives you pause. I just really love that. John commends Gaius for opening his home to those preaching the true gospel. And it wasn't just people that he knew but he's welcoming his home to strangers too.

27:14 There's itinerant preachers who are going around, anybody who's preaching the gospel, you can stay here. He's being very open. McDonald also said this, quote, it appears from the New Testament that hospitality is very important in God's sight. If we entertain the Lord's people, it is the same as if we entertain the Lord himself, Matthew 25. On the other hand, failure to entertain His servants is looked upon as failure to entertain Him, also in Matthew 25.

27:46 Through entertaining strangers, some have unwittingly entertained angels, Hebrews 13. Many can testify that through the practice of hospitality, meals have been turned into sacraments, children have been converted, and families have been drawn closer to the Lord. So, verse six, send them on their way in a manner worthy of god. Gaius is sending them, think about that, they bear witness to your love for the church and you will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. Like if you had someone staying at your house and then they left, you know, how do you think, you know, if you were staying at God's house and he was letting you go after a night, like, how do you think he would send you when you left?

28:39 And and this is this is what John's talking about. Like, what is a manna worthy of God? Like, you're just gonna give... You know, they're heading out the door with arms full of stuff. Like all the food and supplies and money that they need, right?

28:51 I mean it's... How would God do it? Not just a send off. That's that's equipping them for the mission. Hospitality for the traveling preacher or or missionary, you know, someone who depends on God for their income and all of their support.

29:10 You know, it's not just a meal and a bed but sending them what they need to use in the field. And, you know, we're talking about the folks who who are solely supported by the Lord. And, you know, God is not... We know that God is not shortsighted. For those who have dedicated their lives to serving the Lord in full time ministry, forsaking a a a secular job and relying upon God's provision, we know that he will provide for their needs.

30:30 It provides an excuse and encourages folks that they can give money, you know, to earn salvation. It kind of supports that. It supports the notion. You know, it's not that it's necessarily evil for them to give money to a missionary. It's not necessarily evil but but we want to be careful with how that happens because we want to we want to bring people to the Lord and understand that it doesn't matter how much money you give.

30:58 It doesn't matter what you do, you know, in the name of any sort of religious charity or something. That's not that's not how this works. And so it's important, you know, God is going to support his church. He's going to support his missionaries. He's going to support all of his full time ministry.

31:17 But it's going to be support from, you know, the the body as a whole. Not this individual little building here but, you know, the global church. And the importance that it is to support the global church. So we've historically always set part of our monthly income to go out towards missions because that is incredibly important for us to do. Verse nine, Theatrophies.

31:46 He was an elder. So whether he was self appointed, we don't really know here if he was, if he kind of asserted himself there or maybe he was put there by the members of the body, not sure but he's an elder but he made himself the dictator of the church. Not only was he arrogant about his position but he also wrongly refused others teaching there. Probably claiming the importance of autonomy, I don't know, I'm guessing. Or maybe he was too afraid about the truth coming out and swaying you know his flock.

32:32 He even disputed John's correction, the nerve, and excommunicated those who went against his will. So what is, you know, what what do we get out of this? What's the reminder here? What's the lesson here? It's the dangers of monarchial government in the church.

32:57 This is why plurality of leadership is so important because we are sinners And people who are put into a position of leadership, there's a there's a natural pull. There's a natural tend... There, you know, can be a natural tendency. It's called sin and this is what can happen. So this is a sobering reminder about the the importance of plurality of leadership in the church.

33:33 So then in verse 11, John encourages Gaius to follow what is good. He's discussing the good works that are a result of the believers walk and their growth in Christ. But the inverse is also true. The one who walks in evil will raise doubt in others about their spiritual state. So that goes both ways.

34:03 And he ends the letter much the same as the earlier letter. I'm not willing to write them to you with pen and ink. It's not that he doesn't want to talk to them, he just wants to be there. He just wants to be with them. But I hope to see you shortly.

35:01 But there requires a level of trust and acceptance there that isn't usually required of us in our daily lives, right? It forces us to rely on a common bond that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ rather than a particular blood relationship or a shared experience. It forces us out of comfort zones and it's a territory where we have to place our trust in the Lord. John uses words like love and truth to describe this kind of living and he uses the negative example of diatrophies to illustrate the dangers of going down different path. We have a responsibility as Christians, don't we?

35:49 To live according to the truth that we find in the life and the ministry of Jesus. And we should be caring for and supporting God's people. The Lord Jesus was surrounded by those who took care of him and this epistle teaches us that we should do the same for those who carry on the work of Jesus today. Let's pray. Father, once again, we come before you.

36:22 Thank you for your word that's given to us. Lord, we thank you for this time we've had to study these letters of John. We ask that you would help us and be with us so we might be reminded of the truths that are contained in these, the warnings that are contained in these, and may we be able to apply these in our lives as we go forward. We ask for your blessing now. In the Lord Jesus name we pray.

36:46 Amen.