2 JOHN

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address and greeting (verses 1-3)

Summary verses 1,2

1.  John does not give his name as he was well known to these believers.

  1. He identifies himself as their pastor, using the term elder.
  2. John was apparently referred to by the title “the elder.”
  3. The term means simply old man.
  4. In the New Testament it is used for offices in the local church like pastor and deacon, implying a spiritual wisdom and leadership.
  5. The meaning here probably was used of John in a revered and affectionate designation as “the old man.”
  6. John had spiritual oversight over a group of churches compatible with his apostolic office.
  7. The lady he writes to is unnamed, which due to her prominence among believers was not necessary. (This is the only epistle sent to a woman.)
  8. Greetings to women in the New Testament are not unusual (ROMANS) and women were elevated by the gospel.
  9. She is mentioned with her children and was perhaps a widow.
  10. Her children were believers and quite positive.
  11. She is chosen as per that doctrine of salvation which makes the one who believers in Jesus Christ the object of God's choice to eternal life.
  12. Elect according to God's foreknowledge is the greatest thing that can be said for anyone.
  13. Here is a believer and her children unknown to the cosmos, but fully known to God.
  14. What’s more is that she was very positive to Bible doctrine, the second greatest thing that can be said about anyone.
  15. Age, status, sex, attainments renown, wealth, talent, I.Q., looks, etc. are total vanity as compared to being one of God's elect and being positive to Bible doctrine.
  16. John refers to lady X and her children as believers he personally loves.
  17. Christian love of a pastor for right congregation, especially for those who are applying, is in view here.
  18. My personal love or regard for you is based on your application of, and love for, Bible doctrine.
  19. All believers are to be loved, but those who are positive are especially dear and with them fellowship is possible.
  20. John adds that his love for them is “in truth” since Christian love can be counterfeited.
  21. People who show affection, kindness, etc., but who are negative (they don’t apply) cannot properly love others.
  22. Love rooted in the truth is without hypocrisy and without airs

(1 TIMOTHY 1:5; 2 TIMOTHY 1:5).

  1. John tells them that the love he has for them is shared by all who love Bible doctrine (truth).
  2. If you love the truth, you love those who are positive and you show loyalty to them over relatives and pseudo-friends.
  3. These are the one's you should enjoy having fellowship with.
  4. The fact that knowing the truth (Bible doctrine) issues in love is emphasized by the phrase “because of the truth.”
  5. John loves her and her children because of their common love of truth. (John repeats the opening thought.)
  6. We love, not because of a commandment to do so, but because of our love for Bible doctrine which is in us.
  7. Bible doctrine in us fuels genuine Christian love.
  8. What is said in the gospel about the indwelling Holy Spirit being with is said here about indwelling Bible doctrine—Christ in us (JOHN 14:15-17).
  9. Bible doctrine, like the Holy Spirit that indwells us, will be with us forever; so why not acclimate to it in the temporal realm?

the greeting (verse 3)

Summary verse 3

1.  The customary Christian greeting of New Testament epistles follows. (It is especially evident in Paul's letters. John make use of his own characteristic use of the formal Christian greeting. Use, future indicative of eivmi, [eimi]).

2.  John's is in the form of a positive affirmation rather than a wish.

3.  Since he is sure that grace, mercy, and peace will be realized in their case, since they are positive.

  1. None of these words is characteristic of John's letters. (Only peace occurs in

3 John 15 (greeting) and grace occurs only in JOHN 1:14,16,17 and peace in

JOHN 14:27; 16:33; 20:19,21,26, and mercy only here; but these words were

part of conventional church language.)

  1. Grace is all that God is free to do for them based on the cross.
  2. God's grace continues to flow to them as seen in:

a.  Saving grace as per eternal security.

b.  Living grace depends on God.

c.  GAP.

d.  Special temporal blessings and deliverance.

e.  SG3 based on opportunities to apply.

f.  The ministries of the Holy Spirit.

g.  Right man/right woman.

h.  Forgiveness/daily fellowship.

  1. GAP multiplies the grace factor to those who apply (2 PETER 1:2).
  2. Mercy (28x) is that feature of grace that views us as totally unworthy of grace but forgiven regardless of the nature or frequency of the offense.
  3. It is especially in evidence where there is repentance as a part of positive volition (LUKE 1:50,54,58,72; ROMANS 9:23; TITUS 3:5;

2 TIMOTHY 1:16,18).

  1. Peace is that fruit of the Holy Spirit that protects us from fear.
  2. It is multiplied through GAP (2 PETER 1:2).
  3. Jesus spoke of His peace which He left His disciples (JOHN 14:27; 16:33).
  4. This peace is a by-product of GAP and transcends all the cares and common human problems of life.
  5. It results when the believer focus on God, His promises, and Bible doctrine under the filling of the Holy Spirit.
  6. The source of blessings of he salutation is God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. (They are distinct but equal.)
  7. These blessings are in the sphere of truth and love.
  8. Apart from truth (Bible doctrine), these blessings are not fully realized; hence the importance of an exegetical ministry and face-to-face teaching.
  9. Love is the filling of the Holy Spirit apart from which these blessings are stifled. (Truth and love are the theme of the letter.)

living truth and love (verses 4-6)

Summary verses 4-6

1.  John begins his letter with an expression of joy upon discovering that some of her children were making solid applications. (Perhaps this was through a recent visit.)

  1. The phrase “some” indicates that all of her children were not living by the truth.
  2. Nevertheless, John was gratified and gladdened to see the first rate applications of certain members of the family.
  3. John's letter is an appeal to them to “hang in there” with respect to the truth.
  4. “Walking” means to live one's life according to Bible doctrine (compare

1 JOHN 1:7).

  1. In fact, we have a general commandment from the Father to walk according to Bible doctrine.
  2. Hence, the supreme importance of GAP.
  3. In light of their positive volition, John asks her (and them) to apply the doctrine necessary to fulfill the second great commandment: “ to love one another”.
  4. The commandment is new in that it is for the Church Age under the ministry of the Holy Spirit and with the Lord as the perfect example (kainoj kainos).

10.  But one that they have heard from the beginning of their spiritual history (compare 1 JOHN 2:24; 3:11).

  1. This commandment, given by the Lord to His disciples, just before His departure cannot and must not be ignored by believers.
  2. We should keep it before us and pursue the things that engender it. (The royal imperatives of conduct toward each other.)
  3. In verse six, John “defines” what this love is or what it consists of.
  4. Love for God is a commandment and to keep His commandments is to keep the commandment (singular) to love Him.
  5. Likewise, the commandment to love one another is kept only as we adhere to the detailed requirements of Scripture respecting each other.
  6. All the mental, verbal, and overt requirements of Scripture of believers to believers are the parts of the whole commandment (singular).
  7. You can't harbor mental attitude sin, run down others, reject authority, and fulfill this commandment.
  8. Fundys who preach love generally don’t know the first thing about perfect love as they are ignorant of the way to be filled with the Holy Spirit and don’t study the text to learn the details.
  9. Some I.C.E. types consider love to be passe and teach competition and strife.
  10. The commandment “to love” for the believer begins with the commandment to be filling of the Holy Spirit (EPHESIANS 5:18).
  11. Then comes GAP to learn the code of conduct (example

OMANS 12:10,13-19, etc.).

beware of false teaching (verses 7-11)

Summary 7,8

  1. “For” or “because” (o[ti hoti) forms a link with the preceding section on truth and love (4-6).
  2. False doctrine would lead to a condition that is contrary to love (the filling of the Holy Spirit).
  3. John the elder knew that false teaching would undermine the way to love.
  4. The rise of false teachers had been prophesied for the church and as John wrote, the prophecy was being fulfilled.
  5. John warns against itinerate preachers who claimed to be Christian.
  6. The test of legitimacy begins with who and what Christ is.
  7. Anyone who does not acknowledge the pertinent doctrines of Christology (the virgin birth, hypostasis, true impeccability, death for sins, burial, resurrection, ascension) should be regarded as a deceiver and opposed to Christ.
  8. It is important to have some ideal of the beliefs of cults, denominations, and so-called popular Christian ministries.
  9. Gnostic teachers denied the hypostatic union.
  10. To John it was axiomatic that the Word which was God became flesh (and remained flesh).
  11. This point of doctrine was stressed in 1 John 2:18-27; 4:1-6; 5:5-8.
  12. Anyone who denies the truth is after the spirit of the deceiver par excellence—the antichrist.
  13. False doctrine of this sort strikes at the heart of biblical Christianity.
  14. Denial of truth should be met with clear and strong denunciation.
  15. John warns against the consequences of succumbing to false doctrine.
  16. The loss involves their SG3 not salvation.
  17. There is special reward promised to those who stick with sound doctrine to the end.
  18. Those who fall in with the deceivers will forfeit the full SG3 package.
  19. God, who is just, will reward believers with SG3 that they have coming to the point where they went AWOL (HEBREWS 6:10).

Summary verse 9

1.  Loss of reward and loss of the “complete reward” in particular is because of failure to continue with the teaching which has its source in Christ.

  1. The teaching of Christ is the true orthodoxy derived from sound exegesis.
  2. Those who abandon the true doctrine for that of the heretics are said to “run ahead.”
  3. Perhaps this was a sarcastic reference to the way the false teachers proudly referred to their style as “advanced” doctrine.
  4. What they did, like many today, is that they invented what isn't there, going beyond biblical orthodoxy.
  5. People who abandon the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ (2 CORINTHIANS 11:3) do not have a proper relationship to God. The phrase “does not have God” means:

a.  No salvation.

b.  Loss of SG3.

  1. The Lord told Peter if He did not wash Peter's feet, symbolizing spiritual cleansing, he had no part with Him. (He could forget full apostolic blessing.)
  2. As is John's style, he states the converse—the one who sticks with Bible doctrine will enjoy the full measure of God's blessing.

Summary verses 10,11

1.  Believers who have the truth should, under no circumstances, give encouragement to those who aid the enemy.

  1. The situation in view here is to knowingly show hospitality to those who claim to be in the ministry but reject sound doctrine, like missionaries, evangelists, pastor, etc.
  2. This does not refer to having your mother over who is negative, but keeps her mouth shut.
  3. Preachers and teachers with a false message should not be shown hospitality. (Obviously, they must not teach in the church; but they are also not to be in their homes.)
  4. You should even avoid customary verbal greetings.
  5. This lady was perhaps known for her hospitality to visiting teachers.
  6. Such a treatment would curb the activities of such people.
  7. If you do violate the doctrine of separate as it pertains to false teachers, God will jam you.

final words and greetings (verses 12,13)

Summary verses 12,13

1.  John ends the letter with a statement on the superiority of face-to-face teaching over non face-to-face methods of teaching.

  1. The many things that he has to write, refers to Bible doctrine; but due to the premium that he places on face-to-face instruction, he refrains.
  2. He probably considered them not to be in grave danger and to be loyal to the truth.
  3. Hence, they could wait until his next visit.
  4. John uses a strong verb of volitional determination to show how he valued face-to-face over paper and ink.
  5. John's sentiments are also those of Paul (ROMANS 1:10,11; 15:32;

1 THESSALONIANS 2:17ff).

  1. Longer and more doctrinally detailed epistles were written when the situation was critical and the author may not be able to visit.
  2. Doctrine supplied under face-to-face provides +H to those who hear and apply.
  3. The final greeting is from her sister’s children; her sister was probably deceased.
  4. Greetings are a source of encouragement and recognize our common faith.