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2 John Commentary

 
A Letter To A Lady And Her Children (1-3)
 
THE SALUTATION (1-3)
 
 A. "THE ELDER, TO THE ELECT LADY AND HER CHILDREN..." (1-2)
 1. As discussed in the previous section, I understand John to 
 address a particular lady and her children
 2. Concerning this lady and her children, John writes of...
 a. His love for them: "whom I love in truth" (that is, whom
 he truly loves)
 b. The love held for them by others who are Christians ("those
 who have known the truth")
 3. The basis for this love?
 a. Not for any personal charm or unusual attractiveness
 b. But because of "the truth which abides in us"
 1) This "truth" may summarize all that is contained in 
 Jesus Christ and His gospel
 2) Sharing in this "truth" naturally engenders love for one
  another
 3) Especially the sort of "true love" or "sincere love" 
 made possible by our obedience to the truth - cf. 1 Pe
 1:22-23
 
 B. "GRACE, MERCY, AND PEACE WILL BE WITH YOU..." (3)
 1. Not so much a prayer (as usually found elsewhere), but a 
 prediction
 2. These three words refer to wonderful blessings from God
 a. "grace" - unmerited favor, which God bestows on the 
 undeserving
 b. "mercy" - compassion, shown toward the guilty and helpless
 c. "peace" - tranquility, which is the result of receiving 
 God's grace and mercy
 3. The SOURCE of these blessings
 a. "from God the Father"
 b. "from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father"
 -- together with verse 9, John makes it clear the Father and
 the Son are two distinct personalities in the Godhead
 4. The SPHERE in which these blessings are to be found: "in 
 truth and love"
 a. Grace, mercy, and peace are realized only when truth is 
 honored and held
 b. They are experienced only when the command to love is kept 
 (e.g., there is no mercy shown to the unloving and 
 unmerciful)
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. With the words "in truth and love", John sets the tone for what is 
 to follow in his letter...
 a. An exhortation to keep the commandment to love one another
 b. A warning against supporting those who would deny the truth
 
2. With this introduction to "A Letter To A Lady And Her Children", I
 hope that I have set the tone for what should always be true in our
 relationship as Christians...
 a. A true love for one another because of the truth that we all 
 share
 b. A desire to walk in truth and love, for only then can we truly 
 receive grace, mercy, and peace
 
Have you received the grace, mercy, and peace that comes only from God
the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father?

Walking In Truth And Love (4-6)
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. In his greeting to the "elect lady and her children", John wrote 
 that the grace, mercy, and love which proceeds from the Father and
 the Son is in the sphere of "truth and love" - 2 Jn 3
 
2. In verses 4-6, he expands upon the theme of "truth and love", 
 doing so in the form of...
 a. A commendation for walking in truth
 b. An exhortation to love one another
 
3. In this study, let's examine this "commendation" and "exhortation",
 seeking to glean whatever principles or lessons that we can from 
 this passage
 
[Beginning with John's...]
 
I. COMMENDATION FOR WALKING IN TRUTH (4)
 
 A. "I REJOICED GREATLY..."
 1. Either by visiting or by receiving a report from others, John
 came to know that some of the "elect lady's" children were 
 walking in the truth
 2. This was a source of great joy to John, just as it was when he
 heard the same thing about Gaius - cf. 3 Jn 3
 3. As expressed to Gaius, there was no greater joy than hearing
  about others walking in truth - cf. 3 Jn 4
 4. What about the joy of hearing someone obeying the gospel?
 a. As great as that might be, there is always the possibility
 that one will not carry through with their initial 
  obedience to Christ
 b. That realization can temper one's joy
 c. But when time reveals that the person continues to walk in
 truth, that removes the question of whether one will carry
 through with their obedience to Christ
 5. Thus a great source of joy in the Christian faith can be in 
 the follow up of new converts, as well as in the 
 evangelization of the lost
 
 B. "...I HAVE FOUND SOME OF YOUR CHILDREN..."
 1. Unfortunately, John could not say "all", but only "some"
 2. This reminds us that even the best of parents may have erring
 children
 a. Despite the fact that this mother was so special she was 
 called "the elect lady"
 b. Like Samuel, the prophet of God, she had some children who
 were not faithful to the Lord - cf. 1 Sam 8:1-3
 3. Whose fault is this?
 a. Some might say that in view of Pr 22:6, an erring child is
 always the parent's fault
 b. However, such a view of Pr 22:6 suggests a belief in 
 "environmental predestination"
 1) I.e., that if the parent provides the proper environment
 in raising the child, there is no choice for the child
 but to turn out a certain way
 2) This would strip the child of any personal 
 responsibility, and lay the blame solely upon the
 parents
 3) While the parent will bear some responsibility if no 
  effort is made to restrain the child in his sin, the 
 ultimate responsibility is the child's - cf. 1 Sam
 3:11-13; Ezek 18:20
 c. There is another view of Pr 22:6...
 1) The literal rendering is "train up a child according to
 his own way..."
 2) I.e., according to his own temperament, aptitude, etc.
 3) E.g., if he is mechanically inclined, don't try to make
 him an office worker
 4) This view recognizes that this verse, like much of 
 Proverbs, is giving practical advice on the raising of
 children, and to realize that children are different and
 should raised according to their particular disposition
  and skills
 5) Failure to recognize this results in a child being 
 forced to become something he is not, and he will not 
 likely remain in it
 4. The fact remains that despite the best parenting, some 
 children simply choose to rebel against God
 
 C. "...WALKING IN TRUTH, AS WE HAVE RECEIVED COMMANDMENT FROM THE
 FATHER."
 1. This expresses the idea of living in harmony with the truth
 found in God's Word
 2. Everything one does demonstrates a life that is governed by 
 God's commandments
 3. Is this "legalism"? No! It is what it means to truly love 
 God - cf. 1 Jn 5:3; Jn 14:15; 15:14
 
[So with great joy in his heart, John commends the elect lady and her
children for their walking in the truth.
 
But an emphasis on walking in truth without an equal emphasis on loving
one another can easily develop a harsh, impatient, and insensitive 
disposition towards others, just as knowledge without love produces 
arrogance (cf. 1 Co 8:1).
 
Therefore it should not surprise us to find John following his 
commendation for walking in truth with an...]
 
II. EXHORTATION TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER (5-6)
 
 A. "AND NOW I PLEAD WITH YOU, LADY..."
 1. The tone of John's entreaty suggests the seriousness of this
 exhortation
 2. Certainly John stressed in his first epistle the importance of
 this command to love one another - cf. 1 Jn 2:10; 3:14; 
 4:20-21
 3. Therefore this is a commandment not to be taken lightly
 
 B. "NOT AS THOUGH I WROTE A NEW COMMANDMENT..."
 1. The commandment is not a new one
 a. It did not originate from John
 b. It is one which his readers had known since the beginning
 of their Christian experience - cf. 1 Jn 2:7; 3:11
 2. It is the commandment given by Jesus Himself - Jn 13:34-35;
 15:17
 
 C. "THAT WE LOVE ONE ANOTHER"
 1. The commandment given by Jesus is to love another
 2. Especially according to the standard of love laid down by 
 Jesus: "as I have loved you, that you also love one another"
 - Jn 13:34
 
 D. "THIS IS LOVE, THAT WE WALK ACCORDING TO HIS COMMANDMENTS"
 1. Here we learn what best demonstrates that we truly love one 
 another
 2. When I am keeping the commandments of God, I demonstrate true
 love for my brethren! - cf. 1 Jn 5:2
 3. I can claim brotherly love all day long, but unless I am 
 walking according to God's commandments my claim is 
 meaningless
 
 E. "THIS IS THE COMMANDMENT...YOU SHOULD WALK IN IT."
 1. This sentence is simply reinforcing what John has been saying
 a. The command to love is one we have had from the beginning
 b. We should therefore keep this commanding by walking in love
 2. Such repetition is often necessary...
 a. For there is always a tendency to hear and not obey
 b. The three "R's" of learning is "repetition, repetition, 
 repetition"
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. With joy in his heart, John commends; with a pleading voice he 
 exhorts
 a. He commends them for walking in truth
 b. He exhorts them to walk in love
 
2. There is ever a tendency to do one without the other...
 a. Some hold to the truth, but do so without love; this breeds 
 harshness
 b. Others are quick to display love, but neglect the truth; this 
 produces compromise
 
3. Both are wrong, and there is only one alternative: to walk in the 
 truth, and to walk in love!
 
May God help us always to do both faithfully!

Warning Against Receiving False Teachers (7-13)
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. In our brief survey of 2nd John, we have seen that John stressed the
 importance of "truth" and "love"...
 a. Four times in the first six verses he uses the word "love"
 b. Five times in these same verses he uses the word "truth"
 
2. Indeed, our last study observed that in verses 4-6 we have:
 a. A commendation for walking in truth - 2 Jn 4
 b. An exhortation to walk in love - 2 Jn 5-6
 
3. But what if someone comes our way, teaching doctrine contrary to 
 what we have learned from Jesus and His apostles...?
 a. Should our desire to "walk in love" permit us to receive and 
 support those teaching error?
 b. Can we do so, and still be "walking in truth"?
 
4. In the remaining portion of this short epistle, John (the "apostle 
 of love") is very explicit about such things...
 a. He tells us to beware of deceivers and antichrists - 2 Jn 7
 b. He tells us to look to ourselves lest we lose those things we 
 have worked for - 2 Jn 8
 c. He tells us of the danger of not abiding in the doctrine of 
 Christ - 2 Jn 9
 d. He tells us we cannot support teachers who fail to teach the 
 doctrine of Christ without sharing in their evil deeds - 2 Jn 
 10-11
 
In this "Warning Against Receiving False Teachers", then, John warn us
about several things worthy of our careful consideration. Let's take a
closer look, beginning with the need to ...]
 
I. BEWARE OF DECEIVERS AND ANTICHRISTS! (7)
 
 A. JESUS AND HIS APOSTLES HAVE GIVEN US AMPLE WARNING...
 1. In His sermon on the mount - Mt 7:15
 2. In His discourse on Mt. Olivet - Mt 24:11, 23-25
 3. Paul, in his farewell address to the Ephesian elders - Ac 20:
 29-31
 4. Paul, in his first epistle to Timothy - 1 Ti 4:1-3
 5. Peter, in his second epistle - 2 Pe 2:1-3
 
 B. EVEN IN JOHN'S DAY, THEY HAD BEGUN TO ARRIVE...
 1. Deceivers had gone out, denying that Jesus had come in the 
  flesh - 2 Jn 7
 2. Many false prophets had gone out into the world - 1 Jn 4:1
 3. Denying that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, they were 
 "antichrists" - 1 Jn 4:3; 2 Jn 7
 
[With such ample warning, and seeing that they had started to come even
in John's day, we should not be surprised to see many such deceivers
and antichrists today!
 
To guard against being misled by such deceivers, we do well to consider
the next important theme in our text...]
 
II. LOOK TO YOURSELVES! (8)
 
 A. THIS ADMONITION ALSO STRESSED THROUGHOUT THE SCRIPTURES...
 1. Several times on one occasion by Jesus - Mk 13:5,9,23,33
 2. By Paul in writing to the Corinthians - 2 Co 13:5
 
 B. THE NEED IS THERE, BECAUSE THE DANGER IS REAL...
 1. John was concerned that they not lose the things they worked
 for - 2 Jn 8
 2. The writer to the Hebrews was concerned that we not fall short
 of entering our heavenly rest - cf. He 3:12-4:1
 
[With the real danger of falling short of our eternal reward, and with
the ever present deceivers who can make it happen, it is imperative 
that we fully understand the basis upon which our relationship with the
Father and Son rests. 
 
John is clear about what that entails as he stresses the need to...]
 
III. ABIDE IN THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST! (9)
 
 A. THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST: OBJECTIVE OR SUBJECTIVE GENITIVE?
 1. Is it the doctrine about Christ, or the doctrine taught by 
 Christ?
 2. As pointed out in the Expositor's Bible Commentary, the 
 question is of little importance for John holds equally to 
 both positions
 a. It is fundamental to the faith to hold to the proper views
 about Christ - cf. 2 Jn 7
 b. It is fundamental to the faith to obey the commandments of
 Christ - cf. 1 Jn 3:24
 3. Thus what John says here applies in either case
 
 B. THE NEED TO ABIDE IN THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST...
 1. Those who do not abide, do not have God - e.g., 1 Jn 1:6;
 2:3-5
 2. Those who do abide, have both the Father and the Son - cf. 
 Jn 14:21,23
 -- Note: This verse strongly supports the concept of the
 Trinity, in which there is only one God, but three distinct 
 personalities in the Godhead (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)
 
[As long as we abide in the doctrine of Christ, keeping His 
commandments, we have no reason to fear being misled by deceivers, nor
losing our reward.
 
That brings us to the theme which may have prompted the writing of this
letter...]
 
IV. DO NOT RECEIVE FALSE TEACHERS! (10-11)
 
 A. THE CONTEXT IS LIKELY THAT OF SUPPORTING THEM IN THEIR WORK
 1. It was common for first century missionaries to depend upon 
 the hospitality of the early Christians - cf. Philemon 22
  2. In his third epistle, John commends Gauis for this sort of 
 hospitality - 3 Jn 5-7
 
 B. TO SUPPORT THEM IS TO SHARE IN THEIR EVIL DEEDS...
 1. Supporting a teacher made one a fellow worker with him who 
 taught
 a. That could make one a fellow worker for the truth - 3 Jn 8
 b. But if his teaching was contrary to the doctrine of Christ,
 supporting him would be to share in his evil deeds - 2 Jn
 11
 2. Therefore the admonition to the elect lady not to receive or
 greet such false teachers...
 a. Not we should never seek to study with those in error who
 may come our way
 b. But not to receive those false teachers who seek only our
 acquiescence to their doctrine and our support to help them
 spread it!
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. With this "Warning Against Receiving False Teachers", John purpose
 in writing is fulfilled
 
2. He then signs off with a brief farewell...
 a. Having so much more to write, but desiring to speak in person
 - 2 Jn 12
 1) Why? "...that our joy may be full"
 2) Despite the convenience of remote communication (e.g., writing
 letters, talking on the phone, sending email), nothing
 surpasses the joy of talking face to face
 b. Sending greetings from "the children of your elect sister" - 2 Jn
 13
 1) How one interprets "the elect lady and her children" in verse
 1 determines one's understanding of verse 13
 2) Either members of another church, or relatives of the "elect 
 lady and her children"
 
2. As we close our perusal of this epistle, I hope that we are left 
 with a strong sense of need...
 a. To walk in the truth
 b. To walk in love
 c. To be very careful about those teachers to whom we give our 
 support
 
How is our walk today? Are we walking according to the doctrine of 
Christ concerning truth and love? Remember the words of John...
 
 "Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of
 Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of
 Christ has both the Father and the Son."

－－《Executable Outlines》

Walk in the truth

Receive the heresy

Share in wicked work

I. Love one another in the truth

1. John’s love

2. Family’s love

3. Congregation’s love

II. Practice in the truth

1. Walk in the truth

2. Rejoice in the truth

3. Love in the truth

III. Receive and welcome in the truth

1. Watch out the deceiver

2. Run ahead the teaching of Christ

3. Do not take into house

－－ Chih-Hsin Chang《An Outline of The New Testament》