2John
Since 2 and 3John are supposed to be written about the same time,
they share the same introduction.
Background:
This is believed to be one of the last books to be written by an
apostle. Most believe that John wrote all three of these small books
about the same time (85-95 AD), Revelation being written last
around 96. John was old perhaps nearing 100. He outlived all the
other apostles and continued to serve Jesus as an apostle and elder
until his death.
The Author:
There has never been any real doubt that John the Apostle wrote these
epistles, but it is interesting that John never mentioned his name in
any of the books he authored. In 2 and 3 John, John referred to
himself as the "elder." In the other books, he does not even do
that.
Where was John?
The small books of John give us no information on where he was when
he wrote these letters. Revelation 1:9 makes it clear that John was
exiled to the small island of Patmos by the time that book was
written. Historical accounts tell us that John was boiled alive
before being cast onto the island.
http://www.born-again-christian.info/answers/was-the-apostle-john-
boiled-in-oil.htm
But knowing that about the book of Revelation does not tell us when
or where the epistles of John were written. From the book itself, it
is apparent that John was not under any kind of arrest nor had he any
injuries that might be left as a result of being boiled alive.
2John 1:12 Having many things to write unto
you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I
trust to come unto you, and speak face to face,
that our joy may be full.
3John 1:10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember
his deeds which he doeth…
To whom were the books written?
Both of these books, like Philemon, were personal letters written to
individuals. 3 John was written to a man named Gaius \\#3John 1:1\\.
2John was directed to an unnamed woman, simply called "the elect
lady" \\#2John 1:1\\ or "lady" \\#2John 1:5\\. Some have attempted to
allegorize this mysterious lady to be the church, but the remainder
of John’s book makes that interpretation difficult since he referred
to her "children" \\#2John 1:1\\ seeing her "face to face"
\\#2John 1:12\\, her sister, and her sister’s children
\\#2John 1:13\\. It seems best to think that John wrote the letter to
an individual and that, for reasons unknown to us, he simply did not
refer to her by name.
What is the purpose of the book?
The book are very small and personal, but it does emphasize the
importance of truth. Some have suggested that 2John was to be a
counter-weight to 1John, where much of the emphasis is on fellowship.
Some speculate that without 2John, some might have over-emphasized
fellowship at the expense of truth, but that is just speculation. The
book does refer to several doctrines but none that are not taught
elsewhere in the Bible. Like the books of Philemon and 3John, the
main purpose seems to be the application of Biblical doctrine.
Whether you are a slave or a master, a man or a woman, a pastor or
laity, the Bible is never just about what you know but how you
live out what you know.
I. \\#1-4\\ John’s Salutation
A. John and "the elect lady"
1. \\#1\\ "The elder unto the elect lady"-John referred to
himself as the "elder," a possible reference to both his
position in the Lord and his age.
2. "the elect lady"-As mentioned in the introduction, the
"elect lady" is probably an unnamed individual to whom
John sent this letter.
a. While we may suppose it unusual to have a letter in
the Scriptures written to a woman, it may not have
been that unusual.
b. God used and Christianity honored women far above the
cultures of that time.
1Tim 5:3 Honour widows that are widows indeed.
James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before
God and the Father is this, To visit the
fatherless and widows in their affliction, and
to keep himself unspotted from the world.
c. So much so, many women in the New Testaments had
part in the ministry.
Ac 18:2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila,
born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his
wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had
commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and
came unto them.
Ro 16:1 I commend unto you Phebe our sister,
which is a servant of the church which is at
Cenchrea:
d. This unnamed woman seemed to have a strong ministry
in serving Christ and John seemed to be concerned
that she had taken a slight turn for the worse, so he
wrote to help her.
3. "her children"-This is another indication that "the
elect lady" was a person not a reference to a church.
Since no husband is mentioned, it would seem logical that
the recipient was unmarried.
4. "whom I love in the truth"
a. John’s love for the woman was not carnal but
spiritual.
b. His statement was comparable to when we say that we
love someone in the Lord.
1John 1:1 …and not I only, but also all they
that have known the truth.
c. John further clarified his love by adding the love
that he had for the woman was not private but that
all the believers had the same love for her.
B. God’s truth
1. John mentioned God’s "truth" in the first verse.
2. This word is mentioned five times in four verses and
considering the book only contains 13 verses, it was
certainly one of John’s main thoughts.
3. The love that the believers had for this woman existed
because they all experienced "the truth" and because
they all knew "the truth."
a. This phrase, "the truth" demonstrated the personal
relationship they had with "the truth."
b. John was not speaking of just any truth. The article
"the" makes the truth being spoken of very specific.
c. It is a reference to two.
(1) It is a reference to the fact and knowledge of
what Jesus had done, that is the gospel. All
believers—in all places and in all times—are
bound together in the greatest "fact" ever!
(2) It is also a reference to Jesus Himself. Jesus
is "the Truth" \\#John 14:6\\ in that He is
completely trustworthy. There is no falsehood
or duplicity in Him at all.
4. \\#2\\ "For the truth’s sake"-Why are Christians so
wound together? So bound by love and the truth?
a. It is because the truth is so important, both the fact
and the Person!
b. We cannot lose sight of it.
5. "which dwelleth in us"-Both the fact and the Person
dwells within us.
6. "and shall be with us for ever"-And this truth will
always be with us, another reference to the fact that we
are forever saved.
C. \\#3\\ Grace…mercy, and peace"
1. John gave the lady a typical Christian greeting, wishing
her "grace," "mercy," and "peace."
a. Grace-Is God working in and through us to accomplish
His will. Grace is God’s first work. Before we can
receive God’s mercy and peace, He must first do a
work in us.
b. Mercy-Is God withholding any judgment for any length
of time. As we yield to God’s grace, we receive
mercy. Once we receive Christ, God with holds all
of our punishment forever!
c. Peace-The calmness that comes to the soul when all is
well. When we receive God’s mercy (Jesus), God gives
us peace.
2. Where from where do these gifts come?
1John 1:3 …from God the Father, and from the
Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father….
3. Why isn’t the Holy Ghost mentioned?
a. Is this an indication that the Holy Spirit is not on
the same level of divinity as God? NO!
b. While the Scripture does not tell us why the Holy
Spirit is not mentioned, the references which
associate Him as God are too numerous to deny.
Mt 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
1Cor 12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts,
but the same Spirit.
5 And there are differences of administrations,
but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but
it is the same God which worketh all in all.
2Cor 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God, and the communion of the
Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
1Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father, through sanctification of the
Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the
blood of Jesus Christ….
c. The fact that the Holy Ghost is not mentioned is
likely because His role is to carry out the will and
work of the Godhead on earth.
d. To some that role makes the Holy Spirit subservient
to the Father and the Son and less than God, but
the role one fills—by God or man—has no bearing on
one’s nature or ability.
D. \\#4\\ John’s Joy
1. John’s joy was that "the elect lady’s" children walked
in the truth of Jesus.
2. John rejoiced that those whom he had taught the truth
lived according to the truth…
3John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear
that my children walk in truth.
3. But here John was rejoicing that a generation once removed
from a Christian, the lady’s children, not only believed
but also walked according to that faith. Perhaps this is
the greatest proof that our teaching/preaching is
accomplishing God’s intent.
II. \\#5-11\\ John’s Concern
A. \\#5\\ "I beseech thee" - John presented his concern as a
request not a command. As an apostle, John could have simply
issued a rebuke and given to this woman some stern commands,
but that is not what he did. Instead, he continued to
express his concern logically, courteously, and graciously.
1. "not as though I wrote a new commandment" - John was not
asking of the woman anything new or teaching any truth
that had not been taught before.
2. "that which we had from the beginning" - Indeed, his
request related to something that Jesus Himself taught
for Jesus’ teaching was the beginning.
3. "that we love one another"
a. This is a teaching from the beginning and John would
know since he recorded in his own gospel some of the
teaching of Jesus on this topic.
Joh 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you,
That ye love one another; as I have loved you,
that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my
disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Joh 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love
one another, as I have loved you.
b. John still had not gotten to the subject of his
concern, but he was about to do so.
2John 1:6 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.
c. \\#6\\ And how do we define love?
(1) Love is to "walk after his commandments," or to
obey His commandments.
(2) John reiterated that Christians have been taught
from the beginning to walk after Christ’s
commands.
d. John mentioned in \\#4\\ that he had heard this
woman’s children walking obediently, but his request
to her indicates that he had some concerns about her.
e. Now we must ask, "In what area?"
(1) John was not insinuating that this woman had
turned from Christ to the world or evil.
(2) However, he was concerned about her in at least
one area. Apparently, her work in the ministry
was so far reaching, that others had also become
concerned and relayed it to John.
(3) However, John still had not revealed directly
what his concern for the woman was.
B. \\#7-9\\ More warning:
1. \\#7\\ The enemy is among us!
2John 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.
a. Instead, John began to explain how it was possible
that this error could have happened.
b. It was possible that she had been deceived, for there
were many such "deceivers" in the world.
c. John continued to teach about these deceivers:
(1) They "confess not that Jesus Christ is come in
the flesh."
(a) "Christ" is a reference to the Promised One
to be sent from God.
(b) Jews would have understood that Messiah
would somehow be God, for He was to be
"Immanuel" or God with us
\\#Isa 7:14, Matt 1:23\\.
(c) So John was saying if a person teaches that
Jesus is not the Christ, God come in the
flesh, that person is a deceiver.
(2) And more, he is "an antichrist."
(a) John knew and taught that the spirit
which would one day empower "the
antichrist" was already in the world.
1Jo 2:18 Little children, it is the last time:
and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come,
even now are there many antichrists; whereby we
know that it is the last time.
(b) John was concerned that this might have
happened to this godly lady. (Whatever
John was concerned about, it certainly
seemed serious.
2. \\#8\\ We must stay alert!
1John 1:8 Look to yourselves, that we lose
not those things which we have wrought, but that
we receive a full reward.
a. Whatever this woman had been deceived concerning,
John further emphasized the danger of being
deceived by stating what all Christians should
know; that is, if we are not careful, we can lose
some of the rewards we have earned.
b. Please notice what does not mean:
(1) John did not say we can lose our salvation,
but that we might not get our full reward.
(2) John did not say we can earn heaven for we
cannot but we certainly do earn rewards
after we are saved.
(3) John did not say that this was going to
happen to this woman but was concerned for
her and wanted to express that concern
before anything like that MIGHT happen.
c. All of this indicates that the danger and power of
deceivers should not be underestimated by the
believers. Keep an eye out and your heart tender
toward God.
3. \\#9\\ Our actions reveal our condition.
1John 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.
a. If a person errs and leaves the doctrine of
Christ, it proves that he "hath not God."
(1) John is often referred to as the Apostle of
Love because of his repeated teaching on the
importance of love.
(2) Yet, in love, John is also the apostle that
made it clear that our words do not identify
us as a Christian. Our actions do.
1John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with
him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the
truth:
1John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know
him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not
his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is
not in him.
1Jo 2:19 They went out from us, but they were
not of us; for if they had been of us, they would
no doubt have continued with us: but they went
out, that they might be made manifest that they
were not all of us.
1John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not
commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and
he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
1John 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth
his brother, he is a liar…
b. But if a person stays with the doctrine of Christ,
both in faith and in his actions, it demonstrates
he had "both the Father and the Son."
C. \\#10-11\\ The elect lady’s potential problem:
2John 1:10 If there come any unto you, and bring
not this doctrine, receive him not into your
house, neither bid him God speed:
11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker
of his evil deeds.
1. \\#10\\ Notice the phrase "If there come any unto
YOU…."
a. It appears that this woman’s ministry was to care
for the saints. If a woman was without a
husband but had a home, this would be an
important ministry to the servants of God.
b. But in her desire to help God’s people, she
had begun to aid those who not only were not
saints but were working against God, perhaps
spreading lies or even a false gospel.
c. The level of John’s concern and the warnings that
he has given make it obvious that doing so was
a serious sin.
d. \\#10-11\\ John sent on to warn against even
wishing those who spread false doctrine "God
speed."
(1) To wish a person God’s speed is but to
pronounce a blessing or prayer for them
that God might aid them in their journey.
(2) If it is wrong to pronounce a blessing over
those who work against the gospel, how
much more to comfort or finance them?
2. So Christians of all ages must be concerned not only
that we are helpful to those who spread the truth,
but that we do not help those spreading lies!
a. This does not mean that it is wrong for a
Christian to help an unsaved person.
b. In fact, the Bible challenges us to minister to
the unsaved with kindness.
Ro 12:20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed
him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so
doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
c. Neither should not be cruel to anyone, but we do
not want to use the resources God has given to
us to serve the devil.
3. It seems as though this dear lady might have done
just that.
III. \\#12-13\\ John’s Closing
A. \\#12\\ John had "many things" to say to this lady,
probably to help her distinguish between the faithful
and the false servants, but they did not lend
themselves to a writing format, so John would rather
talk "face to face."
B. \\#13\\ And wherever John was, some of the children
of the "elect lady’s" sister were there. Perhaps
they were the ones who brought John news of what was
happening. Regardless, they sent their greetings.
And the letter was ended.
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