We are continuing our study of Second and Third John. These are beautiful letters that have a very personal feel. Remember, Danny Akin described them as “Postcard” Epistles. John is combatting an early form of Gnosticism or Docetism, that Christ was not in the flesh and that the Christ in the flesh was not God. Today, we will be examining verses 7-13.
Let’s real quickly tie the two sections together.
- In verses 5-6, he tells us he is not teaching a new commandment but emphasizing what has been there from the beginning.
- We are to walk in love and walk according to the will and way of God
- With Truth and Love in Mind, we turn to the Faithfulness or Unfaithfulness described in this section today.
- The Mission of Deceivers and antichrists (v. 2 John 7)
The danger that is being presented is false teachers who distort and deny the truth about Jesus the Christ, Son of God. We see in Verse 3 and here again in Verse 7 the relationship between Father and Son. In our understanding of Father and Son, we must understand that the Title Son is Positional. The Eternal Son of God, the Eternal Position of The Christ, as Son, is one with and united with the Father. God as Father, God as Son, and God as Spirit are one in essence, unity, and Deity.
We must present the Christ as coming in the Flesh. This is important, the Eternal Person, came and took on flesh. Not that a person became the Christ but the Christ, the Son of God, became a person. So the Eternal Son lived among us as the God-Man, fully God and fully man. And there are those who deny this. They are deceivers and antichrists.
Deceiver describes their relationship to humanity, while antichrist describes their relationship with God. We must see here that there is a mission among those who are against: they go out into the World. Much like Christ sent His disciples into the world to proclaim the Gospel, the Enemy sends his false teachers into the world to deceive (1 John 2:18, 21-22, 4:2-3).
2. Be on Guard (v. 2 John 8)
The NKJV uses the phrase “Look to yourselves” and what it is saying is we need to “WATCH OUT!” This is a warning word, calling us to be on guard. It is written as a continual command, as in “Always be looking to yourselves, or always be watching out”. Jesus uses this warning several times against false teachers as well (Mark 8:15, 12:38, 13:22-23).
Watch out for the false teaching because following the False Teacher will result in tragedy. It is debated what is actually being lost here. Some say that you are losing your reward, our heavenly treasures. Others say you are losing your salvation. Still, others say you are proving you were never saved.
In our doctrine, we believe you cannot lose your salvation. Therefore it is either reward or a mark that you were never saved. While one is better than the other, let’s approach with a different attitude: An attitude that understands NEITHER ONE OF THESE IS A GOOD THING.
Do not follow false teaching so that you will have rewards or stay in Christ to show we belong to Him. That is how we approach these warning passages. The same goes for the warning passages in Hebrews and elsewhere.
3. Living in Disobedience (v. 2 John 9)
John shows us the importance of this commitment to Doctrine by his statement in verse 9. The one who does not remain in, or live in, or abide in the Doctrine of Christ does not have God. To be wrong on the Son is to be wrong on the Father.
This is the ultimate end for those who continue in the denying of Godly Doctrine. They do not have God. We can stumble, we can mess up, we can fall into a sin, but we cannot remain there if we belong to Him.
These are the ones who go out from us that John warns us about in his first letter (1 John 2:19, 2:23). If we remain, if we persevere, we are Christ’s. Let’s phrase that better. The ones who really belong to Christ will remain. They will persevere. They will endure. (Romans 5:1-5, 15:4, 2 Cor 4:16-18, Galatians 6:9-10, 1 Thess 1:2-3, Hebrews 12:1-2).
4. Guarding Our Fellowship (vv. 2 John 10-13)
If perseverance or endurance is essential, then we are not to even potentially bring this false teaching around us. He tells us here do not receive them who bring false teaching. Do not support them. Do not approve of them. Do not give any grounds to their false teaching.
Now, he is not saying we are to not love and be charitable. Christians are called, as we saw in the Sermon on the Mount, to love our enemies and to pray for those who are against us. So he is not removing the responsibility of Love. But he is separating it from support.
Christians have been called to receive those of the brotherhood throughout the New Testament. And Paul and the other missionaries would travel from place to place RELYING on the brethren for support during their ministry. John is saying it cannot be so for one who is not bringing the correct teaching. We cannot provide for their ministry. We cannot support it. We must profess the truth of Christ. The Full Truth is the Gospel Message.
Speak These Things- Titus 2:15 