OPENING PRAYERS
2John Introduction & Study – (vv. 1-13)
The Second Book of John – Introduction
AUTHOR: John the Apostle … Although some in the third and fourth centuries doubted John’s authorship, the early witnesses favor John and express no alternative …
DATE: There is no firm evidence for fixing a date … The epistle’s similarities to the Gospel of John, 1 John and 3 John suggest a date of composition close to that of these other books – (AD 90-95) …
MAJOR THEME: “Test of true Christian care” … The love of our Incarnate God brings promised victory over the antichrist …
BACKGROUND: The epistle is addressed to “the elect lady” – (v. 1), most likely a church under John’s oversight … The Church, a feminine word in Greek, elsewhere is called “bride” of Christ the Lord – (kyrios), and thus she is easily called kyria, the feminine of kyrios … John is warning his readers against “deceivers” – (v. 7), heretics who deny the Incarnation of the Son of God … These false apostles visited various churches, posing as true disciples, and taking advantage of Christian hospitality …
Greeting the Elect Lady
1The Elder,
To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth, 2because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever:
3Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
Walk in Christ’s Commandments
4I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. 5And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. 6This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.
Beware of Antichrist Deceivers
7For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.
9Whoever 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. 10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.
John’s Farewell Greeting
12Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.
13The children of your elect sister greet you. Amen.
Notes 2John Study – (vv. 1-13)
1: John calls himself the elder, or presbyter (priest), which confirms that in the NT there is not always a distinction between bishops and priests … He is confident those who stand against the apostolic Church are in the minority … He assumes the Church is one, a true, concrete unity, and that it follows one rule of faith, whereas the unorthodox agree mainly in their rejection of this common faith …
3: Calling Christ the Son of the Father strongly refutes the deceivers and Gnostics … Jesus is the Son; the Son is by nature what His Father is, and He does what His Father does – (John 5:19) …
John 5:19:
19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
4-6: False teachers were introducing new, unconditional practices and breaking the covenant of unity based on God’s love – the heart of new covenant life …
7: The heretics here deny either Jesus’ full humanity or His full divinity – (or the full divinity of the Holy Spirit) … The Jews were denying Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah … All these deny Jesus is our Archpriest in His human nature, and that He will come in His glorified human body to judge the dead and the living …
9: The Orthodox doctrine of the Incarnation – (the doctrine of Christ) is according to John, necessary for knowledge and communion with God … God is synonymous with the Father, but, according to the doctrine of Christ, THE SON, CHRIST, IS ALSO GOD …
10, 11: It is reported that one day John went into public bathhouse and found their well-known gnostic heretic, Cerinthus … The Apostle ran out crying, “Let us get out of here, for the fear the place falls in, now that Cerinthus, the enemy of truth, is inside” … - (see, also Titus 3:10-11) …
13: THE CHILDREN OF YOUR ELECT SISTER most likely refers to the Church from which John is writing, namely Ephesus …
CLOSING PRAYERS & MESSAGE …
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