[Biblemat] S:> 2/3 John
Ethan R. Longhenry
disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com
Thu Aug 19 15:34:53 CDT 2010
2/3 John
I. Introduction
A. The letters of 2/3 John
B. Encouragement and exhortation of believers
C. Let us consider the books
II. 2/3 John: The Details
A. Authorship
1. Written by "the elder" (2 John 1:1, 3 John 1:1)
2. Writing style, language very consistent with authors of Gospel
of John, 1 John
3. Most believe the letters written by John the Apostle
4. Some have suggested a second person, "John the elder;" no other
information for such a person, no evidence for the suggestion
B. Dating
1. As with all New Testament letters, no specific date
2. John the Apostle would have lived in the first century CE
3. View of dating depends on one's view of John's ministry
4. Some see John as working entirely before 70 CE; hence,
2/3 John from 60s CE
5. Some others place him around 80
6. The largest consensus over time has placed John at the end of
the first century; hence, 90s CE
7. Thus, somewhere in the last half of the first century CE
C. Audience
1. 2 John 1:1: The "elect lady and her children"
2. 3 John 1:1: The "beloved Gaius"
3. Is John referring to a specific woman and her family in
2 John 1:1 or a local church?
4. 3 John 1:9: clear that John intends to speak to the whole
church of which Gaius is a part, writes to him individually
because of complications
5. It has been assumed that these individuals/congregations are
in Asia Minor based upon John being in that region
(Revelation 1:9)
6. Nevertheless, John is writing to individual Christians and
likely to churches to encourage them in their faith
7. Lessons applicable for us today
D. Purpose
1. 2 John: Encouraging Christians to walk in love, avoid false
(Gnostic) teachers
2. 3 John: Encouraging Christians to walk in truth, support
workers in ministry, avoid rivalry
III. 2/3 John: The Story
A. Introduction (2 John 1:1-3)
1. John writes to the "elect lady" and her children; he, all those
who love the truth love them; the truth abides in us and will
be with us forever (2 John 1:1-2)
2. Grace, mercy, and peace to believers in love and truth from God
and Jesus (2 John 1:3)
B. Walking in Love (2 John 1:4-6)
1. John rejoices to hear children are walking in truth as
commanded by God (2 John 1:4)
2. John now asks the dear lady not a new commandment but a
commandment from the beginning-- love one another (2 John 1:5)
3. Love defined: walking according to the commandments; the
commandment from the beginning is to walk in it (2 John 1:6)
C. Warnings About Gnostics (2 John 1:7-11)
1. John warns about the deceivers out in the world-- they do not
confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh; such ones are
deceivers, antichrists (docetism; 2 John 1:7)
2. John warns the believers to be careful and not to lose what has
been worked for but to gain a full reward (2 John 1:8)
3. Those who go beyond and do not remain in teaching of Christ
does not have God; those who abides in the teaching has the
Father and the Son (2 John 1:9)
4. Anyone who comes to believers without belief in Jesus in the
flesh should not be received, no greeting given; those who
greet him partake in his works (2 John 1:10-11)
D. Concluding Words (2 John 1:12-13)
1. John has more to say, but would rather do so face-to-face, to
make joy complete, not with pen and ink (2 John 1:12)
2. Children of elect sister greet them (2 John 1:13)
E. Introduction, Encouragement (3 John 1:1-4)
1. John writes to "beloved Gaius," whom John loves "in truth"
(3 John 1:1)
2. John prays that all goes well with Gaius and his health; he
rejoiced to hear from fellow Christians testifying to Gaius'
truth and that he walks in truth; John's greatest desire for
believers to walk in truth (3 John 1:2-4)
F. Concern For Workers in the Gospel (3 John 1:5-8)
1. John writes to commend the Christians of verse 3 to Gaius: they
may be strangers, but they testified to your love to all in
the church where John is, and it is a faithful thing to help
them; Gaius will do well to prepare them for their journey in a
manner worthy of God (3 John 1:5-6)
2. These believers are workers for the Kingdom: they have gone out
for the sake of the Name, have taken nothing from the
"Gentiles," and thus they should be supported, for those
supporting them are fellow workers in the truth (3 John 1:7-8)
G. Good and Evil (3 John 1:9-12)
1. John had written to the church, but message intercepted by
Diotrephes; he likes to put himself first, does not respect
authority of John (3 John 1:9)
2. If John comes he will make it known what Diotrephes is doing--
talking with wicked words against John, refuses to welcome
faithful Christians, and casts out from the church those who
would receive them (3 John 1:10)
3. Gaius to imitate good and not evil; those doing good from God,
those doing evil has not seen God (3 John 1:11)
4. John commends Demetrius: he has a good testimony from everyone,
from the truth itself, and John adds his commendation, and
Gaius knows that it is true (3 John 1:12)
H. Concluding Words (3 John 1:13-14 [15])
1. John has much to write, but would rather not with pen and ink
(3 John 1:13)
2. John hopes to see Gaius and they will talk face-to-face
(3 John 1:14)
3. Peace to Gaius; the friends greet him; he is to greet every one
of the friends (3 John 1:14c-e or 3 John 1:15, depending on
version)
IV. 2/3 John: Christology
A. Jesus Christ as Son of the Father (2 John 1:3)
B. Jesus as truly human
1. 2 John 1:7-11
2. John's specific concern the docetic teachings of Gnostics, a
few others
3. Docetism: the idea that Jesus was not truly in the flesh, but
just seemed (Greek dokeo) to be human
4. Since a lot of Greeks could not imagine God taking on flesh,
an "acceptable" belief for them
5. John makes it clear that such is intolerable: Jesus most
certainly came in the flesh, and those who deny it are
deceivers, antichrists, and true believers should not partake
in their deeds!
C. "Doctrine of Christ" (2 John 1:9)
1. Matter of disputation: is the "doctrine of Christ" the
teachings about Christ (His Person and nature) or teachings of
Christ (the Gospel, realities of Kingdom)?
2. In context, it regards the truths about Jesus Christ-- if one
does not accept Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, God the
Son, truly flesh and truly God, one does not have God-- one has
clearly fallen away
3. But it is not an absolute that mere acceptance of those things
mean that one truly has the Father and Son-- one must still
follow the commandments (2 John 1:6)
4. Galatians 1:6-9, exhortations to obedience like Romans 6:16-23,
1 Peter 1:22, 1 John 2:3-6, etc., do well at showing the need
to remain within God's standards in all things
5. It is taking this verse out of its context to assert that it
refers to any teaching that Jesus gave-- in context, its
reference is the nature of Christ
V. 2/3 John: The Kingdom
A. "The elect lady" (2 John 1:1-2, 13)-- the church?
B. Believers and the truth
1. Those who love the truth love believers standing in truth
(2 John 1:1)
2. Truth abides with believers presently and forever (2 John 1:2)
3. Grace, mercy, peace with us in truth (2 John 1:3)
4. Joy when believers walk in truth (2 John 1:4, 3 John 1:3-4)
5. Believers love one another in truth (3 John 1:1)
6. Supporting those promoting the truth indicates fellow working
in the truth (3 John 1:8)
C. Believers and love
1. Grace, mercy, and peace with us in love (2 John 1:3)
2. Believers to love one another-- not a new command, but from the
beginning (2 John 1:5)
3. Love demands the following of God's commands (2 John 1:6)
4. Believers love one another in truth (3 John 1:1)
D. Believers must watch themselves lest they lose "what they have
worked for" so that they can receive a "full reward"
(2 John 1:8)-- certainly sounds like salvation!
E. Believers must not even greet false teachers, for greeting them is
partaking in their wickedness (2 John 1:11)!
F. Supporting the Work of God
1. Believers are to assist in helping those who promote God's word
(3 John 1:5-8)
2. When doing so they are fellow workers in God's truth (v. 8)
3. Those who sacrifice for the work of God ought to be supported
(vv. 7-8)
G. Diotrephes-- the bad example
1. Believers to learn how not to conduct themselves from
Diotrephes (3 John 1:9-10)
2. Puts himself first when he should put others first
(3 John 1:9 vs. Philippians 2:1-4)
3. Does not respect authority when believers should respect
authorities placed by God (3 John 1:9 vs. Hebrews 13:17)
4. Speaks wicked words when he should speak words to encourage
(3 John 1:10 vs. Ephesians 4:29)
5. Refuses to welcome fellow Christians when he should be of
benefit to them (3 John 1:10 vs. 3 John 1:6-8)
6. He casts out Christians who seek to be of benefit to fellow
Christians when he is the one who should be cast out
(3 John 1:10 vs. Galatians 5:19-21)
H. Believers to imitate good and not evil-- to know God is to do good
(3 John 1:11)
I. Believers as friends (1 John 3:14de/15)
VI. 2/3 John: Conclusion
A. The letters of 2/3 John
B. Encouragement to believers to love and stay in the truth
1. Have nothing to do with false teachers
2. Assist those who work in the truth
3. Imitate good, walk in love and truth, and avoid evil
C. Let us walk in the truth in love!
D. Invitation/songbook
Ethan R. Longhenry / deusvitae at hotmail.com
Main page: http://www.deusvitae.com
Spiritual Manna: http://www.spiritualmanna.info
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