The Bible says, “Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws” (Genesis 26:5). This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it” (2 John 4, 6). His word is true! Notice what John says concerning the "truth." In fact, it … It shows itself through his or her deeds, thoughts and words. It is not unusual for the Scripture to do so (EPHESIANS 5:22f; II CORINTHIANS 11:2; etc.). This could mean one of two things: either he loves them sincerely or that he loves them as they both stand in the Lord's truth. (2 John 3–5) According to John, love plus truth equals an environment in which “grace, mercy and peace will be with us.” Regrettably, we often act as though grace, mercy, and peace depend on love minus truth. Others believe truth is a collective judgment, the product of cultural consensus, and still others flatly deny the concept of truth altogether. The truth is being threatened by false teachers. Get the latest blog posts from Life, Hope & Truth straight to your inbox. John wrote to "the chosen lady." Some assume that this is a reference to a church congregation and its spiritual children, while others contend that it is a particular lady who was a member of the Church of God. It makes us free. If we love Him, we will keep His commandments. Second, John says all who "know the truth" would have the same love for this church as he does. (John 1:14) So the truth is the life of Jesus – which is to be manifested in us. Truth refers to the basics or fundamentals of the faith that John has discussed in 1 John (sound belief in Christ, obedience, love), as well as the truths expressed in 2 John (e.g. For example, a teacher facing a class may say, “Now the only exit to this room is on the right.” Where the first section emphasized the word "truth," this section elaborates. These teachers were the antichrists. John loves those who know the truth, because the truth “abides” in them ( 2 Jn 1–2 ). "Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father, in truth and love..." (II JOHN 3). I JOHN 2:19). He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son” (2 John 9, emphasis added throughout). Certainly both are true. You can imagine the esteem with which the early Christians would have viewed the last surviving apostle; one who had actually walked and talked with the Lord. For example, in 1 John 1:8 we read: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (italics added). It cannot! Third John shows us what happens when people follow sound teaching . For further study, read the articles in the section “General Epistles.”. It contains scarcely anything that is not found in the preceding; and out of the thirteen verses there are at least eight which are found, either in so many words or in sentiment, precisely the same with those of the first epistle.” (Adam Clarke) This letter stresses the need to walk in the commandments of God. At the start of the letter, the writer calls himself the‘*elder’. Used by permission. Take a Tour. It is not what I wish were true or feel is true that determines what is true. If it is true that the "elect lady" is a church, then "house" here could be the place where the saints assemble to worship. The book of 2 John is addressed to the “elect lady and her children.”. John uses the word "truth" no less than four times in just the salutation. “Such truth ‘will be with us forever’ because it comes from the ‘Spirit of Truth’ [which] will ‘be with you forever’ (John 14:16) and because its acceptance leads to eternal life” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary, revised edition, p. Truth is simply telling it like it is. In other words, they denied that Jesus was God in human flesh. The epistle called 3 John concerns three individuals, and in this letter the apostle John sends an essential message to each of them: Gaius. In fact, the next time you ask someone how they a When two parties know the truth, love comes naturally. Read the Bible; Reading Plans ... 2 John 2. First, truth corresponds to reality or “what is.” It is real. He became known as “the friend of God” (James 2:23; Isaiah 41:8), taking his rightful place among the biblical examples of living faith (Hebrews 11:8-10). This is the commandment that you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it." Busy, busy, busy. The second is a warning not to give encouragement to false teachers. To some, truth is subjective, the individual world of preference and opinion. He wasn't really here! The truth is being threatened by false teachers. as if sincerity can make a wrong belief right. Believers are to love in both deed and in truth (i.e., "truly" 1 John 3:18). John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever--2 Peter 1:12 Therefore I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you now have. The reason for the great amount of attention given to truth, the commandments and obeying them is the very real danger which existed (and exists today) of being destroyed by a false teacher. clear what our position should be regarding the enemies of the truth The word “commandment(s)” is used four times; and the active verb “walk” or “walking,” three times. When we "know the truth" of what we are as brothers and sisters in Christ; when we "know the truth" of God's great love for us; when we "know the truth" of what it is to bear God's image as His offspring, then we will love one another as God has loved us. Truth is the necessary condition of unity and, as a result, the basis of hospitality. The Greek word for “lady” is kuria, which is a feminine form of the masculine kurios, which means “master” or “lord.”. 3. John warns (4:2), “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God” (see also, 2 John 7). If Jesus reigns on the throne of our hearts, then truth is the law of our lives. Most scholars accept the long tradition that “the elder” mentioned in the opening verse was the elderly apostle John, as the writing reflects a voice of loving authority, and therefore suggests that the author is more than a local elder or member of the Church of God. How foolish and prideful to tamper with the truth by seeking to alter the commandments of God to fit our own cultures and fads and opinions. 2 John 1-3 So, What is the Truth? First, John says he loves the elect lady and her children. Walking in the Truth - 2 John Sermon by Pastor Todd Riley on August 5, 2018. DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANOTHER'S EVIL DEEDS "If anyone comes to you, and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds." They were denying that Jesus had come "in the flesh." In other words, it matches its object and is known by its referent. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son." And it is through the truth that true Christians are “sanctified” (John 17:19), which means “the setting apart of the believer for God” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words). Love is walking in God’s commandments (verses 4-6). Other New Testament writers agree: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22; see also Romans 2:13). Presumably the Christian community to which he wrote knew who he was. All rights reserved. SALUTATION: A MATTER OF TRUTH "The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not only I, but also all who know the truth, for the sake of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever: Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love." The epistle (letter) called 2 John tells us it is from “the elder.”. Demetrius. Our house sits very close to I-20 in SW Fort Worth and on busy mornings you can hear the hum of the highway. John says, "and this is love, that we walk according to His commandments." The basic message of Christianity is termed "the truth, " and believers know the truth, and can discern that no lie is of the truth ( 1 John 2:4 1 John 2:21). We must follow the truth and have love for God and one another in order to receive the blessings. Truth will be with us forever. For a quick link to all the other books of the Bible, see “Books of the Bible” on the Learning Center. Truth is objective. How does God refer to individuals who claim “I know Him” but refuse to “walk” in His ways? At any rate, Christians are prohibited from lending encouragement to false teachers. 514.). They lived and worked in the first century. As a result, he encouraged them to continue walking in the truth, thereby renouncing false teachers attempting to introduce beliefs contrary to the true doctrines Christ established in His Church. Good morning and happy Monday. (II JOHN 10,11). Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. Andre van Belkum currently serves as the pastor of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, in New Zealand and the Pacific region. A standard papyrus sheet measured ten by eight inches and the length of these letters would each take up almost exactly one sheet” (Barclay’s Daily Study Bible: The Letters of John and Jude, 1976, p. 127). By Jon W. Quinn From Expository Files 1.8; August, 1994. Just as in the Gospel of John the author does not explicitly identify himself with the Apostle John, so here he prefers the designation the elder. The truth dwells in the faithful Christian. John places a great deal of importance and emphasis on preserving the biblical truth within the Church. 2 John 1:6, ESV: "And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it." Jesus is real! 2 John 1:6 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] 2 John 1:6, NIV: "And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands.As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love." In a prayer to His Father before His crucifixion, Jesus Christ stated, “Your word is truth,” a clear reference to the inspired Word of God—the Bible (John 17:17). (II JOHN 1-3). and when they don’t: When Christians walk in truth, joy abounds (3 Jn 4). He highly commends Gaius' care and hospitality to his messengers whose mission was to take the Gospel from place to place, whether they were known to him or were strangers. Yes! Even among the rest of the early Christians, the number of those who had actually seen Jesus was dwindling down to only a few, and it would not be long until no one would be left from the generation which had witnessed the Savior. They are so brief … that no one would have gone to the trouble of inventing them and of attaching them to the name of John. “Truth” in 2 John 1-4 is technically metonymy, the use of an associated element to refer to a larger concept. The truth that originates with God is not a temporary, passing phenomenon, but is “the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever” (2 John 2). There are two main points which John makes in the letter. They have "gone out into the world" showing that they were once within the church (cf. By faithfully and steadfastly walking along this way, we are doing “those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:22). They said that that which was divine could not become material flesh. Truth is also correspondent in nature. 2. . “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He [Christ] walked” (1 John 2:6). It was "forever." Truth - 2 John 2 The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth "because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever." "Just as you have heard from the beginning" John says. John commends those who were "walking in truth" and then tells us that this means keeping God's "commandments." In our English translations the Greek words "humas", "humin" are translated "you." One writer, who believes it is impossible to fall from grace, said these people were in danger of losing "part of the reward at the judgment seat of Christ." The patriarchs of old “walked” with God. “Such truth ‘will be with us forever’ because it comes from the ‘Spirit of Truth’ [which] will ‘be with you forever’ (John 14:16) and because its acceptance leads to eternal life” ( Expositor’s Bible Commentary, revised edition, p. God calls such people “liars” because the truth is not in them (1 John 2:4). (II JOHN 4-6). In these first two sections we discover something else. “The letters we call 2 and 3 John are similar in words, style, ideas, and character to 1 John, and must have been written by the same author, who refers to himself simply as ‘the elder’” (Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary, p. 754—see 2 John 1:1; 3 John 1:1). And to the enemies of truth; to those who mock it and desire it to disappear, we have this bit of bad news; the truth will be with us forever. 2 John is a short letter from John the Elder to someone called ‘the elect lady’ and her children. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. Here it means that the writer is a leader in the church. Sign up to receive the week's latest articles, blog posts and updates. came into the world to “bear witness to the truth” (John 18:37). He is concerned over the influence of false teachers, using strong terms to reject their teachings. 2 John – Walking In the Truth “This epistle is more remarkable for the spirit of Christian love which it breathes than for anything else. Each localchurch had its leaders who were the ‘elders’. John uses the word "truth" no less than four times in just the salutation. John “rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father.” He also wrote, “This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. Third John is the shortest book of the Bible: only 219 words (in its original Greek). verses 4-6). He talked about heresies, about perversions of the truth, about the distortions and counterfeits that will exist from time to time, in cycles, throughout history. The Bible states that God commanded Abraham to “walk before Me and be blameless” (Genesis 17:1). Here we observe that the expression which we are considering in 2:4b is applied by the inspired writer to US--i.e., to himself and his Christian readers. Previously he pastored congregations in southern Africa, including South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi. This demonstrates Abraham’s willingness to walk with God in truth. Third, John says that the truth "abides in us" and that it will be with us "forever." He referred to himself as "the elder" and is  certainly the last apostle living at the time. The Bible identifies truth as a quality intrinsic to the very nature of God. Greetings to the elect lady (verses 1-3). John cautions "watch yourselves" because it would be possible to "lose what we have accomplished." 513-514). The elect lady and her children refers to a particular local church at some distance from the community where the author is living at the time. The particular false teachers of John's day were called "deceivers" and "antichrists." God desires to communicate with us. Of course, this does not mean that the Old Testament is not concerned with truth—merely that the New Testament has a special emphasis on the truth of Jesus. The Bible does not use the term  "antichrist" to refer to some future world leader. There is a reason for that. This includes Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Noah, who “was a just man … [and] walked with God” (Genesis 6:9). As in his first two epistles, John continues to stress the importance of “the truth” and how he was filled with joy when he heard of those who “walk in the truth” . There is a difference of opinion on this point. God has spoken. Some say truth is a power play, a metanarrative constructed by the elite for the purpose of controlling the ignorant masses. Warning against religious deceivers (verses 7-11). Or perhaps Christians are being told not to allow a traveling false teacher a place to stay. One is that we are to walk in love and this means keeping the commandments of God. “Most modern commentators, however, conclude that ‘the Elect Lady’ is a general reference to an entire congregation, so that ‘her children’ are the individual members of the congregation” (revised edition, pp. Believers are of the truth, which no doubt means that they belong to Jesus, who is the truth ( 1 John 3:19). The false teacher must be shown that his teaching is unacceptable. Print subscriptions available in U.S., Canada and Europe, Article URL: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/holy-bible/new-testament/general-epistles/2-john/, Historical Background of the New Testament Resources. We must continue to abide in the teaching of Christ to maintain our relationship with Him and the Father. It could mean that the people respected him as amature man. Everyone going to work, going to school, going somewhere. That is to say he loves the church (the elect lady) to which he is writing as a whole as well as the individual members (her children) who make it up. John began this theme (in Chapter 2, Verse 18) on a rather negative note. Brief Summary: John is writing with his usual strong emphasis on truth to this much-loved brother in Christ, Gaius, a layman of some wealth and distinction in a city near Ephesus. 514.) However, these words are more like our southern expression "you all." It appears that this is a personification of a church and not a literal lady. Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life" - John 14:6 [See Hebrews 1:1-3] Conclusion And this is love, that we walk according to His  commandments. “First, it is unclear whether John is referring specifically to an individual or metaphorically to an entire congregation,” according to The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. 2 John is being written to warn a “sister” congregation some distance away of the missionary efforts of the secessionist false teachers, and the dangers of wel… Both "truth" and "love" are important. He did not really die! Today many like to say, "It does not matter what you believe as long as you are sincere." The real test of faith and love comes in the application. The apostle states: “Whoever transgresses and does not abide [continue, remain, endure] in the doctrine [teachings] of Christ does not have God. Fourth, The blessings of God; His grace, mercy and peace, will be with us "in truth and love." There are three ways that we can use the word ‘*elder’. John is pleased to see that some believers are sticking to the truth, but this implies that others are not. Hence, “truth” refers to a particular body of truth, not a particular singular truth, but also not to all truth. Notice what John says concerning the "truth." As a short letter, 2 John doesn’t develop any one topic too deeply. This is the test and challenge confronting true Christians! The world is back at it. D. God's Word is truth - John 17:17. (2 Corinthians 4:10) When we compare His life to our own lives and see how enormously … Old Testament incidents and examples have been recorded for our benefit (Romans 15:4; 16:26; 1 Corinthians 10:11). As Christians, we are to endeavor to actively walk in obedience to God’s commandments with our whole being, trusting in Him to help, support and mercifully forgive us upon repentance when we realize we have fallen short.In this short epistle of 13 verses, John uses the word “truth” five times and “love” four times. How Should a Christian Deal With the Coronavirus Pandemic? An icon used to represent a menu that can be toggled by interacting with this icon. Diotrephes. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version (© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.). Reality exists of two levels, a relative level and an absolute level. Early Christians received the second epistle of John from the aged apostle in the latter quarter of the first century. John was concerned that the members were being deceived into rejecting the truth of God and replacing truth with human-devised dogmas. He says we can lose it all or we can receive it all; a full reward! John refers to the "elect lady" as "you all." This view that John is addressing a congregation is further supported by the fact that in some verses (6, 8, 10, 12) the plural is used when addressing the kuria, and therefore it is most likely a reference to a church rather than a specific person. 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