2 John 1, Love in Truth

Now is a good time to briefly consider the other two Epistles penned by John.  2 John especially builds on 1 John.  It might be that John wrote this shorter letter to a church near the recipient church for 1 John.  Thus, he did not go into as much detail, but still touched base with another fellowship under attack from deceivers.

One encouraging thought from the outset in 2 John is the inseparable union of “love” and “truth.”  Paul made a distinction between “love” and “knowledge” in 1 Cor. 8:1: Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.  Before you say that “truth” and “knowledge” are not the same, I’ll remind you that John had a lot to say about “knowledge” in 1 John.  Over and over he said, “we know” this and “we know that we know” that.  We do not “have the truth” now does the truth abide in us (2 Jn. 1:1-2) if we do not know something.  What makes sense of all this is that John says that he loves his readers in truth!  And all those who know the truth (i.e. Jesus, the Son of God) also love in truth.  It is because of our fellowship with the Father and Son that we have a life of “truth and love” (1:3).

The next things we see is the blessedness of seeing people “walking in truth” (1:4-6), by which John means we “walk according to His commandments.”  It seems clear to me that John is concerned with the same two commands here as in 1 John.  The “commandment from the Father” is to believe on His Son, the old command.  Since we live in the truth of who Jesus is, then John notes the importance “that we love one another.”  Walking in love is walking in obedience.  As Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep my commandments.”

In 1:7-11 we have the crux of this short letter, and again, it involves “many deceivers (who) have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh.  This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”  They need to be careful to abide in the doctrine of Christ so that they do not lose the things John had worked for when he ministered among these people.  John’s warning in v10-11 might have a connection with the “sin unto death” in 1 John 5.  In that we were told not to pray for them.  Here he says not to receive those who bring this destructive doctrine that denies Christ.  To receive these “teachers” is to participate in their “ministry” of deception.

The closing verses tell us John’s purpose in writing was the same as in 1 John.  It’s about joyful fellowship (“I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full”).  The local church to whom he writes is the “elect lady” (v1) and the local church where John is located at the time is her “elect sister.”  The fellowship of believers must be strong locally, but also must recognize and encourage believers in Christ wherever they are.  Let us not allow the isolationist lifestyle that seems to be so prevalent in our world these days.  Let us love in truth!