Category Archives: 2 John

Reality Check

Recap 1 John
1 John 2:18 antichrist is coming
1 John 2:22 This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.
1 John 4:3 spirit of the antichrist here already

Untruths from the antichrist a
The end of time is too far off to be concerned about now
The end of time is too close to care about tomorrow
Lawlessness and sin are a sign of the church’s failure
It’s too late to pray or work for revival
a gleaned from John Piper

Ideas to ponder:  
Is the “elect lady” a church?
Are “her children” the believers?
This love letter is a warning.

Now read all of 2 John 1 pondering the
Recap, the Untruths and the Ideas

1 The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth, and not only I but also all who know the truth,  2 because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us for ever: 3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love. 

4 I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children following the truth, just as we have been commanded by the Father. 5 And now I beg you, lady, not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning, that we love one another.  6 And this is love, that we follow his commandments; this is the commandment, as you have heard from the beginning, that you follow love.  7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, men who will not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh; such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that you may not lose what you[we] have worked for, but may win a full reward. 9 Any one who goes ahead and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God; he who abides in the doctrine has both the Father and the Son. 10 If any one comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into the house or give him any greeting; 11 for he who greets him shares his wicked work. 

12 Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink, but I hope to come to see you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

13 The children of your elect sister greet you.  RSV

The Firsts: 2 John 1 – War

2 John1:3 Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love…6 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.

John doesn’t say “grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son” are his prayer, or his hope for us.  He says they “WILL BE with us IN truth and love.”

This is a challenging time for me.  I struggle with agitation. irritation and embarrassment about situations and people that have intruded into my world view to pull my focus away from the truth I know and disturbed my own grace, mercy and peace.  I hate this harsh reality in which I have to continually spend time questioning what is truth and then figure out how to walk in obedience to the one command I really need to practice: to “walk in obedience to his [Jesus’] commands. 

It feels like a war right now with these warning signs: 
Who is controlling the things that direct my focus?
Who values control more than grace?
Who values influence more than mercy?
Who values power more than peace?
Who celebrates when I’m agitated. irritated and embarrassed at the world around me?

The answer to any of my questions is ugly but John’s assurance is real and “will be with us in truth and love…Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son.”