2 John, a lesson outline
2 John
March 10, 2002
I. Introduction (2John 1 – 3)
A. Addressees (Verses 1 –2)
1. John uses the title of “the elder” which refers to a senior officer in a local church (I Tim. 5: 17), though he is not a member there. His authority of “elder” comes from his apostleship. (Mt. 10: 1 – 2)
2. “The elect lady” has a twofold meaning. It can be the church or it can be specifically an individual saved woman that John knows.
3. Many early churches met in believer’s homes. (Rom. 16: 5; I Cor. 16: 9; Col. 4: 15; Philemon 2)
a. This lady’s home is just such an instance and John was concerned that this godly woman not permit any false or heretical in doctrinal teaching to come into her home or to the church members that were meeting there.
b. As the home goes, so goes the strength of the local church. The family is an important target in Satan’s war against truth.
4. “The Truth” is Jesus Christ (John 14: 6) and God’s Word is truth. (John 17:17)
a. God has revealed His truth in the person of His Son through the Living Word and the Written Word.
b. God has given us the Spirit of Truth to teach us and enable us to know “The Truth”. (John 14: 6 – 16; 16: 13)
5. “The Truth” causes us to love one another and empowers us to live for “The Truth’s sake” lives that are glorifying and honoring to Him.
a. He supplies the power for us to live above sin and temptation (I Cor. 10: 13) because one day we must all stand before the Judgment Seat and give an account of our actions, not our sins. (Rom. 14: 10; II Cor. 5: 10)
6. Knowing “The Truth”, which lives in us, is much more than having knowledge of the doctrines of the faith. It means that the believer’s life is controlled by love of “the Truth” and for “The Truth”.
a. All truth centers in Jesus Christ, who is The Truth, The Word, the Son.
7. Truth makes Christian love discerning and discriminating.
a. Believers need to be aware of others conduct or views that are contrary and opposed to the revealed truth of the Word.
b. Believers are never to compromise their stand for the Truth because of their love for others.
c. Truth and love work together in harmony in God’s plan for His people.
B. John’s Greeting (Verse 3)
1. John wishes for grace, mercy and peace for these believers.
a. These blessings come from both God the Father and God the Son because God is the source of grace, mercy and peace.
b. Grace is receiving what you don’t deserve and not receiving what you do.
c. Mercy is forgiveness extended to the helpless and needy.
d. Peace is the restoration of harmony and fellowship with God.
2. When we receive God’s grace and mercy, his peace comes upon us. (Rom. 5: 1)
a. God is not at war with the unsaved, the unsaved are at war with God. (Rom. 5: 10; 8: 7)
b. God reconciled Himself to sinners by the work of Christ on the cross and now sinners must reconcile themselves to God by repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (II Cor. 5: 14 – 21)
3. John affirms the deity of Christ by joining the Father and the Son. It is impossible to separate the two. “Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father”. (I John 2: 23)
4. The Christian faith stands or falls on the doctrine of the deity of Christ.
II. Exhortation to Christian Love (Verses 4 – 6)
A. Walking in Truth (Verse 4)
1. To walk in truth means to be obedient and submissive to the authority of the Word of God. “Be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only.” (James 1: 22)
2. The Father has revealed His truth to us and not granted us the option of disbelief or disobedience. We alone are responsible to respond to His revealed Word!
B. The Commandment (Verses 5 – 6)
1. The command is for us to love one another. (John 13: 34; I John 4: 21)
a. Brotherly love is an outward evidence of an inward condition. (I John 4: 16)
2. It is a testimony to the transforming and life changing power of Jesus Christ and The Word. “By this shall all men know ye are my disciples, if ye have love one for another”. (John 13: 35)
3. Christian love is an action, not an emotion. It is unselfish service undertaken by deliberate and willing choice.
4. “Not a new commandment” means that God gave this commandment a long time ago. “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself”. (Lev. 19: 18)
5. The Holy Spirit gives every believer the ability to love. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love…” (Gal. 5: 22)
6. Love and obedience must go together. “And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.” (I John 2: 3)
7. If we say we love God, and hate our brother, we can be sure that we do not really love God. “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar”. (I John 4: 20)
III. Warnings about False Teachers (Verses 7 – 11)
A. A Loss of Incarnation and of Full Reward (verses 7 – 8)
1. Deceiver means to mislead and includes more than just False Teachers. It also implies leading people into wrong living.
a. What we believe determines our conduct.
b. Wrong doctrine and wrong living always go together.
2. These deceivers came out from the church. “They went out from us, but were not of us”. (I John 2: 19)
3. John warns us about false teachers attacking the incarnation of Christ, denying that He was man as well as God in the flesh.
a. If Jesus Christ was not man, and did not live a sinless life, and offer Himself up to be the propitiation of our sins, then our faith is in vain and there is no hope.
b. A test to know a false teacher is to ask them what they believe about the incarnate Christ.
4. A believer can lose part of their reward at the Judgment Seat, but not all of their reward. The very fact you are there indicates you cannot lose your salvation and therefore you will receive a crown of life.
a. In order to receive a “full reward” we cannot be led astray but must continue steadfast in the work, diligently serving the Lord Jesus until He comes.
B. Defection from the Truth (verse 9)
1. The word “transgress” means to overstep, or run ahead too far, beyond the limits.
2. The false teachers will take extreme liberty with God’s Word and offer “new and exciting” things for people that are heretical.
a. The result is people being led astray from the true doctrines of the faith.
3. If a person does not abide in the true doctrine, then he does not have the Father or the Son. It is impossible to honor the Father and not the Son. “That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.” (John 5: 23)
4. People that take liberty and “overstep” the doctrines demonstrate that they do not have genuine salvation. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me”. (John 10: 27)
C. Reception of False Teachers (Verses 10 – 11)
1. We are not to extend hospitality to false teachers who come either to our homes or to our church.
2. We are not to even say good-bye to them as it means “God be with you”. “Be ye not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?” (II Cor. 6: 14)
3. It is okay to invite unsaved friends into your home because you can witness to them and share the gospel.
4. Three reasons why John was adamant about not allowing in a false teacher were that he did not want God’s children to:
a. Give the apostate the impression his heretical doctrine was acceptable.
b. Become infected by the false doctrine through fellowship with them.
c. Give the false teacher ammunition to use at his next stopping place.
IV. The Conclusion (Verses 12 – 13)
A. Visiting soon and Farewell (verses 12 – 13)
1. John states he wants to visit face to face, where their joy will be full.
2. When believers come together, the joy of the Lord is always present!
3. The children of this “elect sister” could be the natural children of this woman’s sister whom John has met or it could be local church members who are sending greetings.
Sorry for the lack of formatting here. I sure wish I could post some of these with the formats intact!
Blessings all,
mib
