2 John

1. John refers to himself as “elder.” Some have therefore concluded that this was not the Apostle John but Peter also refers to himself as “elder.” 1PE 5:1. A. “...unto the elect lady...” This term is rarely used in Scripture in single or plural form. JDG 5:29; EST 1:18; ISA 47:5, 7; 2JO 1:1, 5. (1) lady: A mistress in relation to servants or slaves; the female head of a household. (2) The maiden/mistress relationship is compared to our relationship to God. PSA 123:2. (3) She was likely an upper-class or noblewoman. Few of such are called. 1CO 1:26. (4) She was an “elect lady,” one of the few declared elect individuals in Scripture (c/w ROM 16:13). She was not just a choice one but a chosen one. (5) If it be thought strange that John is writing to some woman, recall that Jesus Christ spoke separately to the woman of Samaria (JOH 4:7-27) and first separately to Mary after His resurrection. JOH 20:11-18. (6) This lady was well-loved by John and all like him who knew the truth of Christ: all affection for the truth’s sake. This is a glorious reputation that exceeds outward beauty or nobility. PRO 31:30. (7) No mention is made of her husband, only of her children. a. Perhaps he was an unbeliever or dead. b. If a widow, she seems to have been a faithful one. c/w 1TI 5:10. B. Though unnamed, God gave her an enduring memorial. c/w MAR 14:1-9. 2. John emphasizes “For the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us...” A. The indwelling of the Spirit in regeneration is an indwelling of the truth. B. It is the Spirit of Christ Who is the truth. ROM 8:9-11 c/w JOH 14:6. C. Christ dwells in us vitally by His faith, and dwells profitably in us by our faith. EPH 3:14-19. D. The truth of the gospel should resonate with God’s elect and thus believers can know their election. 1TH 1:4-6. 3. This salutation to believers is similar to others in the N.T. epistles but here is added, “...the Son of the Father...” That emphasis is relevant to a major point by John to the lady and her children later. 4. “I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth...” A. Not “all thy children,” but “of thy children.” This implies a mingled spiritual brood. B. She was likely a godly trainer of children like Lois and Eunice (2TI 1:5), but only some were elect, and/or only some had up to that point converted to Christ. Godly parents teach all their children the truth of Christ and let God know His own and call them as He pleases. EPH 6:1; 2TI 2:19. C. It is a joy for a minister to find converts holding fast to the faith in obedience to the truth. 1TH 3:6-10. 5. John beseeches the lady. A. This is not a nod to her civil or social superiority but an appeal according to love rather than demand. c/w PHM 1:8-10. B. “Love will avail where authority will not; and we may often see that the more authority is urged the more it is slighted.” (Matthew Henry Commentary) C. John is not about to impose a new commandment but “...that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.” This is a “reminder” we all need, per 1TH 4:9-10. (1) This commandment was from the beginning of humanity. 1JO 3:11-12. (2) It was the summary commandment of the law. MAT 22:37-40. (3) It is especially Christ’s new commandment to His disciples (JOH 13:34), that of selfless, self-sacrificing, and greatest love. JOH 15:13. (4) All who love God should love those begotten of Him. 1JO 5:1. 6. The great commandment of love is defined by obedience to God, not by feelings. 1JO 5:2-3. A. “...That as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.” The principle remains in place: it is not to be abandoned because of any contrary influence. B. New ideas, false upgrades, other loves, or anything else competing against the truth must be reigned over by truth. Charity rejoices in the truth. 1CO 13:6. C. Truth defines the only way to love God and brethren. Therefore, loving properly insulates against infectious perversions of truth and love. 7. A good reason to hold fast biblically to the principle of love is because of roving deceivers who pervert the doctrine and divide brethren once united in it and by it. GAL 5:7-9. A. These are not merely unbelievers: they are deceivers with a wind of doctrine wafting over from the sewage lagoon. c/w EPH 4:14. B. They “...entered into the world...,” possibly from the camp of the saints like those Pharisees did from Jerusalem, and there were many such. ACT 15:24 c/w TIT 1:10. C. They “...confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh...” This implies something other than Jesus of Nazareth being the flesh and blood incarnation of God as the Messiah, per JOH 1:14. (1) All manner of heresies began early in Christian history. 2PE 2:1-2. (2) Some denied bodily resurrection, some that all bodily resurrection has already happened. 1CO 15:12; 2TI 2:18. (3) Some Preterists to this day, while professing devotion to Jesus Christ, deny that He arose from the dead bodily and ascended bodily to heaven. 8. The lady and her believing children are warned against such influences and to preserve their reward. A full reward of faith, peace, joy, love of brethren in the truth, unity of the Spirit, etc. can be squandered by antichrist intrusions. Therefore, “...let no man take thy crown” (REV 3:11). 9. The doctrine of Christ must be abided in: every bit of it concerning His deity, incarnation, bodily death, burial and resurrection, bodily ascension into heaven, etc. A. The absolute and perfect relationship of Jesus Christ to God the Father is the dividing issue of having God or having Him not. c/w 1JO 2:21-24. B. “Father and Son” is fulness; “Father without the Son” is nothingness. 10. John warns the elect lady to bar her door against such deceivers and not countenance them at all. A. Deceivers specialize in creeping into houses to con women. 2TI 3:5-6. B. Women should be especially cautious, remembering Satan and Eve. 2CO 11:3. C. No matter how “pure” or “innocent” or “biblically astute,” a woman without a believing head on hand is no stronger than Eve. D. Neither should she bid such deceivers, “God speed” (a wish for success for a journey or an enterprise). 11. Bidding God speed to antichrist deceivers is in essence to curse what God has blessed: belief in the full humanity, deity and work of Jesus Christ as declared in Scripture. It is also a blessing of what God has cursed. A. “God speeding” such is to partake of his sin. c/w 1TI 5:22. B. Countenancing such may cause a weaker brother to stumble. ROM 14:21. 12. John shortened his letter in favor of personal interfacing which can be much better. ROM 1:11-12. 13. The elect lady had an elect sister, seemingly also with godly children. Grace ran strong in that line. Amen.