1
The elder,
2To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth--and not I only, but also all who know the truth-- because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever:
3Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, will be with us in truth and love.
4It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. 5And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6And 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.
7Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 9Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. 11Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.
12I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.
13The children of your chosen sister send their greetings.
1) V1-4 – 1The elder, to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth – and not I only, but also all who know the truth – 2because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever: 3Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love. 4It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.
John begins with words of encouragement for these individuals who are undoubtedly under pressure in the midst of this congregational trial. This congregation, despite its turmoil, was “beloved of God, beautiful in God’s sight, blessed by God in His mercy, and obedient to God in some measure.” John addresses his audience with tenderness in v1; and then in v2, he reminds his audience that love is rooted not in feelings that fade but in truth that “lives in us and will be with us forever.” In v3, John issues a threefold blessing to believers in this congregation (and beyond). And finally in v4, he reports “great joy” over the fact that some – not all – of the children are obedient, “walking in the truth.”
John calls himself “the elder.” He was likely the pastor of this church, perhaps away on church business, wanting to encourage his congregation in the midst of great trial. The trials included families torn apart by the Romans – many able-bodied Christians were essentially enslaved for their faith and taken to the salt mines in Asia, leaving elderly and disabled Christians behind to care for children. Others, like Paul, were simply martyred. And then, as if those trials weren’t hard enough, there was division within the church due to some neglecting the truth. Families not torn by persecution were divided by doctrinal disagreements. And the pagans of Ephesus saw this division within and likely mocked the Christians for their seeming hypocrisy, preaching unity and love yet appearing to show none. John writes to encourage the church during all of this turmoil.
John calls his audience the chosen lady. This audience is the elect of God. They certainly didn’t feel like chosen ones in the midst of these trials. But they ought to take heart, for “the Lord knows those who are His” (2 Timothy 2:19). One commentator says, “She is beleaguered. She’s persecuted from without. Heresies are rending her asunder from within. False teachers are troubling her. Division has occurred in the congregation. But in God’s eyes she is the bride that He chose from the foundation of the world. He chose her. He sought her. He bought her.” Throughout the New Testament, the church is referred to with feminine nouns. She is the bride of Christ. Things of beauty are referred to with feminine names, right? Well the persecuted church is a beautiful, chosen lady. And she is loved. She is loved by John, her pastor, and she is loved by all who know the truth. When believers see martyrdom, they may exhibit sorrow, but deep in their heart they love that, you know? To hear a testimony of faithful witness to Christ unto death is truly a lovely thing. So John’s words are encouraging. They encourage Christians to love one another in the truth.
Again in v2, we see why Christians love one another in the truth. Mutual Christian love is not indifferent to truth; it is rooted in truth. One commentator says, “The truth of God’s love in Jesus Christ which he shares with them makes him love them. He doesn’t love them because they’re just naturally more likeable than other people. He doesn’t love them because they look the same as he does, or talk the same as he does, or have the same background and past as he does. He loves them because they share the same truth, the same faith in Jesus Christ… There’s never been a Christian who took a stand for truth that wasn’t accused of being unloving. And John is telling these Christians, ‘Friends, I want to tell you, one reason I love you is because we share the truth.’ Love without truth is not Christian love, and it is precisely that shared truth of the glorious story of God’s grace in salvation in Jesus Christ that brings us together.” This truth lives in us by the Holy Spirit and will never leave us. That’s encouraging!
In v3, John issues a benediction of grace, mercy, and peace. This part is typical of New Testament blessings; but the rest is atypical. John says that these crucial elements from God the Father and God the Son “will be with us.” Usually the New Testament authors proclaim blessing to “you,” that is, their particular audience, and they most often are issued in past or present tense. But here John includes himself and all who share in the love and truth of Christ, and he issues a future tense blessing. During trials and tribulations, we are called to exhibit patience, that most difficult fruit of the Spirit. But the great thing is that we don’t have to wait alone. All believers around the world wait together in the truth and in love for the blessings of grace, mercy, and peace that will come from God and His Son.
Finally in v4, John reports his joy that even in the midst of these trying times, this church is growing. He says that “some of your children are walking in the truth,” and that’s the test of true faith. To exhibit Christian love docked in the truth in midst of persecution gives great joy to pastors. When orthodoxy (right doctrine – truth) leads to orthopraxy (right living – love) in the lives of “some” believers, we ought to rejoice. It’s encouraging for leaders to see “some” of their followers understand the truth and live the truth, to get it and to apply it. John encourages, and John is encouraged. But truthfully, leaders and teachers and pastors want “all,” not just “some.” So when John throws in this word, it’s a call to keep working. Yes, they’re in the midst of hard times. Yes, they’re hurting. But they’re not done yet. “Some” are walking in the truth, and that’s good. But God will not be finished until “all” of His Body is complete.
2) V5-6 – 5And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6And 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 moves from his encouraging greeting to the important reason for his writing. It is a reminder of the command of God, to love one another; and it’s a reminder of the second test, or evidence, of true Christianity that John noted in his first letter (1 John). This passage describes the moral test, a love for God’s commands and a walking in accordance with Scripture.
One Commentator says, “John is speaking to an issue that is a standing issue for Christians today. There are so many people who believe that Christianity doesn’t entail a call to obedient discipleship. They believe that Christianity is about freedom, freedom to do whatever you want. We’re no longer under the law. We’re no longer under obligation. We’re under grace, and rules can have nothing to do with us in the Christian life. And John so helpfully in this passage relates for us love and law in the Christian life. In fact, John calls us here to obey the commandment of love. And that phrase is not a contradiction.” Love is a command. It’s not a feeling, but an action, not an emotion, but an attitude. The commentator goes on, “Christian love is unselfish service of our Christian brothers and sisters undertaken by deliberate choice. Love is deliberately seeking the best interest of our fellow Christians and personally ministering to them out of a gospel care and concern, even at our own cost, for the sake of Christ. John is calling us; no, Jesus is calling us to a costly service of one another, a real and tangible love and care and concern for one another.”
This command to love is not new. Moses commanded love, and Jesus commanded love. “If you love Me, you will obey what I command… If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching” (John 14:15,24). In v6, John explains what love is – to obey God. And then to obey God is to love one another. It’s kind of strange, isn’t it? Love is the law; the law is love. We were set free from the law in order to love. And to love is nothing more than to obey the law. But it’s the motive that changes. Prior to freedom in Christ, we were under the law, baring its burdens; now, free in Christ, we are free to obey the law out of love for it, since it no longer condemns. Do you see how this reflects the moral test? Are we walking in accordance with God’s word? If you’re walking in love, then you are walking in accordance with God’s word. And if you are walking in accordance with God’s word, then you are walking in love. People always try and separate those things, but they belong together.
3) V7-11 – 7Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 9Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. 11Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.
John, having discussed the moral test of authentic Christianity, moves to the doctrinal test, where he spends most of his word count. Just as Jesus and the other disciples foretold, deceivers and false teachers have arisen from within the group of believers to lead astray those who are not watchful. So John says to “watch out.” These deceivers, failing to acknowledge the humanity of Jesus Christ, went out into the world, just as Christian missionaries, relying on Christian hospitality, going from city to city and meeting with the local congregations. But they weren’t sent by God; rather they literally are “of antichrist,” or Satan. Elaborating on the false teaching they were promoting, one commentator says, “They call into question what Jesus said about Himself; they call into question what the apostles preached and wrote about Jesus; they call into question the Bible’s testimony as to who Jesus was; they call into question the reality of His deity by denying the fullness of the truth of the incarnation; they call into question the truth about His full humanity by calling into question the incarnation.” They did not “continue in the teaching of Christ,” and thereby prove that they do not “have God.” Those who persevere in the teaching of Christ prove that they have God, both Father and Son (by the presence of the Holy Spirit). Many people today want God but not Jesus. John says you can’t run ahead of Jesus, because God isn’t there. When you leave Jesus behind, you leave the possibility of relationship to God behind. It’s the claim of Jesus’ exclusivity that John is making.
Finally in v10, John is saying that believers must not dabble or mingle in false teaching, especially in that which claims to be Christian – such as JW or Mormonism. Otherwise, we may be sucked in to false teaching that’s going to cut us off from our only hope of salvation through a personal relationship with someone who doesn’t have God. One commentator says, “John is so emphatic that he even says that we shouldn’t show hospitality to a false teacher. That is an amazing statement for the New Testament that is always exhorting the Christian to show hospitality to fellow Christians. Christians are not to receive or welcome false teachers into their fellowship, because he who denies Christ forfeits God and cannot have fellowship with those whose only hope and trust is in Jesus Christ for salvation as He is offered in the gospel.” Perhaps it is because this command to abstain from hospitality to false teachers seems so contrary to Christian love that John makes sure the cover the command to love before addressing non-hospitality to false teachers. Love is concerned about truth.
4) V12-13 – 12I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete. 13The children of your chosen sister send their greetings.
John wraps up here without discussing in great detail the third evidence of true Christianity. Instead of writing paragraphs about fellowship and the tangible expression of Christian love and care for each other, John hopes to visit and engage in this right and holy behavior in person. John wants an opportunity to live out the truth that he professes and teaches. Friendship and relationship are crucial aspects of humanity; but we must not seek this out with unbelievers, lest we be drawn into their heresy. Rather fellowship is to be sought and exhibited. John is saying that the fullness of joy is experienced only in fellowship with believers. Many professing Christians today say something like, “I worship God on my own. I don’t need to come to church on Sunday.” But John would reply to that sentiment, “There is no experience of the fullness of joy in the Christian life without fellowship with other believers, without gathering around the Lord’s means of grace on the Lord’s Day, fellowshipping with one another in worship, encouraging one another to love and to good deeds; because all those who are united in Christ are united to all those who are united to Christ.” In other words, as one commentator concluded, “We can’t be indifferent about fellowship with one another. We need one another. God didn’t intend us to grow in grace or experience joy apart from one another.”
By closing with the greeting from “the children of your chosen sister,” we might conclude that another local church, which John is visiting, has members that are aware of the situation in Ephesus. That local congregation cares for Ephesus and its membership and wants the best for them. Do we consider other local congregations in this manner? Why or why not? It’s another evidence that John demands what Jesus demands. Love one another.
Bible text from Gospelcom.net. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.