2 & 3 John Bible Study

www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk

The 2nd and 3rd Epistles of John 2 John 1 1. Greetings 1 - 3.

2 John 1:1 From the elder, to an elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth (and not I alone, but also all those who know the truth), The term used here for elder does not refer to the position within the church but to the apostle John, the grandfather in the faith. He was the last survivor of the original apostles and had reached a great age. Some have suggested that the elect lady he is sending his letter to was a code name for the church in Rome or Jerusalem but there are no grounds for this. The Greek word for lady is Cyria and is a proper Christian name therefore I have taken this to be a personal letter from John to this Cyria and her family as his third letter is a personal one to Gaius.

First of all he tells the family that he loves them in sincerity, without hypocrisy (Rom. 12:9), not a surface, emotional love or from any ulterior motive but with the love of the Lord, a pure and perfect love. He goes on to assure them that all those who are in Christ and know them has this same love for them.

2 John 1:2 because of the truth that resides in us and will be with us forever.

The source of this love is the truth, which is Christ that dwells in them, it is not of the world but of heaven therefore it is eternal.

2 John 1:3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

Secondly, he greets them with the prayer that they will know and receive Grace - the unearned, undeserved favour, goodness and blessings of God. Mercy - the resources and willingness of God to meet their every need. Peace - of being reconciled, of having confidence and trust, of knowing God loves them and will take care of them. This grace, mercy and peace come from the Father and the Son and is therefore the real and genuine thing and is imparted by the fact that God is Love.

2. Walking in Truth 4 - 6 2 John 1:4 I rejoiced greatly because I have found some of your children living according to the truth, just as the Father commanded us.

He has great joy in knowing that some (NKJ) of her children have come to a knowledge of salvation and are growing in grace and walking in love (Eph. 5:2) and in a way that is worthy of the Lord (Col. 1:10).

2 John 1:5 But now I ask you, lady (not as if I were writing a new commandment to you, but the one we have had from the beginning), that we love one another.

It is because of this love that he has for them that John is moved with a compassionate care for their eternal well-being and makes an earnest plea for her to remember the commandment to love one another (John 13: 34). Perhaps this was because they were giving ear to the deceivers in verse 7 and it was causing division. He uses the command as a basis of his earnest plea for her to abide in it.

2 John 1:6 (Now this is love: that we walk according to his commandments.)

This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning; thus you should walk in it.

The definition of this love and the proof that the commandment is being kept is that the life being lived will reflect and be guided and ruled by it.

3. Reject False Teachers 7 - 13.

2 John 1:7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, people who do not confess Jesus as Christ coming in the flesh. This person is the deceiver and the antichrist!

After assuring and exhorting the lady he turns to the main point of his letter to warn her of the many, (note that word many, not just the odd one or two) deceivers who were going around seeking whom they may devour. Their hallmark was that they denied that God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ (1 John 4: 2-3 and that He became a man (1 Tim. 3:16). Like Paul, John does not mince his words but reveals these people for who they really are, enemies of Christ doing the work of antichrist.

2 John 1:8 Watch out, so that you do not lose the things we have worked for, but receive a full reward.

He warns that she should be on her guard against such people and not to lend her ears to them, otherwise she could lose all that she had already spiritually attained in Christ through the apostles teachings.

2 John 1:9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not remain in the teaching of Christ does not have God. The one who remains in this teaching has both the Father and the Son. He further describes these deceivers as being people who transgress, that is, who is intent on breaking the laws of God their only purpose is to do this. They do not have the

love or the word of God abiding in them and therefore do not have God. On the other hand the true believer is one who has the love and word of God abiding in them and therefore have the Father and Son dwelling within.

2 John 1:10 - 11 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house and do not give him any greeting, because the person who gives him a greeting shares in his evil deeds.

He tells her how to handle such people. She was not to welcome or admit them into her house. To have them in the house would be to identify herself with them, accepting and participating in their beliefs and opening herself to their errors. Do not greet them give any encouragement or wish them success or to say God Bless for in doing so she will be a partaker in their evil.

2 John 1:12 Though I have many other things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink, but I hope to come visit you and speak face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

There were many other points John wanted to clear up with this lady that could not be dealt with by writing but he would sort them out when he visited her.

2 John 1:13 The children of your elect sister greet you.

This lady’s sister must have gone to be with the Lord for it is her children who send greetings to their aunt.

3 John Chapter 1 1. Introduction and a Prayer 1 - 3.

3 John 1:1 From the elder, to Gaius my dear brother, whom I love in truth.

This again is a personal letter from John to a brother in the Lord named Gaius. Although we cannot be absolutely certain he is most probably the same Gaius who was at Ephesus at the time of the riot stirred up by Demetrius the silversmith against Paul’s preaching of Christ (Acts 19:29). The mob caught him with Aristarchus and took them to the theatre.

He would have received the full force of the fury of this demonstration but it did not deter him from following Christ for in Acts 20: 4 we read that he accompanied Paul into Asia. While Paul was in Corinth it was this brother who gave him a home and looked after him (Rom.16:23) Apart from Crispus, Gaius was the only other believer that Paul said he baptised in water at Corinth (1 Cor. 1:14). So by the time of this letter he was a well-seasoned and proven disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. John certainly had no doubts for he addresses him as beloved from the Greek word agapao the same word used of Christ as loved of God. As with the lady in 2 John it is an earnest and sincere love that John has for this man.

3 John 1:2 - 3 Dear friend, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul. For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, just as you are living according to the truth.

This brother may have been suffering from some illness or other trials as John’s prayer for him is that he may prosper. There are two extreme opposite views in Christian circles concerning prosperity. The one is that believers should live hand to mouth, that is, needs barely met. The other being the so called prosperity gospel, which says if you do so and so or give so and so you can have whatever you want. What do the scriptures say:- He who heeds and keeps the words of God (Deut. 29:9, 1 Chr. 22:13) He who seeks after God ( 2 Chr. 26:5) Doing service to God with all the heart ( 2 Chr. 31:21) He that delights himself in God (Psalm 1: 2-3) he shall prosper. It is not asking and getting but living a Godly life and thus receiving (1 Tim. 4:8, 6:6) He prays that he might have good health which is promised to all who are obedient in the Old Testament (Ex. 15:26). If any are sick then we know that by the stripes that was laid on Christ we are healed (1 Pet. 2: 24). Of his spiritual prosperity John was fully assured for he had heard from other brethren that Gaius was walking, embracing and living the true life in Christ.

2. A Commendation 4 - 8.

3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are living according to the truth.

The apostolic and pastoral heart of John rejoiced greatly to see spiritual growth in the children of God.

3 John 1:5 Dear friend, you demonstrate faithfulness by whatever you do for the brothers (even though they are strangers).

As we saw in Romans 16: 23 Gaius had been host to Paul at Corinth and here we see that it was a part of his ministry to care for and house the people of God (Rom. 12:13), those whom he knew and those who were complete strangers to him (Heb. 13: 1 - 2).

He never failed in this ministry no matter what his own circumstances were - he did it faithfully.

3 John 1:6 They have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. The people who had received his hospitality, whom he had also given something to help them in their work for Christ bore witness before all the believers, he was well spoken of.

3 John 1:7 - 8 For they have gone forth on behalf of "The Name," accepting nothing from the pagans. Therefore we ought to support such people, so that we become co-workers in co-operation with the truth.

These itinerant teachers and preachers of the gospel did this work as unto the Lord (Col. 3: 17, 23) because of what He had done and given to them freely. They could have asked for support for in Luke 10: 7 Jesus said in referring to these people that, the labourer is worthy of his hire (1 Cor. 9: 13 - 18) but they along with Paul asked for nothing. In receiving and giving to these people for their ministry we are partners with them and shall share in the rewards from the Lord.

3. A Troublemaker 9 - 11.

3 John 1:9 -10 I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not acknowledge us. Therefore, if I come, I will call

attention to the deeds he is doing — the bringing of unjustified charges against us with evil words! And not being content with that, he not only refuses to welcome the brothers himself, but hinders the people who want to do so and throws them out of the church!

In contrast to Gaius there was one who attended the same church called Diotrephes who was very ambitious and who had exalted himself up to a place of authority. He had become puffed up with his own importance and pride thinking that he knew more than the brethren that John had sent, even more than John himself. These he slandered saying all manner of things about them in order to undermine the authority of those whom the Lord had set in position within His church. He did not receive, help or encourage the itinerant teachers and preachers and he threw out those who did and who opposed him. John would remember his deeds and deal with him should he be able to visit them.

3 John 1:11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is bad but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does what is bad has not seen God. His instructions to Gaius and those with him was not to be overcome by this evil or to follow after it but to continue in the good works of God, that it may be seen that they are of God (Rom. 12: 21).

4. A Worthy Brother and Conclusion 12 - 14.

3 John 1:12 Demetrius has been testified to by all, even by the truth itself. We also testify to him, and you know that our testimony is true.

John is sending his letter by a fellow believer named Demetrius. This powerful testimony to his Christian consistency combines general respect and esteem, the evidence of the power of the gospel truth in the life, and the inspired apostle’s own commendation.

(Annotated Paragraph Bible).

3 John 1:13 - 14 I have many things to write to you, but I do not wish to write to you with pen and ink. But I hope to see you right away, and we will speak face to face.

Peace be with you. The friends here greet you. Greet the friends there by name.

John closes his letter as he did in 2 John stating that there many other things he had to say but he would not write them but would give to them when he visited which he hoped to do soon.

© Derek Williams 2012 Bible Studies Online UK www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk You may copy, print or distribute our studies freely in any form, just so long as you make no charges.

Sign up today for our FREE monthly Bible study magazine “Living Word” Scriptures taken from the NET Bible www.bible.org