THE LETTERS OF JOHN
Truth, Love and False Teachers · Dr. Neil Epler · February 16, 2025
2 John v. 1-13
The Greeting
1) From the Elder.
(2 John 1a) The Elder…
2) To the chosen lady and her children.
(2 John 1b - 2) to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth, 2 because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:
3) Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us.
(2 John 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.
Walking in the truth.
(2 John 4) I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father.
Walking in love.
(2 John 5-6) 5 And now I ask you, dear 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 walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.
(John 13:34-35) 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Beware of false teachers.
1) There are many who are no longer walking in the truth.
(2 John 7) For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.
(1 John 2:18-19) Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
2) They are leading others to lose their faith.
(2 John 8) Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.
(Matthew 23:15) Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.
3) They have moved away from the teaching of Christ.
(2 John 9) Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.
4) Do not receive or show hospitality to these false teachers.
(2 John 10-11) If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.
(1 Corinthians 15:33) Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”
The Importance of meeting face to face.
(2 John 12-13) Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete.13 The children of your elect sister greet you.
We have a natural tendency to drift from the truth.
1) It is very easy to drift away.
2) We need to have an anchor
(Hebrews 6:18-19) so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain ...
3) We need to be tied to something solid
(Psalm 18:2) The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
4) We need to keep our focus on the truth.
(Matthew 14:28-30) And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”
5) We need to make course corrections.
6) It takes hard work to fight against the current.
(Matthew 7:13-14) “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.