Our Immerse reading for week 8 is from the writings of John. Today I will focus on 2 John, a short little letter with a powerful message for our congregation today.
There are two main opinions as to whom John is writing. “To the lady chosen by God and to her children…” is either a device to refer to the church (lady) and its members (children), or John is writing to a specific lady and the church (children) who meet in her home. Both options have Scriptural backing, and both options have been taught since the 100’s AD. What is important to understand is that John is writing to Christians, and this is his primary message to them:
“And 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. And 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. I say this because many 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. Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone 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.” - 2 John 5-9 NIV
Bits and pieces of this letter are often misused to argue with any practice that someone doesn’t like. “Change a tradition? Change music? Change order of worship? Clearly you aren’t continuing in the teaching of Christ!” Some politician makes choices you don’t like? “They’re the antichrist!” The problem is that isn’t at all what John is talking about.
The heresy that this letter addresses is the teaching that Jesus did not exist in the flesh, or to put it another way Jesus was simply a spiritual being...not really human. Gnostics began teaching this in order to justify all kinds of sexual immorality. Their reasoning stated that since Jesus was only a spiritual being, it didn’t matter what we did with our physical bodies...after all, he didn’t have a physical body. Notice how serious this false teaching is! Anyone who practices or teaches such is the antichrist.
The solution to this false teaching is pretty simple: love! According to John, when we walk as a community who loves each other dearly, we will trust one another and not fall into foolish controversies. Our love for one another can keep people from falling into sin. Our teaching, our view of Christ, and our relationships will be as God wants them because of our love for one another.
So the next time someone does something you don’t like, please don’t attack them, or call them a false teacher, or label them the antichrist. The Biblical approach is to love.
The Answer is Love!
Our Immerse reading for week 8 is from the writings of John. Today I will focus on 2 John, a short little letter with a powerful message for our congregation today.
There are two main opinions as to whom John is writing. “To the lady chosen by God and to her children…” is either a device to refer to the church (lady) and its members (children), or John is writing to a specific lady and the church (children) who meet in her home. Both options have Scriptural backing, and both options have been taught since the 100’s AD. What is important to understand is that John is writing to Christians, and this is his primary message to them:
“And 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. And 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. I say this because many 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. Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone 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.” - 2 John 5-9 NIV
Bits and pieces of this letter are often misused to argue with any practice that someone doesn’t like. “Change a tradition? Change music? Change order of worship? Clearly you aren’t continuing in the teaching of Christ!” Some politician makes choices you don’t like? “They’re the antichrist!” The problem is that isn’t at all what John is talking about.
The heresy that this letter addresses is the teaching that Jesus did not exist in the flesh, or to put it another way Jesus was simply a spiritual being...not really human. Gnostics began teaching this in order to justify all kinds of sexual immorality. Their reasoning stated that since Jesus was only a spiritual being, it didn’t matter what we did with our physical bodies...after all, he didn’t have a physical body. Notice how serious this false teaching is! Anyone who practices or teaches such is the antichrist.
The solution to this false teaching is pretty simple: love! According to John, when we walk as a community who loves each other dearly, we will trust one another and not fall into foolish controversies. Our love for one another can keep people from falling into sin. Our teaching, our view of Christ, and our relationships will be as God wants them because of our love for one another.
So the next time someone does something you don’t like, please don’t attack them, or call them a false teacher, or label them the antichrist. The Biblical approach is to love.