STUDIES

IN THE

SECOND EPISTLE OF

JOHN

By

Dr. D. Paul Tuck Sr.

A BAPTIST PULPIT PUBLICATION

DEDICATION

Every pastor is deeply indebted to at least one woman – his mother- his wife but often enough like the apostle Paul who had about 21 women working with him – we are deeply indebted to such women who work hard to help in the work of the ministry. Women who are positive – prayerful – hard working – who stand behind the ministry and allow it to blossom like a rose. In my missionary travels in the Philippines there were many such women who cooked- washed-ironed- even sewed my clothing or bandaged my wounds. They were not on the platform nor did they seek the limelight but perfectly and quietly they worked behind the scenes for the glory of the Lord and the furtherance of His work. Such are they who `seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness.` There are the Lydia’s and Phebe`s who work as deaconess in the Lord’s church. Of such I am sure the apostle John is writing - `The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also they that have known the truth`` - To all such lady’s in every true church – I dedicate this little book.

Dr. D. Paul Tuck Sr.

Toronto, Canada

January 7^th 2008

Dewey Decimal Number 227.94

COPYRIGHT BY THE AUTHOR AND PUBLISHERS- 2008

No part of this work may be copied in any way without permission from the author and publishers.

Permission may be granted in writing to churches and missionaries who apply for it in writing.

Published by

BAPTIST PULPIT MINISTRIES

48 Cobbler Crescent,

North York, Ontario,

Canada M3N 2Y7

e-mail: bpulpit@rogers.com

A BAPTIST PULPIT PUBLICATION

INTRODUCTION

Second John really is just a very small letter, but it is loaded with truth. It has been used much for devotional material. “What I like most about Second John is that it deals with active love: and of course there is no other kind of love than that!” Love that is not active is just not real love. John 3:16 is ample proof of this without even going to other scriptures. But listen as I share four more with you –

John 15:13

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

Romans 5:8

“But God commandeth his love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

1 Peter 4:8

“And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

1 John 4:20-21

“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.”

Therefore, anything short of God’s love - “agape” is a very poor substitute.

Now let us look to the context of John’s Second Letter-

OUTLINE

Contents – Christian love

Date: About 90 A.D.

Author: The Apostle John

To whom Addressed: To the “elect lady and her children”.

Key Words: Love which occurs four times and “truth which occurs five times.

Purpose: This letter was apparently written to warn friends against heresy and the danger of association with false teachers. (Vs 7-11)

Main theme: A discourse on truth and error.

General Outline:

Introduction: Vs 1-4

Commandment: Vs 5-6

Warning: Vs 7-9

Exhortation: Vs 10-11

Conclusion: Vs 12-13

Study Outline:

1. DIVINE TRUTH IN ITS RELATION TO BELIEVERS:

2. DIVINE COMMANDMENTS KEEP FROM WORLDLY ERROR:

3. DRAWING A PROPER CONCLUSION:

1. DIVINE TRUTH IN ITS RELATION TO BELIEVERS: Vs 1-6

God is the source of truth and love – John in his letter to the “elect lady” associates the two words “love” and “truth” together.

“The elect lady” – At the most all we have here is supposition as John does not name this lady, except to declare that she is a Christian by the use of the word “elect”. He also includes her children in his greeting.

Generally there are two ideas as to identification of this “elect lady”.

1. She is a dear woman in the church in Ephesus whom the elderly John loved very much. The idea of this being Mary, the mother of Jesus is highly unlikely since this letter was most likely written around 92 AD. That would make Mary, who might well have been in Ephesus at one time, very, very old as John would now be in his nineties.

2. That this letter is actually addressed to a New Testament Church, particularly that of Ephesus is also just a supposition. The children could be the members of the church, but then that would make for a double greeting if the elect lady was the church.

The closing verse refers to a sister which could be taken literally (physically speaking) or spiritually of a church. This of course would imply the same status for the elect lady of verse one.

(Vs 13) – “The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.”

Dr. A.T. Robertson says- This could be taken either way.

Dr. John Gill seems to imply that this woman was an actual woman in the Ephesian Church.

Dr. Matthew Pool – says similar and I use his note because Dr. Gills is far too lengthy. (The student ought to read Gill).

“The elect lady; this appears to have been some noted person, whom both her singular piety, and rank in the world, made eminent, and capable of having great influence for the support of the Christian interest, which her general value with all that had.”

A. Divine truth unites them in fellowship – Vs 1-

“The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;”

This is so in any spiritual relationship which is based upon Biblical beliefs. The modern idea that we hear about “doctrine being divisive” is contradicted by John in this verse.

Love in the truth- love of the truth – love generated by the truth.

B. Eternally dwells in them – Vs 2

“For the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.”

Jesus said – “the truth shall set you free” - John 8:32

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Jesus said that - “He was the truth” – John 14:6

The truth then was incarnate in the Person of Jesus Christ.

Truth that is with the elect forever is eternal.

C. In connection with love- truth characterizes the spirit of their greetings –

Vs 3 – “Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”

Truth and love have grace as its source and give to us mercy-peace. The world in its depraved state gropes in spiritual darkness and cannot fathom this in the least. They cry-peace, peace where there is no peace and look for some man to lead them to their own estimation of Utopia. “Blind leaders of the blind!”

D. Loving obedience to, the pathway in which they walk – Vs 4-6

“I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.

And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.

And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.”

Obedience to “love and truth” is evidenced in the walk of the elect children.

The commandment here is not to the “Ten Commandments” or to the Mosaic Law but to the “Commandments of Christ” called the New Covenant or the Royal Law.

John 13:34

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”

Mosaic Law is summed up in the new commandment of Christ-

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

This is the first and great commandment.

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

James 2:8

“If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well.

2. DIVINE COMMANDMENTS KEEP FROM WORLDLY ERROR:

Paul wrote to the Galatian Church – Galatians 5:16

“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”

Concerning the fruit of the Spirit-Paul here lists “love” as first on the list. That is because it is the pillar and foundation of New Covenant truth and life.

John is here dealing with error- what we need to know about our defense against error?

A. Error has many deceitful advocates – Vs 7

“For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”

False cults in John’s day or in our day are not all totally in error- cults have some truth but mostly error- they are what we might call covenant mixers. Some cults we might recognize today – Jehovah Witnesses – Mormons – Armstrongism- (World-wide Church of God) - Seventh Day Adventism – Unitarianism. These and more are definite cults.

Then there are others that are closer to the truth in some areas of doctrine and practice. The denominations – Roman Catholicism is the ancient body of the spirit of Antichrist as found by our churches down through the centuries. The Protestant reformation did not clear up too much and we now have such bodies as, Church of Christ- Methodism- Pentecostalism- Anglicanism – Reformed all have a measure of the truth. Some Baptists are in error on their Soteriology, teaching Arminianism, and universal churchism. The Charismatic Movement is a fast track to Ecumenism and the “One World Church” of Revelation 17-18. Space here does not permit a detailed list but these are the mainline churches that are in error.

One grouping today is the so-called denomination known as “Non-denominational” or “Interdenominational”.

Of course much of this doctrinal deception is in varying amounts within these groups.

B. Denies the incarnation of Christ – Vs 7

The inroads of religious liberalism are strong in the major denominations which deny one or all of the major “evangelical” tenets of Christian faith. Such denials comprise the following –

1. The Plenary and Verbal inspiration of the Bible and its inerrancy.

2. The Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ.

3. The deity of Jesus Christ – that He is GOD revealed in human flesh.

4. The vicarious death and blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the sins of His

people.

5. Salvation by grace through faith alone in the saving work of Jesus Christ.

6. The literal return of Jesus Christ to earth again.

We must beware of those who deny the truths of Soteriology.

C. Must be guarded against – Vs 8

“Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.”

I notice here that John is exhorting to “guard ourselves” – While I am not opposed to an outright defense of the faith against any cult or any error – the emphasis here is clearly positive and not negative. We are to “guard ourselves” and how do we do that but by putting on the “whole Armor of God as Paul so ably tells us in Ephesians 6.

We do not accomplish a whole lot by spending our time in attacking others when we do not have our own defense magnetism in place. It is not by the “mouth” that we defend the truth as much as by the “BOOK”.

“That we receive a full reward” – Rewards will come to every Christian at the Bema of Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:10

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”

1 Corinthians 3:8

“Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.”

Colossians 3:24

“Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”

D. Departs from the teachings of Jesus Christ – Vs 9

“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.”

There are several things said here in this verse – some of them are taken to extremes as to what really constitutes the “Doctrine of Christ.”

1. Whosoever – this word never means everybody but is conditional and in this case to the words “transgresseth and abideth not.”

Dr. A.T. Robertson has this note:

The doctrine of Christ - And abideth not in the teaching of Christ (kai mh menwn en th didach tou cristou). Not the teaching about Christ, but that of Christ which is the standard of Christian teaching as the walk of Christ is the standard for the Christian’s walk (#1Jo 2:6). See #John 7:16; 18:19. These Gnostics claimed to be the progressives, the advanced thinkers, and were anxious to relegate Christ to the past in their onward march. This struggle goes on always among those who approach the study of Christ. Is he a "landmark" merely or is he our goal and pattern? Progress we all desire, but progress toward Christ, not away from him. Reactionary obscurantist’s wish no progress toward Christ, but desire to stop and camp where they are. "True progress includes the past" (Westcott). Jesus Christ is still ahead of us all calling us to come unto him.”

2. Transgresseth – This word means to go contrary- even against.

3. Abideth – does not give heed to – to continue in the doctrine.

4. Hath not God – This is evidence that God is not leading them in this way.

5. He that abideth in – to abide (live dwell- move ahead – in the doctrines of Christ gives evidence of both the Father and the Son. That The Father gave the Son – brought him forth into the world – this is the basis of the gospel evangel.

6. Today there is much deviation from the doctrines of Christ. Churches that were solid evangelical twenty years ago are drifting from the truth of the gospel. The message that John here gives concerning the Gnostics needs to be heeded by the Lord’s Churches today.

E. The perils of fellowship with its followers – Vs 10-11

Someone has said, “Birds of a feather flock together.” We need to take heed of such that would lead us astray from the basics of the gospel and especially concerning Christ and His Church. Take heed against fellowship with negative divisive persons whose own ego centeredness allows them to destroy the Lord’s Church just to prove their own selves right.

It is amazing how twisted our sense of value can become if we are not surrendered to the Lord and His sovereign will.

Be careful with whom you associate – 1 Corinthians 15:33

“Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.”

2 Corinthians 6:17

“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.”

3. DRAWING A PROPER CONCLUSION: Vs 12-13

A. John has many things to write and share with this good woman, but he preferred not to write with paper and ink. As much as paper and ink make great letters it is not the first line of communication between people.

B. He prayed that he would come unto her and talk face to face. It is always best to talk face to face with either friend or foe. Too often we find it easy to put into writing what we would never say to a person face to face. What we cannot communicate face to face probably should not be said in the first place.

Someone once said, “I should like to give him a piece of my mind” and the reply came back – “do not do that, you would not have much left!”

C. That our joy might be full – filled to the brim and overflowing. God’s will for us is to give us joy that overflows the biggest cup we can hold up to him.

D. Greetings are sent from the children of her elect sister – perhaps a natural sister, but moreso a sister in the faith. It is always joyful to know that others are thinking about you and praying. In my own experience, when times are at their worst, I have often been comforted by similar words as John here gives this dear sister. It may not seem like much- but it is positive, not negative.

E. Amen- so be it!