MY PERSPECTIVE, Gary Damron

 

As we near the end of our New Testament summaries, one thing I’m more aware of is that history is the story of God’s love for us. A love like no other. We discussed in an article and Facebook post on April 25th that God’s love always puts the welfare of others first.

Last week we studied the well-developed epistle of 1 John. Jesus' disciple John was nearing the end of a long life when he wrote that letter, addressed to his spiritual children. We noted parallels of content in the Gospel of John and the epistle, as well as points where they differed, since he was addressing issues of two separate audiences. In the book of 1 John, he dealt extensively with knowing God, through fellowship with Jesus and other believers.

The books of 2 and 3 John are brief letters of a more personal nature. Because they lack the theological development of other works of John, there is some speculation that someone else may have authored them. They are the shortest letters in the Bible. However, they contain typical Johannine themes, and both have the same tone and understanding of Christ’s message, so it makes sense to attribute them to John. All three letters contain calls to know the truth, and to live in love.

The second letter, 2 John, is a call to love and obedience. The author identifies himself as "the elder" as he does in 3 John. The designation may not be so much ecclesiastical as it is an acknowledgment that he is probably the only remaining disciple - of Jesus' original followers, and he was elderly. The audience addressed is "the chosen lady and her children", with another reference at the end to "the children of your chosen sister". Some speculate these may have been specific persons, but more likely, they address two sister churches and their members, who were considered offspring of a mother church. 2 John has many of the same themes found in 1 John, but in an abbreviated form to a specific church audience.

Ten times in 1 John, believers are urged to keep the commandments. In the one short epistle that is 2 John (13 verses), readers are urged four times to keep commandments by walking in the truth. "This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it" (2 John 6). Faithfulness demonstrates love.

Verse 5 reads, "...not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another." This reminds of Jesus' words in John 15:12, "'This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.'" The theme is reflected again in 2 John 7 and 3 John 23: “I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.”  And "This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.”

Another theme is that our faith depends on the belief that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. It has been said that the Incarnation is "the touchstone of Christian truth". We discussed earlier that by this time, Gnosticism had crept into the churches, promoting the idea that Jesus was a spirit only, and John wrote to help refute and correct those notions. Those who were teaching otherwise are called deceivers, even antichrist, which he warned of in 1 John 2:18-23.  "Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour" (1 John 2:18).

2 John 9 warns further but also provides a promise "Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son." The book of 3 John holds similar cautions but focuses more on those who do evil rather than good. It is a personal letter addressed to an individual, Gaius, whom the letter applauds because he walked in truth. It names specifically three who are to be admonished, reprimanded, or commended. 

Reading through these two short letters, we must think they and others already studied are only examples of a large amount of correspondence that passed among Christians in the decades following Jesus' death and resurrection. The letters 2 and 3 John are good directives for personal relationships, and the fellowship that is found in Christian gatherings.

Jesus calls us in John 13:34-35, to “...love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” His love did not end with His death. He continues to love us in the same way that caused Him to bear all our pain, sorrow and suffering. His love is a constantly abiding love. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, and He also lives for us even now.

No comments

Comments are closed

The comments for this content have been closed automatically; it's been a while since it was published.

Pick a language

search

Sports

Squeaky Clean Weather report

Weather in Ashburn

18th February, 2025 - 18:39
Clear Sky
29°F 26°F min 31°F max
6:57 17:50
Humidity: 34 %
Wind: 10.4 mph North-West
Visibility: 32,808 ft

Kansas News

Kansas Informer

Log in to comment