2 John 1:1-3 The elder to 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;… I. INTRODUCTION. 1. Address. "The elder unto the elect lady and her children." The writer of this Epistle was known as "the elder;" it clearly bears the Johannine mark. The principal receiver was "the elect lady." Some think that "a Church" is intended; but a mystical interpretation is not to be resorted to when a plain interpretation is tenable and beautiful. The lady was "elect," as "chosen out of the profane world into the sanctified company of the Church of God." She found a sphere of usefulness in receiving into her "house" the Christian teachers; her temptation was to be indiscriminate in her receiving; therefore the "elder," meantime, "with paper and ink," puts her on her guard. Her children arc associated with her: they were advanced enough to understand the shibboleth of the Incarnation. Amplification. (1) The lady and her children objects of love. "Whom I love in truth; and not I only, but also all they that know the truth." They were loved, not with a love bestowed on friends and foes of the truth alike, but with a love which took its restriction of object and whole characterization from the truth. They were loved, not by John only, but also by them that knew the truth - especially the truth of the Incarnation, as being the highest revelation of God. They were universally loved by these; wherever there were Christians, they were thought of with kindly feelings. (2) Explanation of their being loved. "For the truth's sake which abideth in us, and it shall be with us for ever." What claim has the truth on us? Wandering up and down in the world, it is due to the truth that we give it admittance to our hearts. It is also due to the truth that we retain it as that deprived of which we are made poor indeed. It is further due to the truth that we allow it to be the transforming power in our characters. It is especially due to the truth that we let our convictions of it be clearly known. It is due to the truth that we help its extension. It is, finally, due to the truth that we love all its friends. The lady and her children had given facilities for spreading the truth; therefore it was that they were loved. The truth is said to abide in us. We are the house, and the truth (greater than us) is the occupant. How cheerless a deserted house - windows closed against the light of day, darkness, coldness, deadness reigning within I So is it when the soul shuts out the truth, is not lighted and warmed by thoughts of God's love. It is different when a house is occupied. There are signs of life, there is a feeling of warmth. And so is it with the soul when it is lighted up with God's truth and warmed with the influences of his Spirit. The truth is also said, very confidently, to be with us for ever. It is to be thought of not merely as occupant, but as companion. As the psalmist had. the testimonies as his counselors, so we enjoy the society, the enlivening presence, of the truth. It is a companionship which will never be broken up. In heaven there will be greater openness of nature to the truth - a keener insight, a more tender sensibility, a readier memory, a richer suggestiveness, a livelier imagination in the service of the truth. The truth shall be with us for ever in ever fuller revelation. The truth is so great that it will require a finite mind a whole eternity to think it out. The companionship of which we are never to be deprived is a companionship that admits of no monotony, that ever opens up new elements of enjoyment. 2. Salutation. (1) The three words of salutation. "Grace, mercy, peace, shall be with us." While John passes from a wish into assurance, and includes himself in the salutation, he uses the three Pauline words. What we need for ourselves and others is to be dealt with, not according to our deserts, but according to the freeness and richness of grace. This will be manifested in merciful visitations suited to our need. And the result will be peace within, and even peace from without so far as it is salutary. (2) Source looked to in salutation. "From God the Father, and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father." It is to God that we look for blessing, first in his absolute Fatherhood, and then in his Fatherhood as historically manifested in his Son. Laying hold on what God absolutely is, and then on what he has explicitly shown himself to be, there is no limit to what we may expect of blessing. (3) How the blessing is realized in us. "In truth and love." These are the two words which give character to the Epistle. If we are blessed by God we must have love; but love must be no vague sentiment, temporary ebullition - it must be called forth, sustained, tempered by truth. Religious people who are orthodox, but have a want of warmth, are unattractive enough, and are apt to produce revulsion against the truth. Religious people, again, who abound in feeling, but have not clear perceptions of truth, are apt to be imprudent, and thus to bring religion into contempt. II. MAIN PORTION. 1. Counsel. (1) Foundation. "I rejoice greatly that I have found certain of thy children walking in truth, even as we received commandment from the father." It is quite Pauline thus to begin with words of praise. The accurate translation is, "I rejoiced greatly that I have found of thy children." The joy is referred to its initial moment: the ground of it still continues. The lady and her children were all loved by John; but, in bestowing praise, he is careful not to go beyond his position of observation. He had come into contact with some of her children, whose walk was according to his mind. It was characterized by truth; and that was as God wished it to be. it was so appointed for the household by the great Father. What greater joy can there be for a mother than to be told of this one and that one of her children walking according to Divine rule? (2) Nature. The old commandment. "And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote to thee a new commandment, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another." It is "in the exercise of the full privilege of Christian fellowship" that he beseeches. He makes his appeal more direct by designating her as in verse 1. In language very similar to 1 John 2:7, he points to familiarity with the commandment. With great delicacy he includes himself in the reference of the commandment. He was doing what Christian love demanded toward her in counseling and warning her; she must do what Christian love demanded toward him in attending to his counsel and warning. The summary of the commandments. "And this is love, that we should walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, even as ye heard from the beginning, that ye should walk in it." The first statement closely resembles what is found in 1 John 5:3. If we love (without distinction of object here), we shall endeavour to walk after the Divine commandments. Those commandments (separate expressions of the Divine will) are summarized in one, viz. walking in love with one another, to which, as a familiar commandment, the lady and her children are directed. 2. Warning. (1) Foundation in the number of false teachers. "For many deceivers are gone forth into the world, even they that confess not that Jesus Christ cometh in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist." There is a transition here from love to truth. The false teachers are styled "deceivers," by which we are to understand that they were not only aside from the truth in their teaching, but that they practiced the art of deception in teaching what resembled Christianity while not actually Christianity. It would have been more honest to have openly denounced Christianity; but there would have been less chance of success, as they would never have been able to ingratiate themselves with the friends of Christianity. These deceivers were numerous, and they were everywhere (having "gone forth into the world"); as the lady there was an entertainer of the Christian teachers, there was every likelihood of some of them coming her way, and falsely representing themselves to be Christian teachers. How were they to be known? Here we come upon the design of the Epistle. They were to be known (in accordance with the leading thought of the First Epistle) by their confessing not that Jesus Christ cometh in the flesh. She was to put to them the shibboleth of the Incarnation. Did they recognize in their teaching, plainly, without mystification, not merely the past but the present coming in the flesh of Jesus Christ? Was that flesh of his a manifestation of a union formed between his Divine nature and human nature, which still remains and operates as a great fact? He who could not give satisfaction on that point was to be set down as personally the representative of the deceiver (who has designs on Christians) and the antichrist (whose task is to thwart Christ). (2) Danger to be feared from the false teachers. "Look to yourselves, that ye lose not the things which we have wrought, but that ye receive a full reward. Whosoever goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God: he that abideth in the teaching, the same hath both the Father and the Son." A good work had been wrought by John and his associates on the lady and her children, in their Christian faith, love, enlightenment, activity. There was a reward corresponding to the work. If they looked to themselves (as to their being influenced), the reward would be obtained in full. If they did not look to themselves, the reward would be lost. The reward was not to be expected under the influence of a teacher of the advanced school. He is here happily described as going beyond and not abiding in the teaching of Christ. He went beyond what Christ taught, with the penalty attached, that there was the absence of God from his teaching. The reward was only to be expected under the influence of a true Christian teacher. He really progressed, but only in the way of opening up what Christ taught, with the blessing attached that he had the Father and the Son in his teaching, i.e., Divine love in its most tender manifestation in the Incarnation. Having both the Father and the Son in his teaching, this became the reward of them that looked to themselves in hearing. (3) Course to be followed with the false teachers. "If any one cometh unto you, and bringeth not this teaching, receive him not into your house, and give him no greeting: for he that giveth him greeting partaketh in his evil works." As many false teachers were going forth into the world, John assumes the coming of one of them to their door. If he came as destitute, it would not be undutiful on their part to relieve him. But he would come bringing teaching, not, however, the true teaching of the Incarnation. This being the case, they were not to receive him into their house (extend to him hospitality); they were not to give him the greeting preliminary to this; they were not to be thus friendly to him in his capacity as teacher - claiming falsely to be a Christian teacher. That would be friendship on an entirely wrong footing. Among those who actually possess Christian faith and Christian knowledge, how many are there who, under the influence of a secret vanity, think they must play a magnanimous part, and exhibit at once the firmness of their faith and the largeness of their charity, and therefore do not seek to avoid personal intercourse with even notorious enemies of the Christian faith? They are so firmly grounded that they can venture on this without fear of being perverted! They stand so spiritually high, and their views are so broad and free, that there is no danger for themselves, but much advantage to those with whom they hold this fellowship! But this is a soul-imperiling delusion. A Christian man should have to do with these deniers of Christ only for the one sole end of their conversion; as soon as he sees that his great object is spurned, he has nothing more to do with them. Any compromise, which would let them think in their own way, and nevertheless continue personal intimate fellowship, is altogether of evil; it is a denial of the Lord, who will not have his light put under a bushel. The ground on which John condemns fraternizing with the open enemies or false friends of Christianity is this, that he that giveth any of them greeting partaketh in his evil works. A false teacher comes to our door (literally or figuratively); we give him friendly greeting and receive him into our house; he remains a time with us, and, when leaving, we bid him "God-speed." Are we not thereby making ourselves partakers in his evil works? We are giving him excellent facilities for doing bad work on ourselves and on the members of our homes; and we are sending him forth with the influence of our name (so far as that goes), thus opening doors for more perverting work. III. CONCLUSION. 1. Reason for brevity. "Having many things to write unto you, I would not write them with paper and ink: but I hope to come unto you, and to speak face to face, that your joy may be fulfilled." His end of cautioning the lady and her children has been served. The burden of the Lord is on his mind as he thinks of their circumstances and needs - messages from the Lord to them. These he does not put down in writing, using paper and ink; he hopes to pay a visit to them, when he will have the advantage of speaking face to face. Hearing from his lips the messages at present reserved, their joy will then be fulfilled. 2. Salutation. "The children of thine elect sister salute thee." The "elect sister" was not with the apostle, to send her salutation. Her children (of whom we are to think well) send their salutations to the "elect lady." They must have been cognizant of the fact of the letter being sent, and also of its purport. It is pleasant to find the children in two homes so sympathetic with their mothers and with the apostle on the great matters of life. - R.F. Parallel Verses KJV: 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; |
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