Living In The Truth Series

Scripture

Last time, we completed the First Letter of John. Today, are going to begin studying the Second Letter of John. And in a few weeks, we will study the Third Letter of John.

By the time John wrote these letters, he was an old man. He had been called by Jesus to serve as one of his apostles and he had a front-row seat to the life and ministry of Jesus. Many years after Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, John served the churches of Ephesus and its surroundings as their pastor. Paul had planted the church in Ephesus and Timothy had also later served as their pastor. And now it was John’s turn.

After serving in Ephesus for a while, a group of false teachers infiltrated the churches and denied that Jesus was the Son of God (cf. 1 John 2:18-23; 4:1-3). This generated a lot of hostility (cf. 1 John 3:4-10). So, John wrote these three letters to do damage control and to assure the Christians of their salvation. John’s purpose in writing these letters is given in 1 John 5:13, where he states, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” Hence, the title for this sermon series: “That You May Know That You Have Eternal Life.”

In his First Letter, John dispenses with the regular earmarks of a first-century letter. The letter is in the style of a sermon rather than a letter. Moreover, because there is no linear progression throughout the letter, it is difficult follow. John uses the ancient style of “amplification,” which includes cyclical repetition (in this case of moral, social, and doctrinal tests), hyperbole, and stark contrasts.

John’s Second and Third Letters bear the earmarks of first-century letters. They begin with a salutation in which the author and recipient is identified, a greeting, and a prayer or wish for the recipient. That is then followed by the body of the letter and a conclusion. The Second and Third Letters are each written on a single sheet of papyrus. They are also the shortest books in the New Testament with 245 Greek words for the Second Letter and 219 Greek words for the Third Letter.

John’s Second and Third Letters should be seen as a pair. There are similarities in the two letters, as noted by Daniel Akin:

1. The author describes himself as “the elder” (2 John 1; 3 John 1).

2. The recipients are those whom he “loves in the truth” (2 John 1; 3 John 1).

3. The recipients are the occasion of “great rejoicing” (2 John 4; 3 John 3).

4. The recipients “walk in the truth” (2 John 4; 3 John 3).

5. The elder has received good reports about both (2 John 4; 3 John 3, 5).

6. Both letters contain a warning (2 John 8; 3 John 9).

7. The elder desires to see both face to face (2 John 12; 3 John 14).

8. Others sent their greetings (2 John 13; 3 John 14).

But there are also differences in the two letters, as noted by Terry Johnson, “Second John is addressed to the local church and is without personal references. Third John is addressed to Gaius, a leading member of the church (v. 1), and it mentions two other members by name, Diotrephes (v. 9) and Demetrius (v. 12).”

John wrote his First Letter to encourage Christians about the assurance of their salvation in the face of false teaching they were receiving from the false teachers. Apparently, the false teachers then left the church but they were still traveling around to the various churches teaching their false doctrine. This was confusing for the churches because there were also traveling teachers going around teaching true doctrine.

So the issue of the Second and Third Letters is similar in that each has to do with hospitality shown to traveling teachers, especially itinerant preachers. Johnson summarizes the clear difference between the two letters by noting, “In addition, 2 John is especially concerned about withholding hospitality from false teachers (vv. 10, 11), whereas in 3 John, extending hospitality to true teachers.”

As John begins his Second Letter, he stresses the truth.

Let’s read about living in the truth in 2 John 1-4, although since the letter is short, I shall read the entire Second Letter of John:

1 The elder 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, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love.