TRUTH AND LOVE
2 JOHN
FOCAL POINT: TO IDENTIFY THREE DANGERS BELIEVERS MUST AVOID.
I. INTRODUCTION
A. THIS LETTER WAS WRITTEN TO AN ANONYMOUS CHRISTIAN WOMAN WHO APPEARS TO OPEN HER HOME TO BELIEVERS FOR WORSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP. THIS PRACTICE WAS NOT UNCOMMON IN THE EARLY CHURCH.
B. THERE WERE AND ARE NOW CERTAIN PRECAUTIONS THAT MUST BE TAKEN. AMONG THE BELIEVERS THERE WERE THOSE WHO WERE TEACHING DOCTRINES CONTRARY TO WHAT THE APOSTLES TAUGHT.
C. IN OPENING HER HOME, THERE WERE FALSE TEACHERS, PARTICULARLY THE GNOSTICS, WHO WERE TEACHING FALSE DOCTRINE AND LEADING PEOPLE AWAY FROM THE TRUTH. THE SAME IS STILL HAPPENING TODAY!
D. WHO WERE THESE GNOSTICS? BRIEFLY STATED, THEY WERE A GROUP MADE UP OF DIVERSE BELIEFS. MUCH OF THE THINKING WAS BASED ON THE IDEA THAT THEY HAD OBTAINED SOME HIGHER REVELATION THAN WHAT THE APOSTLES TAUGHT. WE WOULD CALL THIS TRANSCENDENTAL THOUGHT OR INTUITION. MUCH OF THE TEACHING RELIED ON PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND WERE TEACHING THEIR EXPERIENCE AS GOSPEL. THEY ADOPTED THEIR OWN SET OF APPROVED SCRIPTURES TO ESTABLISH THEIR DOCTRINES. SOUND FAMILIAR?
E. THE APOSTLES’ CREED REFUTED THE TEACHINGS OF THIS HERETICAL GROUP.
II. THE CHALLENGE
A. 2 JOHN 1-6 KNOWING THE TRUTH BUT NOT PRACTICING THE TRUTH
1. WE MUST KNOW AND WALK OUT THE TRUTH OF HIS COMMANDMENTS.
2. THE WORD IS FOR DOING AND NOT JUST KNOWING.
3. IF WE SAY AND DO NOT OBEY, WE ARE SURELY HYPOCRITS. (1 JOHN 1: 6-10)
B. 2 JOHN 7-11 PRACTICING THE WORD BUT NOT DEFENDING THE WORD
1. SATAN, THE DECEIVER, IS ALWAYS BUSY. WE MUST OPPOSE ALL HIS EFFORTS.
2. EPH. 4:15 ALWAYS BALANCE LOVE WITH TRUTH.
3. PHIL. 1: 9-11 IF YOU DO NOT CHOOSE THE TRUTH YOU MAY WELL BE SUPPORTING A LIE IN THE NAME OF LOVE.
C. 2 JOHN 9 GOING BEYOND WHAT THE WORD SAYS
1. THIS WAS THE ERROR OF THE GNOSTICS. THIS SAME ERROR PREVAILS TODAY!
2. WHEN YOU GO BEYOND THE WORD YOU ARE TRANSGRESSING (GO BEYOND).
3. BEWARE OF THOSE TO TEACH BEYOND WHAT THE WORD TEACHES.
D. “TRUTH IS ALWAYS STRONG, NO MATTER HOW WEAK IT LOOKS AND FALSEHOOD IS ALWAYS WEAK NO MATTER HOW STRONG IT LOOKS.” -PHILLIP BROOKS
E. THE APOSTLE JOHN ADDRESSED THREE DANGERS: (1) KNOWING THE TRUTH BUT NOT WALKING THE TRUTH (2) PRACTICING THE TRUTH BUT NOT DEFENDING THE TRUTH (3) GOING BEYOND THE WORD-THE TRUTH
REF: THE BIBLE FOR BLOCKHEADS BY DOUGLAS CONNELLY, EXCERPTS FROM WARREN WIERSBE’S “WITH THE WORD” AND “BE ALERT”, EXCERPTS FROM THEOPEDIA (GNOSTICS)
