2 John 1:9 - 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.
Whosoever transgresses, and abides (MENO) not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. Does not have God!
A person is called a transgressor that's going beyond. The Gnostics went beyond the teachings of Jesus Christ, or the doctrine of Christ. And they went beyond the teachings of the apostles. They didn't remain in the doctrine of Christ but went in another direction. John says they do not have God.
He that abides, (Present Participle), the one who is abiding continuously in the doctrine of Christ, he has both the Father and the Son. Uh oh! The Gnostics don't believe the Father and the Son go together, or as one. Here we go again!
Jesus said, the Father judges no man, but has given all judgement to the Son, that as all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. If you do not honor the Son, you honor not the Father who has sent Him. They go together. You cannot separate them. You cannot give the Father honor and not the Son. And you can't give the Son honor and not the Father.
John 5:18 says therefore the Jews sought to kill Him because He not only had broken the Sabbath day, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. They knew! Some might say, "Well, I wouldn't have gotten that out of that." That's because ours is in an English translation.
The way it is understood in the Middle East, when Jesus said my Father works today, and I work, He's saying the Father and I are one. So, they sought to kill Him because it says He made Himself equal to God. Jesus could have told them "No, no, you guys misunderstood me," because that's blasphemy to call Him God.
But He didn't do that, because He is God! And they sought to kill Him. So, the person who is abiding in the correct doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
Even in 1 Corinthians Chapter 5, where there was one man in the church in Corinth that was committing sexual immorality, and Paul says you're not doing anything about it. Don't you know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? One person living in un-repented sin in a church affects the whole church. Just think of how much effect it has on a church if you have 1,000 people show up.
When our main goal is "numbers," there will always be problems. In the early church, they wouldn't let any single church get larger than 10 to 15 people, because then people would notice you, and they were trying to hide from all the persecution and meet privately. But also, because 10 to 15 people were about all a person could really pastor and keep track of all week long, so that people could help each other that are within the fellowship.
We push in the opposite direction, and we bring the leaven into the church. We bring in the false teaching into the church because we want to get as many people in there as possible, when in reality, from day one, the church was for Christians to get fed and to grow. That doesn't mean the church can't evangelize and preach the gospel message. But the church was specifically for God's people, to feed them. And we've lost our way!
In 3 John, he's going to minister to another fellow by the name of Gaius who has a church in his home. But there's somebody in that fellowship that basically has taken this commandment too far: don't let anybody stay in your home that's come from John.
And so, when John sent out people to these various churches to minister to them, this one guy says don't house John's helpers.
So, John's going to have some things to say to him. And then after we get finished with that, we'll take the one chapter of Jude. Some believe Jude is the most powerful book in the bible. It is very powerful, and we'll study about false teaching in the last days.
2 John 1:13 - The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.
Then he says, the children of your elect sister greet you. Amen. Nothing about the sister, but the children of the elect sister. The ones who were with John greet her. And it is believed that whoever the elect sister is, she's either not there, or she has deceased.
One of the reasons that causes us to interpret this as a real person is because it is written to someone who houses people in their home, not to the whole church type of a thing, even though it would apply to everyone.
But children are children of God, not children of the church. So, if the sister is the church, and her children are the members of the church, that wouldn't fit with correct doctrine. People are not children of the church. They're children of God. There are many different approaches that people take, but the teaching section remains the same, and it remains for us.
For many years now, the "public" church opens up the body of Christ to the non-believers, and the heretics, and everybody else to come in. And there's nothing you can do about it, not unless they cause a disturbance. You can ask them to leave, but they don't have to leave because it's a public church. It's illegal to kick them out!
I know of a pastor who was approached and told that there was some immoral activity going on in his congregation, right there in the church service. And he said he knew about it but he couldn't do anything because they would sue him! So, we have this problem today. And I look at the early church, and how the scripture says don't let them in your house if they don't have the correct doctrine of Jesus Christ.
But yet, there's a philosophy and a mentality today that that's what church is for. Bring in all the non-believers, and all the quacks, and all the false whatever's, and we'll preach the gospel to them. Well, what do you do when they stay around, and they propagate their own false teachings?
2 John 1:12 - Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.
So, he says I'm writing this because this is urgent. Don't let anybody in your house that does not carry the correct doctrine of Jesus Christ. But it's interesting that he says I write with paper and ink. Actually, the leaves of the papyrus plants in Egypt were used like paper, what we know as paper.
And they used to make ink out of soot and water, mixed with resin gum to make it hard, sort of like a chalk stick. And they would write on this papyrus paper leaf. He says I'm writing to you on the papyrus with ink, but I trust to come to you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.
2 John 1:10 - If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
That last phrase, neither bid him God speed, means do not speak greetings. Receive him not into your house, neither speak greetings to him. Now that's pretty harsh! But if you remember, the church met in the homes. But especially this elect lady, she was hospitable towards traveling teachers and preachers.
She had to find out what their doctrine was and if they did not hold to the doctrine of Jesus Christ, as taught by Christ and the apostles, she was not to let them into her home. In our day and time, people might say that this is not showing love. But that is John's whole point here. We as believers, we compromise with the truth for the sake of love. But that's not divine love.
2 John 1:11 - For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
The word partaker is the word KOINONIA which means fellowship, fellowship with their evil works. Now that's pretty heavy! What he's saying is that truth and love go hand in hand. You cannot compromise with the truth and say "Well, we don't agree on the truth, but we'll just love one another!"
Remember what John said at the beginning, I love my children who walk in truth. They are inseparable. God's divine love only loves in the truth, period! And we're doing others and ourselves a grave disservice by compromising with the truth for the sake of what we call love, so that we don't offend anyone.
What kind of love is that anyways if I have to compromise with the truth and you die in your sins? We have to ask ourselves, is it really love if we compromise with the truth so that that person doesn't get offended in the truth of Christ? We're supposed to represent the truth of Christ, and His love.
2 John 1:9 - 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.
Whosoever transgresses, and abides (MENO) not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. Does not have God!
A person is called a transgressor that's going beyond. The Gnostics went beyond the teachings of Jesus Christ, or the doctrine of Christ. And they went beyond the teachings of the apostles. They didn't remain in the doctrine of Christ but went in another direction. John says they do not have God.
He that abides, (Present Participle), the one who is abiding continuously in the doctrine of Christ, he has both the Father and the Son. Uh oh! The Gnostics don't believe the Father and the Son go together, or as one. Here we go again!
Jesus said, the Father judges no man, but has given all judgement to the Son, that as all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. If you do not honor the Son, you honor not the Father who has sent Him. They go together. You cannot separate them. You cannot give the Father honor and not the Son. And you can't give the Son honor and not the Father.
John 5:18 says therefore the Jews sought to kill Him because He not only had broken the Sabbath day, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. They knew! Some might say, "Well, I wouldn't have gotten that out of that." That's because ours is in an English translation.
The way it is understood in the Middle East, when Jesus said my Father works today, and I work, He's saying the Father and I are one. So, they sought to kill Him because it says He made Himself equal to God. Jesus could have told them "No, no, you guys misunderstood me," because that's blasphemy to call Him God.
But He didn't do that, because He is God! And they sought to kill Him. So, the person who is abiding in the correct doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
2 John 1:13 Continued
Even in 1 Corinthians Chapter 5, where there was one man in the church in Corinth that was committing sexual immorality, and Paul says you're not doing anything about it. Don't you know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? One person living in un-repented sin in a church affects the whole church. Just think of how much effect it has on a church if you have 1,000 people show up.
When our main goal is "numbers," there will always be problems. In the early church, they wouldn't let any single church get larger than 10 to 15 people, because then people would notice you, and they were trying to hide from all the persecution and meet privately. But also, because 10 to 15 people were about all a person could really pastor and keep track of all week long, so that people could help each other that are within the fellowship.
We push in the opposite direction, and we bring the leaven into the church. We bring in the false teaching into the church because we want to get as many people in there as possible, when in reality, from day one, the church was for Christians to get fed and to grow. That doesn't mean the church can't evangelize and preach the gospel message. But the church was specifically for God's people, to feed them. And we've lost our way!
In 3 John, he's going to minister to another fellow by the name of Gaius who has a church in his home. But there's somebody in that fellowship that basically has taken this commandment too far: don't let anybody stay in your home that's come from John.
And so, when John sent out people to these various churches to minister to them, this one guy says don't house John's helpers.
So, John's going to have some things to say to him. And then after we get finished with that, we'll take the one chapter of Jude. Some believe Jude is the most powerful book in the bible. It is very powerful, and we'll study about false teaching in the last days.
Blessings to you all in Christ!
2 John 1:13 - The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.
Then he says, the children of your elect sister greet you. Amen. Nothing about the sister, but the children of the elect sister. The ones who were with John greet her. And it is believed that whoever the elect sister is, she's either not there, or she has deceased.
One of the reasons that causes us to interpret this as a real person is because it is written to someone who houses people in their home, not to the whole church type of a thing, even though it would apply to everyone.
But children are children of God, not children of the church. So, if the sister is the church, and her children are the members of the church, that wouldn't fit with correct doctrine. People are not children of the church. They're children of God. There are many different approaches that people take, but the teaching section remains the same, and it remains for us.
For many years now, the "public" church opens up the body of Christ to the non-believers, and the heretics, and everybody else to come in. And there's nothing you can do about it, not unless they cause a disturbance. You can ask them to leave, but they don't have to leave because it's a public church. It's illegal to kick them out!
I know of a pastor who was approached and told that there was some immoral activity going on in his congregation, right there in the church service. And he said he knew about it but he couldn't do anything because they would sue him! So, we have this problem today. And I look at the early church, and how the scripture says don't let them in your house if they don't have the correct doctrine of Jesus Christ.
But yet, there's a philosophy and a mentality today that that's what church is for. Bring in all the non-believers, and all the quacks, and all the false whatever's, and we'll preach the gospel to them. Well, what do you do when they stay around, and they propagate their own false teachings?
2 John 1:12 - Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.
So, he says I'm writing this because this is urgent. Don't let anybody in your house that does not carry the correct doctrine of Jesus Christ. But it's interesting that he says I write with paper and ink. Actually, the leaves of the papyrus plants in Egypt were used like paper, what we know as paper.
And they used to make ink out of soot and water, mixed with resin gum to make it hard, sort of like a chalk stick. And they would write on this papyrus paper leaf. He says I'm writing to you on the papyrus with ink, but I trust to come to you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.
2 John 1:10 - If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
That last phrase, neither bid him God speed, means do not speak greetings. Receive him not into your house, neither speak greetings to him. Now that's pretty harsh! But if you remember, the church met in the homes. But especially this elect lady, she was hospitable towards traveling teachers and preachers.
She had to find out what their doctrine was and if they did not hold to the doctrine of Jesus Christ, as taught by Christ and the apostles, she was not to let them into her home. In our day and time, people might say that this is not showing love. But that is John's whole point here. We as believers, we compromise with the truth for the sake of love. But that's not divine love.
2 John 1:11 - For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
The word partaker is the word KOINONIA which means fellowship, fellowship with their evil works. Now that's pretty heavy! What he's saying is that truth and love go hand in hand. You cannot compromise with the truth and say "Well, we don't agree on the truth, but we'll just love one another!"
Remember what John said at the beginning, I love my children who walk in truth. They are inseparable. God's divine love only loves in the truth, period! And we're doing others and ourselves a grave disservice by compromising with the truth for the sake of what we call love, so that we don't offend anyone.
What kind of love is that anyways if I have to compromise with the truth and you die in your sins? We have to ask ourselves, is it really love if we compromise with the truth so that that person doesn't get offended in the truth of Christ? We're supposed to represent the truth of Christ, and His love.
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