2 John
Lesson 12 John 1:1-13
In this lesson, we will take a brief look at John’s second letter, 2 John. A short letter, containing only thirteen verses, John’s second epistle encapsulates all the themes from his first letter, 1 John.
John continues to stress that love is a central theme in pleasing God and obeying Jesus. We cannot walk as true Christians, i.e., as followers of Christ, without love being at the center. In this letter, he also warns us of false teachers and teachings that threaten the Church (even today). John’s teachings are timely, and even though we may see this as a short chapter in a large collection of writings that make up God’s Holy Word, we should recognize its importance— as indeed it is an integral part of God’s Word that He chose to impart to us. If it wasn’t important, God wouldn’t have included it.
So, let’s read 2 John and consider the following:
Specifically, consider how John opens this letter: he is addressing it "to the lady chosen by God and to her children," (2 John 1:1). The use of the terms "lady" and "her children" was a common writing method for referring to the church and her members. As we will observe in this letter, John is writing from another church, i.e., "the children of your sister, who is chosen by God," referring to his church at the moment and her members.
- What principles can we see in the church today that stem from this "lady" and "sisters" designation?
- What does John mean in verse 2 John 1:4 by the phrase "walking in the truth?" How can we know that we are walking in the truth, and what does it mean to walk this way? (See also John 14:6 and 1 John 1:6.)
- John then gives us a direct link between love and walking in the truth. What does he teach us in 2 John 1:5-6? (See also 1 John 5:2-3.)
- John has stressed the importance of walking in truth and love, because the church to whom he is writing is being threatened by false teaching. What does he say is happening at that church in 2 John 1:7? (See also Colossians 2:9.)
- In 2 John 1:7, how does John refer to the false teachers, and do we have any with us today?
- What measure does John tell us that we can use to determine if someone is actually walking in the truth or whether they are attempting to deceive us? (See 2 John 1:10.)
- What does John teach that we are to do when we come across such a deceiver? Are we to reason with them and convince them to change their teaching? How are we to deal with such a person? (See 2 John 1:10-11.)
Let’s commit anew to becoming and being followers who walk in the truth, abhorring compromise, and driving out those who would deceive us with their false and compromised doctrines—because we know that they are driven by man’s thoughts and not God’s commands.
Have a great week everyone, and thanks for studying with us.
In Christ,
Wes
[2021]